How we Evaluate the SIEM Technology That Underpins Our Service
Category: News
Published: 7th October 2024
To ensure our Managed SIEM solution meets the needs of our clients, we take great care to continually evaluate the technology that underpins it. Whether you are managing a SIEM solution inhouse or working with a managed service provider like us you will want to make sure the following are considered.
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Effective Log Collection
Logs are vital for SIEM solutions, providing the foundation for threat detection and response. Managing log collection from diverse sources—on-premises, cloud, and network systems—presents challenges. Cloud-native SIEM solutions ensure efficient, real-time data ingestion from multiple environments, supporting logs, network flows, and endpoint data. Source integration and format compatibility, like OpenTelemetry, prevent visibility gaps. Flexible storage, secure encryption, and scalable licensing models streamline investigations and reduce costs, ensuring comprehensive security insights.
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Data Transformation
SIEM solutions transform raw data into actionable intelligence through processes like normalisation, enrichment, and correlation. Normalisation standardises data, making it easier to detect threats. Enrichment adds context such as threat intelligence, enhancing response accuracy. Robust transformation processes, including parsers and data feeds, improve detection precision and investigation efficiency. Organisations should prioritise SIEM scalability and integration for accurate threat detection.
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Advanced Data Analytics
Advanced analytics, powered by AI and machine learning, enable SIEMs to detect complex cyber threats by analysing patterns that traditional methods may overlook. Features like User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA) flag abnormal activity. SaaS-based SIEMs offer real-time updates and customisable engines, improving threat detection, alert prioritisation, and overall response capabilities.
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Enhanced Threat Investigation
Effective threat investigation is critical for understanding the full scope of attacks. SIEMs should offer detailed tools like event timelines and root cause analysis to track threats. Key features include tracing lateral movement and minimising false positives through automated triage. These capabilities allow security teams to focus on real threats, improving incident response and visibility across environments.
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Collaboration and Response
Collaboration is key in responding to security incidents, especially in cloud or containerised environments. SIEMs should support automated tools, customisable dashboards, and compliance tracking for efficient teamwork. SOAR capabilities streamline workflows and response times. Role-based access controls, automated reporting, and shared workspaces help maintain compliance and enhance the organisation’s security posture. You need to constantly self-evaluate to judge whether your current SIEM capabilities are sufficient to deal with modern day threats. If certain aspects of current solution are lacking, then you may need to change your SIEM tool to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.
If your existing SIEM has areas of low security coverage, then you are susceptible to security risks, inefficiencies, and compliance issues. Immediate steps like reconfiguring, additional training, or adopting a more capable solution are essential to strengthen security. Upgrading or integrating supplementary tools can also enhance your security operations. It is important to continue optimising your solution to solidify security strategies and support DevSecOps initiatives.
If you’re facing challenges or gaps in your current SIEM capabilities, Red Helix can help. Our team of experts is ready to assess your security needs and provide tailored solutions to keep your business protected.