Blog Post October 26, 2023

Modern SIEM Solutions in Action: What to Look For

By: Brittany Holmes, Corporate Communications Manager 

Organizations face increasing cybersecurity challenges that demand a new approach to Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions. The traditional role of SIEMs centered around data ingestion and compliance, is no longer sufficient in the face of complex security threats. As cybercriminals continually find ways to exploit blind spots, organizations need an evolving SIEM to meet these challenges head-on.  

The current state of SIEMs is marked by the need for enhanced visibility across the entire organization. Cybercriminals can easily hide, making the security team’s jobs more difficult. Recognizing this, modern SIEM solutions have emerged, leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning to ensure improved visibility, risk assessment, and accurate alerts. However, given the evolving nature of threats, assessing the effectiveness of these capabilities in practice is essential. 

The demand for SIEM solutions is skyrocketing, with the global market expected to reach $5.5 billion by 2025. Consequently, organizations seek the right SIEM solution to address their unique needs effectively. When evaluating SIEM options, it is crucial to consider how well they adapt to the evolving landscape and challenges. This requires ensuring that the chosen SIEM solution aligns with the organization’s network infrastructure and provides specific criteria. 

5 Things to Look for in a Modern SIEM 

User & Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA): Your platform should consistently analyze your operational and security data to uncover threats. UEBA goes beyond traditional rule-based detection and can identify known and unknown threats, including insider threats, compromised accounts, and sophisticated attacks.  

It focuses on threats unique to a user’s activity, which is difficult to identify with rule-based detections. UEBA leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to detect and identify abnormal behavior within an organization’s network and systems.  

UEBA creates a baseline of behavior for each user and entity and then identifies any deviations from that baseline, which may indicate potential security threats. This contextual analysis helps accurately determine the severity and risk associated with identified anomalies. 

Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR): With ransomware on the rise along with other threats, it’s important to halt security incidents when they occur. SOAR provides automated playbooks to take action to contain threats as they occur. These capabilities should go beyond isolating a host and include password resets, disabling accounts, and more.  

SOAR also accelerates response and reduces risks for organizations. It provides the space for IT teams to investigate what occurred and the extent, so they can take appropriate actions to strengthen their security defenses.   

No Data Limits: A SIEM’s effectiveness in detecting threats early depends on its access to a wide array of data sources, including network traffic, endpoints, and cloud data. Data limits can hinder the collection of this comprehensive data, potentially leaving security blind spots and not providing full visibility into an organization’s environment.  

By removing data limits, organizations enhance their ability to detect more threats and have the data required to investigate what occurred. 

Easy Deployment: It’s essential to look for cloud-native solutions that provide easy deployment to minimize disruption to ongoing business operations. Organizations can maintain their IT infrastructure without experiencing extended periods of downtime or significant productivity losses. Additionally, since the solutions are easy to deploy, they should offer a chance to try before you buy.  

One-Touch Compliance Reporting: Compliance reporting is time-consuming, often requiring security teams to sift through vast amounts of data to generate accurate reports. One-touch compliance reporting is a critical feature in SIEM solutions because it saves time and resources and enhances accuracy, real-time monitoring, and overall security posture. By automating the compliance reporting process, organizations can better manage their compliance requirements and reduce the risks associated with non-compliance.  

What the Future Holds for SIEMs 

The future of SIEMs promises enhanced capabilities through the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence, allowing for more accurate threat detection and automated responses. SIEMs will continue to evolve, offering cloud-native solutions, greater scalability, and simplified deployments to adapt to the changing IT landscape. Additionally, they will play a key role in addressing the growing complexities of compliance, privacy regulations, and data protection as organizations seek comprehensive solutions to secure their digital assets while staying agile in the face of evolving cyber threats. 

Take Control of Your IT Environment 

In an era where cybersecurity threats are continually evolving, SIEM solutions play a pivotal role in safeguarding organizations against these risks. With the right SIEM in place, organizations can stay ahead of emerging threats, detect and respond to security incidents more efficiently, and enhance their security posture for the challenges that lie ahead. The SIEM search may not be easy, but with the right approach, it becomes a critical step toward ensuring a resilient and secure digital environment. 

Learn more about how Adlumin’s Managed Detection and Response Services and Security Operations Platform can empower your team to illuminate threats, eliminate cyber risk, and command authority. Experience a tour of Adlumin’s platform, schedule a demo, or sign-up for a free trial. 

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