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Automate Network Threat Hunting with Ansible and Python
Rating: 5.0 out of 5(3 ratings)
109 students

Automate Network Threat Hunting with Ansible and Python

Recruiters want results! Show them your network threat-hunting project with Zeek, Suricata, Python, MMdb, and Ansible.
Last updated 7/2026
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • Use Ansible to automate and orchestrate a PCAP analysis pipeline.
  • Use Zeek and Suricata for deep PCAP analysis and log generation.
  • Use Python code and MMdb to enrich the pipeline's functionality.
  • Use Python to correlate all logs and alerts, and generate reports.
  • Learn how to design and build an end-to-end analysis pipeline.
  • Build a complete, 100% hands-on project to showcase to recruiters.

Course content

5 sections57 lectures4h 16m total length
  • 1.1. What's This Course All About?4:23

    A high-level overview of how we’ll build a real-world network automation pipeline using Ansible, Zeek, Suricata, and Python.

  • 1.2. Best Practices and Course Resources1:16

    Learn best practices for following along and using the course resources to get the most out of this course.

  • Thinking About Your Next Tech Role?0:33

    Planning Your Next Career Move? Join My Community for Tech Career Opportunities!

  • 1.3. Virtualization and the Ubuntu Linux VM5:07

    Set up a clean Ubuntu Linux virtual machine and all the necessary tools for building a professional network automation and analysis lab.

  • 1.4. Installing Zeek, Suricata, and Ansible7:55

    Install and prepare Zeek, Suricata, and Ansible for building an automated network security analysis pipeline.

  • 1.5. Notebook: Installation Commands0:23

    Quick reference of all commands needed to install Zeek, Suricata, and Ansible for your automation environment.

  • 1.6. Getting Great PCAP Traffic Samples6:27

    Learn where to find high-quality PCAP files for realistic network security analysis and automation testing.

  • 1.7. Capturing Your Network's Traffic5:22

    We discuss ways to capture your own network traffic to feed into the automated analysis pipeline.

  • 1.8. Disclaimer. Ethical Use Only1:06

    Important legal and ethical guidelines for responsible use of network security, sniffing, and automation tools.

Requirements

  • You should have a basic understanding of networking: TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, DNS, etc.
  • You should have a basic understanding of Python: syntax, data types, functions, libraries.
  • However, I have included a Python playlist and two PDFs to get you started from scratch.
  • All tools used in this course are 100% free - you won't be required to purchase anything.
  • You need a decent PC and be able to assign 4GB RAM and 25GB disk space to the VM.

Description

  • Audience: Network Engineers

  • Level: Beginner to Advanced

  • Last update: February 2026


What's this course all about?

Recruiters want results. Managers, too. They value builders and doers - not just theoreticians.

Show them your own hands-on threat-hunting lab for network traffic analysis, built around a fully automated pipeline using the following tools and technologies:

  • Zeek - deep PCAP analysis and context-rich security logs

  • Suricata - detection based on pre-defined rules and signatures

  • Ansible - automation and orchestration of the analysis pipeline

  • Python - for building custom scripts and enriching functionality

  • MMdb - for adding IP geolocation and ASN-related information

  • VS Code - used for organizing all of our project files and folders

  • Ubuntu - base operating system for the traffic analysis pipeline

  • VirtualBox - used for virtualization and isolation purposes


During this course, you'll build a fully automated network traffic analysis pipeline that ingests PCAP files, runs in-depth analysis from multiple angles, generates actionable logs and alerts - as well as a Markdown report summary, and helps uncover unusual or malicious behavior in your network.

  • We're going to build the project together from the ground up, step-by-step

  • You will install, execute, code, and also troubleshoot everything alongside me


By the end, you’ll have a threat-hunting lab that you can actually use in the real world for:

  • Becoming a better Network Engineer or Security Analyst

  • Showcasing a strong project to companies and recruiters

  • Monitoring and securing your own home network traffic


This project is a perfect fit if you're looking to showcase your skills as a:

  • Network Engineer or Network Security Analyst

  • Network Automation Engineer or QA Engineer

  • Network Detection and Response Engineer

  • SOC Analyst, SOC Engineer

  • Threat Hunting Engineer


Important information before you enroll:

  • 30-day money-back guarantee - no questions asked

  • Unlimited, lifetime access to the course from any device

  • All the future course and code updates are included

  • Full instructor support for all course-related questions

  • A Certificate of Completion upon finishing the course


What others have to say about my courses?

  • "What an incredible value and learning experience!" by Sean A.

  • "The instructor is an excellent professional, skillful and engaging." by Georgios T.

  • "Excellent material. Kudos to a great instructor with a vast level of creativity." by Anthony W.

  • "I can say this man is going on smoothly and perfectly, explaining in the most empirical way." by Kolapo A.

  • "Very thorough course. Includes plenty of details and examples without being boring. Explanations are given at a very practical level." by Gary S.

  • "As a Python beginner, I find this course is concise, easy to understand  and structured. Also, Mihai responses to my question during the course  promptly. I highly recommend this training course." by Johnny W.

  • "The instructor seems to touch all the basis in a logical and methodical way while providing examples and explanations. I can only conclude the instructor is a professional educator who spent considerable time structuring and organizing the course." by Larry L.

  • "I've tried learning from the books & multiple videos - most were too basic to make a practical app. Some books were too thick and made me sleep. But still none of the materials had the perfect balance like this course where all the basics were covered, instructions were concise, and Mihai walks you step by step." by Joon P.

  • "Usually I'm not doing courses review but this time I will make an exception. During time I took a lot of trainings but very few provided by Udemy proved as having the right approach in teaching the audience. I will mark this one as being one of my personal top three best trainings as content's quality, technical explanations, and additional learning materials perspective." by Johnny S.

  • "This is a great course for network engineers who would like to start automating their tasks. Geared towards beginners, this course teaches the fundamentals and applying those concepts to networking. There is a lot of fluff on the internet, however the instructor managed to put together the necessary information to start automating the network." by Costin N.

  • "I've seen the blueprint and some demo videos and I was convinced right away. Without a doubt, it's one of the best trainings a network engineer can have. It gives you actual valuable and marketable skills that you can use in your daily job. Mihai explains the topics really well, with practical examples making it a fun way to learn. Highly recommended." by Vlad V.


Some of my instructor stats on Udemy:

  • Teaching automation here since May 2015.

  • Over 110,000 students from 185 countries.

  • Over 12,800 reviews, 4.5/5 average rating.


Time is ticking - don’t waste it! Start building.

Enroll now, and I'll see you in the first lecture.

Who this course is for:

  • Network Administrators, Network Engineers, Network Analysts, Systems Engineers.
  • Network QA Engineers, Network Automation Engineers, Network Security Engineers.
  • Python enthusiasts who want to apply their knowledge to Network Automation.
  • Any other kind of IT, security, or networking geeks are welcome, as well.