Cisco Secure Firewall - High Volume of Intrusion Events Per Host
The following analytic detects internal systems that generate an unusually high volume of intrusion detections within a 30-minute window. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs, specifically focusing…
Description
The following analytic detects internal systems that generate an unusually high volume of intrusion detections within a 30-minute window. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs, specifically focusing on the IntrusionEvent event type, to identify hosts that trigger more than 15 Snort-based signatures during that time. A sudden spike in intrusion alerts originating from a single host may indicate suspicious or malicious activity such as malware execution, command-and-control communication, vulnerability scanning, or lateral movement. In some cases, this behavior may also be caused by misconfigured or outdated software repeatedly tripping detection rules. Systems exhibiting this pattern should be triaged promptly, as repeated Snort rule matches from a single source are often early indicators of compromise, persistence, or active exploitation attempts.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuitePRESaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 3 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- cisco_secure_firewall_threat_defense_intrusion_event
Known benign triggers
- False positives can occur in environments where vulnerability scanners or malware sandboxes are actively generating simulated attacks. Additionally, noisy or overly aggressive Snort rules may produce bursts of alerts from legitimate applications. Review host context before escalating.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/firepower/741/api/FQE/secure_firewall_estreamer_fqe_guide_740.pdf | 18 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 9f2295a0-0dcb-4a5f-b013-8a6f2a3c11f6
- Tagged by the source as
- Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense AnalyticsNetworknetworkSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securitynetwork
Licence
- Published under
- Apache License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
- Obtained under
- Apache-2.0Read the origin licence
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Aug 26, 2026
- Version
- 1