Terminology Index
Glossary
2953 terms
B32
Baseline Behavior
The normal pattern of activity for a host or process, such as which programs usually run, their typical parent processes, and expected network connections. Knowing it lets defenders recognize when something on a system is abnormal.
On an endpoint, attacks often reveal themselves as deviations: an unexpected child process, a binary running from an odd path, or a service account behaving unusually. Establishing baseline behavior gives defenders the reference they need to spot these anomalies during investigation and hunting.
Introduced in: Operating Systems for Defenders
Examples
- Knowing a web server normally never spawns a command shell, so one is suspicious.
- Recognizing an executable running from a temp folder as off-baseline.
- Spotting a service account suddenly performing interactive logons.
