The article outlines a methodology for utilizing the VirusTotal API to identify malicious shortcut (.LNK) files and analyze their command line parameters for threat hunting. It emphasizes the importance of external intelligence in threat detection and demonstrates how to gather, analyze, and visualize LNK file data using various tools and techniques. The ultimate goal is to build effective analytics for detecting initial access attempts through shortcut files.

Data integrity ensures that information is accurate and reliable, while data security protects it from unauthorized access and threats. Both are essential for effective decision-making, as poor data integrity can lead to incorrect conclusions, regardless of security measures in place. To maintain both, companies are increasingly utilizing data observability tools to monitor and promptly address any issues in their data pipelines.