Cyber criminals and scammers are getting more sophisticated all the time. It’s important to regularly upgrade the methods for securing your network. This includes implementing technology that can help you stay a step ahead of potential attacks. A Security Information and Event Management system, or SIEM, is an important tool for cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.
The problem with relying solely on an IDS/IPS is that it doesn’t give you the full picture of what’s going on in your whole system. While it can match potential intrusions against known cyber threats, it can’t help you when it comes to cyber threats that don’t fall into that category. Most malware and other common cyber hacks have built-in encryption to bypass these systems. A SIEM security solution keeps a running journal of your system security in its entirety and constantly analyzes data to let you know when something seems off.
Here we’ll take a look at what it does and how it can help you stay protected.
Aggregate Data to Eliminate Blind Spots
SIEM security centralizes all of the security notifications from your system in one place. They aggregate data from wireless access points, IDS/IPS systems, firewalls, antivirus consoles, active directory servers, and more. Each of these components generates a massive number of security alerts each day, so it’s important to have a centralized place to go to for this data.
Paired with a knowledgeable IT professional, your SIEM can implement customized rules to check threats that are specific to the types of devices used on your network. It can notice critical changes to firewalls, routers, and more. If any unauthorized changes occur to your system, you’ll be notified immediately. These rules can be updated continually as threats evolve and grow more and more advanced.
It’s very important that every device in your system is set up to send security logs to your SIEM. It can’t analyze your data and check for patterns if it doesn’t get it. Your whole system must be properly integrated to mitigate risks.
Detect Vulnerabilities Before They Become Breaches
Your SIEM stays awake so you don’t have to. Not only does it aggregate your security data, it also gives proper context to all of the events and notifications, so you’re only alerted when the situation actually calls for your attention.
You can customize your SIEM to rate the seriousness of each incident it encounters. The event may simply be logged, or it can be added to a report to be reviewed at a later time. If an incident is considered urgent, the system can notify the right individuals immediately via email or an IT support ticketing system.
When it comes to security, timely notification and response are critical. The security of a SIEM allows your team to correct the situation before it can escalate to the point of a breach. An effective SIEM can also guide your team on possible solutions to the problem.
Stay Compliant
Whether you’re dealing with the NIST, SEC, PCI, FFIEC, or HIPAA, how you handle cyber security is paramount. Failure to comply with regulations protecting data or compliance reporting could cost you in terms of direct fines from breach of regulation, as well as through the liability you may have for the data of your customers.
If all of your security data isn’t collected in one place, remediation in the event of a breach can be nearly impossible. If you were audited by any regulatory agency, compiling a compliance report would be a nightmare. Not only will a SIEM security solution improve your cyber security, it makes compliance reporting a breeze.
To make it an effective tool for compliance reporting, your SIEM must be programmed to collect and report the correct data from the beginning. If you are unsure of how to do this, it’s best to work with a knowledgeable IT partner.
Make Your Staff More Efficient
If you’re like most businesses, you don’t have unlimited resources to spend on IT personnel. So it’s important to provide your staff with the necessary tools to make them more efficient. A SIEM security solution can enhance your team’s cyber security efforts, make compliance reporting faster and easier, and help them avoid wasting time on threats that turn out to not really be threats.
Without a SIEM, your security analysts would have to constantly gather information from every server or application within your network to know what’s going on. That’s a lot of wasted manpower. With less frustration and more of their time freed up for the things that matter, your IT department can be much more effective and efficient.
Get Help Implementing a SIEM Security Solution
A SIEM can be a powerful tool for cyber security best practices and regulatory compliance when implemented properly. Setting it up to receive the proper data is critical when it comes to securing your network and generating the appropriate reports.
If you need help implementing SIEM security, cloud servers, or other cyber security best practices, contact NIC for your free consultation.
