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While the world of technology is becoming increasingly automated and interconnected, many businesses are looking to more sophisticated means of protecting their data from potential leaks and attacks.
In 2022 alone, over 400 million individuals had their data leaked online through nearly two thousand separate cybersecurity incidents. When a business experiences a significant data leak, this can cause irreparable harm to their reputation, and oftentimes businesses who fall victim to such attacks are forced to close their doors within a couple years.
Despite the extent of cyberattacks over the last several years, the cybersecurity industry is fighting back with new and improved methods of monitoring and protecting its clients’ data. Since the 1980s, researchers have been trying to employ AI and machine learning to develop new methods for cybersecurity, and in recent years, these efforts have come to fruition through a wide array of cybersecurity technologies and services.
As you would expect from any form of technology, AI and machine learning are more advanced today than ever before. AI and ML algorithms have been built out to be able to collect, monitor, and respond to millions of data entries in real time, and with every line of data they process, they are able to improve their capabilities by comparing and correlating this data.
One exciting example of this incredible technology is the Security Information and Event Management, also known as SIEM for short. Although SIEM is not a comprehensive security management system, it is one of the fundamental building blocks for creating a robust and all-inclusive security environment.
If you are looking for ways to enhance your security efforts, adding SIEM to your network devices is a great place to start. However, it is important to note that an SIEM platform must be monitored and managed by experienced IT professionals in order for it to be effective.
In this article, we are going to take a look at how managed SIEM works, what its applications are, and how it can be incorporated into your organization to offer a more thorough approach to your security.
Managed SIEM platforms are used to monitor data at the level of individual devices through the use of AI and machine learning. Every time a function or process is carried out on a device, whether the event is a system function or user-initiated, the SIEM platform will record and analyze the data to determine whether or not it is malicious in nature.
An SIEM platform is essentially a piece of software that is made up of advanced and complex algorithms that compare new data to a baseline of what is considered “normal” behavior for any given user or device.
When an SIEM platform is installed onto a device, it is fed information about that device either through the device itself or a set of data that has been collected from similar devices. The machine learning algorithm then analyzes the data to detect and identify patterns of behavior. This is how it creates the “baseline” for safe activity.
For example, let’s say there is an endpoint device that is used by employees to carry out everyday tasks, such as sending emails, accessing customer information, and browsing the web for information related to their jobs. But one day, a user who does not have the proper credentials uses this device to attempt to log in to a server within the company’s IT infrastructure.
If this were to happen on a computer that has a managed SIEM platform installed, the algorithm would detect that this activity does not fall within the normal patterns of use for this device. Also, if the managed SIEM is programmed with the right information, it would recognize that the employee who attempted the login does not have the proper security clearance to be performing such a task.
When this happens, the managed SIEM would create a security event and report it to the appropriate personnel so they can investigate further. Additionally, a managed SIEM could also be programmed to respond to the security event according to a predetermined set of protocols, such as locking the user profile out of the system until they have been cleared by IT.
If you’re wondering how managed SIEM can achieve this, let it suffice to say that machine learning is extremely proficient in recognizing patterns and correlating new data to those patterns. And as the managed SIEM platform continues to gather and analyze more data, its ability to understand the data becomes enriched and more contextual.
Although they are fairly simple to use once they are properly configured, a SIEM is not a plug and play tool for managing your network security. In order for your SIEM to be effective, it needs to be set up by someone who is familiar with its inner workings and understands all of its components.
Once it is set up, it will need to be monitored by an experienced IT professional who knows how to interpret the data that is being fed into the system, as well as how to respond in the case of a security incident.
You might be wondering, what is the point of having an automated security system if it has to be watched all the time? Although saying it “has to be watched all the time” is a misnomer, you might think of it this way to help yourself understand: if you have a network of security cameras, you would still need someone to watch the video feeds in order for the cameras to be useful.
This is something of an oversimplification, since a SIEM platform is much more complex than a video feed, and it can be programmed in ways that allow it to respond on its own without human intervention. Furthermore, when you are utilizing a managed SIEM to its full potential, you will have multiple devices that are all running SIEM at the same time, so you will need to have one or more security specialists monitoring the platform across all of your devices.
While some organizations will prefer to have this process carried out in-house by its own employees, a managed SIEM service will typically have a team that can monitor the system remotely while working alongside the organization’s internal IT team.
This option is often more fiscally sensible for many businesses because it is more scalable, and it eliminates the need for hiring IT security specialists in-house. Additionally, since the managed SIEM provider is already intimately familiar with the platform, the time to set up the platform and get it running is much shorter.
If you decide to work with a third-party SIEM provider to monitor your system, they will be able to help you create a plan to determine what kinds of data are relevant to your specific security needs and define protocols to govern how the system will operate. (i.e., what kinds of security events will generate automated responses, rather than notifying IT for investigation).
The answer to this question might depend on the managed SIEM provider you are working with, but the short answer is “pretty much anything.”
A managed SIEM platform can be installed and deployed on essentially any device that is connected to your network, including computers, mobile phones, firewalls, routers, switches, servers, cloud platforms, and IoT devices.
Because a managed SIEM is powered by AI and ML, it can be fed virtually any form of data, and the system will learn, analyze, and categorize the data it is given, no matter where it comes from. Keep in mind that although a managed SIEM can monitor all of the activity on any given device, it will only collect and analyze the data that you tell it to.
This is another reason why it is important to work closely with your managed SIEM provider during the development phase of your new security system. They will be able to guide you throughout this process and help you understand which kinds of data are relevant to your security needs.
One of the best features about a managed SIEM platform is that it can usually integrate seamlessly into your existing infrastructure. There is a certain level of customization that has to take place here, since the managed SIEM’s configuration will be determined by your individual needs. As such, you can expect the platform’s provider to ask for all the necessary information before setting up your managed SIEM.
In addition to basic security protocols, like firewall and antivirus, there are a number of automated security tools that operate with the same basic concept as a managed SIEM. While these programs have different use cases, they also use AI and ML to gather, analyze, and correlate data.
If you are using any of these systems, such as SOAR, XDR, TIP, LDR, and EDR, rest assured that your managed SIEM can integrate seamlessly with every one of these platforms.
When talking about the overall benefits of a managed SIEM, we can break them down into three basic categories: visibility, automation, and control.
Rather than visibility, a better word for describing what you get with a managed SIEM platform would be transparency. With your managed SIEM platform in place, you will have a central dashboard that allows you to view all of your security details from every device you are monitoring.
You will also be able to view information regarding your system’s overall health in a visual format. This intuitive format helps you make informed decisions when further action is needed, and it allows you to stay up to date on your entire system’s performance at a glance.
The importance of automation within your managed SIEM cannot be overstated because it is the engine that drives the entire monitoring process. Automation removes the need for tedious and repetitive tasks, responds to threats in real time, and notifies IT security personnel as soon as a discrepancy is detected.
Automated responses can be fully customized to meet your needs, and you can program separate responses for different types of threats according to a set of predetermined criteria. What this means is that higher security thresholds will trigger an automated intervention, while lower thresholds will simply notify IT that a deviation from the system’s baseline has occurred.
When you combine the total transparency and robust automation features of a managed SIEM, you get complete control over your IT infrastructure.
Every device that is connected to your network or cloud environment will be at your fingertips, along with all of their event logs, user entries, and network communications. All devices can easily be accessed, quarantined, and diagnosed remotely and securely through your managed SIEM platform.
Whether a user or device is accessing your network remotely or wirelessly, all activity that deviates from your managed SIEM’s baseline will be detected and stopped before an attack or breach is allowed to propagate.
Blueshift is a managed cybersecurity service provider that stands at the forefront of protecting businesses from evolving cyber threats. With our expert team boasting centuries of combined experience in the cybersecurity industry, Blueshift is uniquely positioned to deliver unsurpassed security solutions to its clients. Blueshifts’s leaders bring a wealth of expertise from diverse sectors and prominent tech companies, which has formed Blueshift’s comprehensive understanding of the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape.
At Blueshift, our commitment to excellence is evidenced by our many successes in creating full-spectrum cybersecurity solutions for our clients. By leveraging our extensive knowledge and cutting-edge technologies, we are able to provide customized security strategies that integrate seamlessly into every client’s unique approach.
When you trust Blueshift as your cybersecurity partner, you will know that your business is protected by a dedicated team of experts who are committed to staying ahead of the curve. By prioritizing proactive monitoring, rapid response, and constant improvement, we ensure that your organization will remain impervious to new and emerging threats.
Contact Blueshift today to schedule a personalized demo of our fully-managed SIEM solution.