What is Threat Hunting & Monitoring? Certifications, Career Paths & Salary in India (2025)!
As cyber threats become more advanced, traditional security tools alone aren’t enough to defend organizations. That’s where Threat Hunting and Monitoring come into play. These are proactive cybersecurity practices that go beyond automated alerts—identifying hidden attackers and stopping threats before damage occurs.
If you're aiming to specialize in a high-demand area of cybersecurity, Threat Hunting and Monitoring is a valuable career path in 2025.
What is Threat Hunting?
Threat Hunting is the process of proactively searching through networks, systems, and datasets to detect and isolate advanced threats that evade traditional security tools like firewalls and antivirus software.
Unlike incident response, which reacts to alerts, threat hunting actively looks for signs of compromise before they trigger alarms.
Threat hunters use threat intelligence, behavior analytics, and hypothesis-driven investigation methods to uncover sophisticated attacks.
What is Threat Monitoring?
Threat Monitoring, often handled by a Security Operations Center (SOC), involves continuously observing systems and network activity using SIEM tools and other detection systems. The goal is to:
- Detect anomalies and indicators of compromise (IOCs)
- Monitor event logs and real-time alerts
- Coordinate with incident response teams when necessary
Together, threat hunting and monitoring ensure both proactive detection and real-time defense.
Common Tools & Platforms:
Professionals in this field often work with tools like:
- SIEM Platforms: Splunk, QRadar, LogRhythm, ArcSight
- EDR/XDR: CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft Defender, Palo Alto Cortex
- Threat Intel Tools: MISP, Anomali, Recorded Future
- SOAR: IBM Resilient, Cortex XSOAR
Relevant Certifications:
If you’re serious about building a career in this area, here are the most recognized certifications in 2025:
- CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst)
- EC-Council Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA)
- GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence (GCTI)
- GIAC Threat Hunting (GCTH)
- Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) – EC-Council
- MITRE ATT&CK Defender (MAD) Certifications
- Splunk Core Certified User / Analyst
Career Paths in Threat Hunting & Monitoring:
There’s growing demand for professionals who can actively detect threats and stop breaches in real-time. Common job roles include:
- Threat Hunter / Cyber Threat Hunter
- SOC Analyst (L1, L2, L3)
- Security Monitoring Analyst
- Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst
- SIEM Engineer
- Incident Response Analyst
- Detection Engineer
- XDR/SOAR Specialist
Most professionals start with a SOC role and move into hunting or advanced detection roles as they gain experience.
Salary Range in India (2025):
Here’s an approximate breakdown of salaries for threat hunting and monitoring roles:
- SOC Analyst (L1 – Entry-level): ₹3 – ₹5 LPA
- SOC Analyst (L2/L3 – Mid-level): ₹6 – ₹12 LPA
- Threat Hunter / Cyber Threat Intel Analyst: ₹10 – ₹18 LPA
- Senior Detection Engineers or CTI Leads: ₹15 – ₹30+ LPA
Note: Salaries depend on experience, certifications, tool expertise, and the organization (MNC, government, defense, etc.).
Final Thoughts
As cyberattacks grow more stealthy, threat hunting and monitoring have become must-have capabilities for every modern organization. This field requires a mix of analytical thinking, hands-on skills, and curiosity to find what others overlook.
If you're passionate about cybersecurity and want a career where you’re actively stopping cybercriminals, this is the right track to follow in 2025.
At Xpert4Cyber, we help you gain the skills, tools, and certifications needed to thrive in this high-impact cybersecurity domain.