Which activity involves identifying and examining unusual network patterns potentially indicating an attack?

The activity that involves identifying and examining unusual network patterns potentially indicating an attack is threat hunting. This proactive security technique focuses on actively searching for indicators of compromise or potential risks within the network. Unlike standard security measures that may react to known threats, threat hunting entails analyzing data and behaviors that deviate from usual patterns to detect potential intrusions before they cause significant damage.

Threat hunters utilize a combination of analytics, tools, and best practices to investigate anomalous activities. By identifying these unusual patterns, they can uncover hidden threats that may not yet have been recognized by automated systems or existing defenses. This proactive and investigative approach is essential in modern cybersecurity strategies, aiming to stay ahead of emerging threats.

In contrast, incident response typically involves responding to and managing incidents after they have occurred, rather than seeking out potential threats before they materialize. Security assessments involve evaluating current security measures and policies but do not directly focus on real-time threat detection. Vulnerability scanning identifies weaknesses in systems but does not actively search for unusual behavior indicative of an ongoing attack. Thus, threat hunting stands out as the activity specifically geared toward actively identifying and examining network anomalies that could signal an attack.