The KQL Mysteries: The Holiday 2023 Episode Part 4
A Twist of Fate
This episode, we take a slight detour into the holiday season for a seasonal themed one-shot episode. After the holidays, we’ll get back to the story at hand.
Catch up on this series by going to: https://aka.ms/KQLMysteries
New chapters release weekly.
As the clock struck midnight, Jon and Sarah watched the server logs with bated breath. The Krampus_attack task was set to execute, but they were ready. With their trap in place, they waited for the hacker to make their move.
Suddenly, the server activity spiked. The Krampus_attack task initiated, but instead of causing havoc, it triggered an alert that Jon and Sarah had set up. The hacker had taken the bait.
“Gotcha!” Sarah exclaimed as they traced the connection back through the proxies. The IP address led them to a surprising location—not a shadowy hideout, but a well-known cybersecurity firm.
Jon’s eyes narrowed. “This can’t be right. Why would someone from there attack us?”
They decided to investigate further and discovered that the hacker was, in fact, a disgruntled former employee seeking revenge. Using their knowledge of the company’s systems, they had planned the Krampus_attack to coincide with the festive season, hoping it would go unnoticed.
But Jon and Sarah were one step ahead. They contacted the cybersecurity firm and, with their cooperation, apprehended the hacker before any real damage could be done.
As dawn broke on the day after Christmas, Jon and Sarah celebrated their victory. The hacker was caught, the systems were secure, and the holiday spirit prevailed.
“Looks like we unwrapped our present a day late,” Jon joked, “but I’d say this catch was worth the wait.”
Sarah smiled, her eyes reflecting the twinkling holiday lights. “Indeed, it’s the best gift we could have asked for—peace of mind.”
And with that, they turned off their monitors, ready to enjoy the rest of the holiday season, knowing they had kept their network, and their spirits, safe.
This is the last holiday episode and I’m headed into the holiday sunset, myself. Jon Block and his crew will take a short hiatus during the holiday, too, but they’ll all return in 2024.
Just getting introduced to The KQL Mysteries? In 2024, KQL will take our team to surprising places. Catch up on the current storyline here: https://aka.ms/KQLMysteries
From the bottom of my heart, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and to yours! I truly appreciate each and every one of you. Thanks for reading!
-Rod
P.S. There’s an Easter egg in this holiday story that leads to discovering the true culprit in the main storyline. Just sayin’
[Want to discuss this further? Hit me up on Twitter or LinkedIn]
[Subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog]
[Subscribe to the Weekly Microsoft Sentinel Newsletter]
[Subscribe to the Weekly Microsoft Defender Newsletter]
[Subscribe to the Weekly Azure OpenAI Newsletter]
[Learn KQL with the Must Learn KQL series and book]
[Learn AI Security with the Must Learn AI Security series and book]