The Crucial Role of Proof of Concept in Detection Engineering
Why proof of concept testing is essential for detection engineering - building detections that actually work against real attacks.
Originally published on Medium
Read the full article: The Crucial Role of POC in Detection Engineering
Why POC Matters
Detection engineering without proof of concept testing is like writing code without testing it. You might think it works, but you don’t know it works.
The POC Process
1. Understand the Technique
Before writing a detection, deeply understand:
- How the attack works
- What artifacts it creates
- What variations exist
2. Simulate the Attack
Use tools like Atomic Red Team to safely reproduce the technique in a controlled environment.
3. Validate Detection
Confirm your detection:
- Fires on the simulated attack
- Doesn’t fire on normal activity
- Catches variations
4. Iterate
Refine based on real-world feedback and evolving techniques.
Common Mistakes
- Writing detections from documentation alone
- Not testing against real attack tools
- Ignoring false positive rates
- Skipping variation testing
Tools for POC
- Atomic Red Team - Attack simulation
- MITRE ATT&CK - Technique reference
- Detection Lab - Safe testing environment
The Payoff
Detections built with proper POC testing:
- Actually catch attacks
- Have acceptable false positive rates
- Survive attacker variations
Read the full methodology: The Crucial Role of POC
Related Modules
AtomicLua
A combination of OffensiveLua and Learning Lua - By Defenders, for Defenders.
Bootloaders.io
A curated list of known malicious bootloaders for various operating systems. Track and catalog bootloader threats with detection rules and hash prevention.