How to Use SIEM for Log Monitoring
22.08.2019
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fIn the never ending journey of keeping your networks safe, log monitoring and SIEM practices have proven their value. In this article, we will discuss why and how they can help your IT security operations. In today’s business environment, data has proven itself as the most valuable asset. That is why it is a priority of all businesses to eliminate the risk of data breaches. In every single industry, businesses take precautions to keep their valuable data from unauthorized access. Yet it must not be forgotten that providing a strong façade against data breaches is a continuous process since attackers keep getting better and their ways keep evolving. In order to make sure that your sensitive information is safe, you need to keep up with the fast pace of hackers, attackers and other threats. In this rather Sisyphean task of keeping your data safe, log monitoring and SIEM are two of the best allies you can have. Log Monitoring Every action that is performed on a network or a device is carefully recorded in logs. Accessing, creating, deleting or modifying a file, performing a task or any other action leaves its mark on the log files. Server or client, all systems generate massive amounts of log files. That is why log information is very useful in understanding what is going on in your IT environment. Through log data, you are able to perform two most important actions in IT security: troubleshooting and prevention. Log data can point out an unauthorized access or a suspicious activity. In order to notice such instances, you have to monitor log data continuously. Yet considering the gargantuan amount of logs generated by various sources on your network every single day, it is quite easy to miss a threat or intrusion. Performing poorly on real time log monitoring can cause a threat to go unnoticed for too long. And failing to notice, contain and fix a threat on time can cost your business a lot: not only money, but also hard earned trust of your customers. Moreover, log data can play an essential role in prevention of security events. Through the information sifted from log data, you can detect problems before they arise and find out the vulnerabilities of your systems to act upon them before they lead to preventable catastrophes. To do so, you need to combine previous and current log data from many sources such as serves, devices or applications. Then you must analyse the data, look for patterns and correlations. Check out best log management practices for SIEM. SIEM SIEM means Security Information and Event Management. It is an extensive security solution which allows businesses to gain a strong security posture through streamlining various security tools and providing real-time, in depth information in regard to their networks. SIEM is widely adopted by numerous businesses from all fields because it combines the power of various IT security technologies and tools including but not limited to: SEC (Security Event Correlation) SEM (Security Event Management) SIM (Security Information Management) LM (Log Management) Log Monitoring & SIEM With the help of SIEM solutions, you can boost the efficiency of the security measures you take. SIEM can bring together the log data obtained from various sources and analyse it through its comprehensive algorithms. SIEM software can combine log data history and real time log data in order to define a baseline and to look for patterns and vulnerabilities. Moreover, SIEM can provide you with an intensive real-time log management that can detect even the slightest deviations from the normal network behaviour. Thus you never miss a possible threat or intrusion.
