It’s pretty much a given that any organization has to put money into cybersecurity as the most valuable asset is company and customer data. This is fortunately achievable through high-grade Security Information and Events Management (SIEM). According to UnderDefens, finding functional SIEM services can be challenging, especially when the goal is to fight current cyberattacks effectively. That is why you need to know what a good service brings to the table.
So let’s check the main attributes that SIEM brings and how they fit into the mold. Armed with the knowledge of these SIEM service features, you’ll be able to find the right provider. Without further ado, let’s delve into it.
See also:
Table of Contents
Required functionalities
When we talk about SIEM, the main purpose is to efficiently gather security log information from every facet of an organization. Then study it and create reports that teams use to see and eliminate impending danger.
Created almost two decades ago, the tech still needed manual handling. This has since changed with the incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning, which have now automated the process. As a result, the following duties of any SIEM are conducted at an optimal level:
- Log management — it could be achieved in real-time and retrieves all organizational data, be it from firewalls or emails;
- Event correlation and analytics — it helps achieve speedy responses by studying company or user behavior, which discovers anomalies;
- Incident monitoring and security alerts — possible due to centralized dashboards that allow teams to take care of issues before they worsen;
- Compliance management and reporting — aided by automation, it handles all compliance-related data.
How does it achieve the above tasks?
Well, based on how big the system needs to be, a SIEM service server will need either a single server or multiple different kinds to operate. Log data retrieved from various sources will then have to be taken in via software known as agents, after deployment, although doing it without agents is possible. Note that both methods are often needed as they widen the number of logs as well as sources available.
Agents and servers convert data gathered into a single, understandable format the tool can utilize, improving both log analysis and the system’s reporting abilities. This unified understandable format, after analysis, informs teams about what threats are present or likely on time so they can be addressed. In addition to this, to respond to any unusual occurrences, SIEM takes the following actions:
- further logging of information
- creating alerts to personnel so they can respond to problems
- advising on how to mitigate or stop threats
Key features
During one’s search for functional tools of this kind, a proper scanning of the landscape for the main features they possess is key to success. Be mindful of the fact that there’s quite the variation between separate tools, with some offering centralized logging abilities sans any analysis or reaction, while others are all-encompassing.
Which one is chosen depends solely on what is required by an organization as well as what they can afford. Having said that those interested in these systems should look for the presence of the following features to choose what’s right for them:
Seamless integration with pre-existing organizational security measures
The tool you’re trying to get should easily fit with other security measures that you already have in place. This makes the barrier against attacks stronger and more effective as commands can be given by the tool. Figure out what needs to be integrated before the system’s deployment and find the tool that can match it.
Solid compliance reporting
Quality SIEM tools will always have proper compliance abilities that’s built in and can deal with all issues. Reports created are the latest as well as custom-built for company-specific demands and characteristics.
Threat intelligence feed utilization
The standard tool’s able to ingest threat intelligence data from multiple areas. It helps pinpoint the location of any suspicious activity. It’s cardinal that an organization receives the latest threat intelligence constantly.
So that it can be looked at and dealt with speedily. It’s also important that the feeds are chosen by the company to fit what it wants. In doing so, this feed can be used throughout the operation’s security controls.
Forensics abilities
The objective of any SIEM system is to help teams narrow down the search for any malicious activity until it’s found. Anything that can help with that is an asset that should be kept at all times. For example, conducting additional logging allows for further collection of otherwise latent information that leads to extra analysis and ultimately to increased detection abilities and overall safety.
Useful as they are, the above features can come with others. Things such as behavioral analysis of the user, cloud security as well as just overall automation make the whole thing streamlined and easier to digest.
What does it bring to the table?
It’s evident that security issues are an urgent and widespread concern, affecting entities of all sizes. With well over 31,000 global cybercrime cases having happened last year, we see that this is a staggering number of underscore cases. While tools possessing the above signatures are incredibly helpful, they’re not exactly affordable and can produce some false positives.
Despite this, some assurance is better than being defenseless and casting aside the benefits. Some of the key benefits of having these tools are listed below:
- Real-time visibility for organizations
- Speedy threat response
- Efficient handling of compliance-related duties
- Streamlined functionality due to centralized servers
- Efficient threat detection
Final thoughts
There’s no doubt that cybersecurity risks and threats are going to persist as time goes on because participants in said activity are always evolving. This is why having a perfectly functional SIEM service is so helpful. While nothing’s uniform, the main features are mostly pretty standard.
Today, the above features are essential, otherwise, your operation’s left open to just about any attack, so providers that have these features are worth having. If possible, definitely go for the most advanced models, as they offer more.
