Cyber Detection Engineering
Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)
Do not claim analytic coverage without required telemetry and executable support.
Structure
Input: analytic question, behavior hypothesis, data source/fields, retention, clock quality, scope. Process: define predicates, entity keys, window, cardinality, ordered correlation, suppression, benign cases. Output: rule/spec, prerequisites, severity, lifecycle status, fixtures, limitations, evidence record.
Rules
- A missing source, field, retention, clock, or collection path makes coverage
blockedornot-tested. - Multi-step behavior requires ordered sequence correlation over related entities/events; never substitute Boolean OR across unrelated single events.
- Sigma
levelexpresses impact/priority (informational,low,medium,high,critical). Sigmastatusexpresses lifecycle (stable,test,experimental,deprecated). A valid portable rule does not prove backend execution or telemetry. - Record expected matches, exclusions and benign/false-positive cases with rationale.
- Include scope reference; skill/version/source; observation time; status; evidence references; limitations; owner. Reuse shared skill IDs.
- Production queries or modifications require documented authorization and runtime-proven controls; offline fixtures only.
Anti-Patterns
- Never write
severity: highas Sigma metadata; uselevel: high. - Never equate
levelwithstatus, rule validity with execution, or synthetic matches with efficacy. - Never hide missing telemetry by lowering priority or widening OR logic.
References (lazy, primary)
- Sigma specification: https://sigmahq.io/sigma-specification/specification/sigma-rules-specification.html
- MITRE ATT&CK detection strategies: https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/
- Reuse
cyber-authorization,cyber-evidence,cyber-framework-mapping.


