Sometimes, the best solution to a problem is also the most straightforward. Threat detection startup Exabeam Inc. today unveiled a new security forensics tool that attempts to address what CEO Nir Polak perceives as a gap in operational visibility caused by the increasing sophistication of network protection software.

The issue is especially pronounced in the user behavior analytics market where the three-year-old outfit competes. To help administrators deal with the massive amounts of activity logs generated throughout the corporate network, many rivaling providers offer machine learning functionality that can automatically bring up the most relevant data. It’s similar to the approach Netflix Inc. has taken towards easing the navigation of its movie library, down to the fact that the recommendations are often off the mark.

As a result, a malicious user is bound to pass through the cracks sooner or later. Exabeam says that there was little organizations could do about situation until now because behavior analytics software typically doesn’t include capabilities for directly accessing activity data. Its newly unveiled tool, dubbed Threat Hunter, aims to remove the blind spot by providing administrators with the ability to manually search the activity logs coming off their infrastructure based on various security parameters.

The functionality can come particularly useful for tracking down attackers in the aftermath of a breach. If, for instance, an important system is compromised during work hours when a large number of users are accessing its contents simultaneously, then data requests can be filtered based on the location from which the hack originated. It’s thereby possible to significantly narrow down the list of likely culprits right off the bat and start the investigation from there. Exabeam is offering Threat Hunter under a subscription priced according to the number of security administrators that an organization needs to support.

Image via Geralt