If your organization has been searching for an automated security solution, you may have encountered SIEM. This blog will give a comprehensive overview to answer the question of what is SIEM and how it works so you can determine if your organization will benefit from it.
SIEM stands for security information and event management. It’s a solution that captures, analyzes, and correlates security information from every source across an organization’s IT infrastructure. The combination of information and event management makes a system that collects and stores information and monitors operations in real time. To take it one step further, the system will alert the security team when a threat has been detected.
This may seem too good to be true, but it’s actually a popular security tool used by organizations for many reasons. Continue reading to learn how it works and why your organization should start using SIEM security.
How does SIEM work?
SIEM solutions gather and log data created by host systems, applications, or security equipment within an organization and store it in a centralized location. The tool can detect and classify the data into separate groups that identify the behavior and determine if it is harmful or not.
When a security concern is found, the SIEM can alert the organization, which can then decide if it is a high or low priority. A SIEM’s process can be split into the following three categories.
1. Data collection and storage
SIEM solutions gather and analyze log data from sources across the organization. These can be from servers, network devices, firewalls, other security solutions and systems, or cloud applications. Once the data is collected, the SIEM sifts through the information to determine if there is any irregular behavior that could signify a potential threat. Usually, SIEM solutions also analyze threat intelligence feeds, allowing security teams to find and restrict emerging cyber threats.
2. Security rules and policies
The SIEM administrator creates a profile that explains the behavior of enterprise systems and how they should work under normal circumstances or pre-defined security events. The solution contains information about default rules, alarms, reports, and dashboards, which can be customized to adhere to specific security requirements. Modern SIEM solutions have begun leveraging machine learning and automation to allow the system to automatically detect irregular behavior and actively define rules on the data.
3. Data correlation and analysis
Once the data is collected, the SIEM system can process and assess the log files — using what it finds to separate the activity into categories. SIEM separates the raw data collected into specific occurrences based on relevant security concerns.
Eventually, the SIEM alerts the organization of potential security threats that may need to be addressed through notifications and dashboards. New SIEM solutions have gotten better at discerning “real” security threats from low-priority occurrences and alerting the IT team to take a further look.
The importance of SIEM
SIEM solution is essential for any organization to keep up with cybersecurity threats. Small IT departments often lack the manpower to handle the high amount of attack detection independently. With an SIEM solution, the team can know where to focus their attention whenever they get an alert. SIEM security provides a more efficient way for teams to catch and investigate threat alerts to keep up with the constant flood of security threats.
There are endless advantages to using SIEM. Below are just a few reasons your team would benefit from implementing an SIEM security solution.
Increases efficiency
SIEM solutions analyze large data sets so IT specialists can quickly understand activity within the organization’s infrastructure. Rather than manually combing through the data, SIEM allows for fast log responses – allowing your IT team to quickly respond to cyber threats.
Mitigates internal risks
Unfortunately, internal risks to security systems continue to increase. However, SIEM solutions provide organizations with insight into user activity. An internal threat could be a user requesting access to restricted information or an internal user disabling required security software.
Tracking data anomalies and quickly generating warnings when suspicious activity occurs allows IT teams to stop a threat before it’s successful and find where the threat came from. According to the National University 2024 cybersecurity analysis, malware-free activities such as phishing, social engineering, and using trusted relationships increased the number of detected identity attacks by 13%.
Streamlines reporting
The once arduous task of reporting every log from several different hosts and agents can now be handled by the SIEM solution. It gathers log data from several hosts and provides a single incident report that covers all of the relevant security events reported by the hosts. Today, SIEMs typically include built-in support for most regulatory requirements.
Early threat detection
Cyber threats have continued to evolve and are getting better at squeezing past detection systems. However, since SIEM security collects and regulates system logs from many different computer systems, it can find the components of attacks from the hosts inside the organization’s system.
In comparing system logs between every host, the solution can recount the events that led to the threat to decide if it was successful or not. Rather than waiting to find a threat that has already happened, the solution can detect an active threat. This allows SIEM to reduce the amount of potential harm that the threat may cause.
Compliance maintenance
Since SIEM solutions create audits in real time and have automated reporting capabilities, they can provide organizations with the tools they need to meet regulatory requirements consistently. It reduces the risk of being penalized or letting regulations fall to the wayside, and it helps organizations uphold their reputation among their customers and the community.
Integrate an SIEM solution for enhanced security
As more systems and machines are added to an organization’s network, cybersecurity becomes more complex. To enhance the security of your network and fight against the rising number of cyber threats, your team needs visibility into all of the devices and the entire infrastructure. But that’s just the start. Teams also need to know what devices are signaling a threat and where that threat is coming from.
All of this can’t be done efficiently enough for IT teams to tackle threats before they become successful. A SIEM solution provides organizations with a singular view into all of the information they need, including real-time alerts, threat locations, and comprehensive security logs.
At Applied Tech, our team of security experts can help you quickly integrate an effective SIEM security solution into your organization’s IT technology stack. Building a secure infrastructure will ensure adequate security, visibility into potential threats, and the ability to act quickly to mitigate risks that could affect your organization’s reputation. Contact us today for help with implementation. Our team can answer any questions and help strengthen your cybersecurity measures.
About Applied Tech
Applied Tech is a leading IT and cybersecurity services provider dedicated to helping businesses protect their digital assets. Our proactive and strategic services include cloud management, security, productivity, and IT growth strategy. With a team of experienced professionals, we provide unique solutions tailored to your IT needs.
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