Navigating the SIEM Journey: Insights, Challenges and the Future

In the ever-changing world of cybersecurity, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems play a critical role in protecting organizations from cyber threats. Their presence has evolved from a log dumping ground to a lynchpin for many security programs. This article introduces SIEM as we know it and paves the way for our journey toward security operations center (SOC) modernization.

What SIEM is and the value it brings

At its fundamental core, SIEM is a cybersecurity solution that collects, analyzes and interprets machine data from across your organization's IT infrastructure in one unified platform. A SIEM can solve many needs, from log management and compliance monitoring to threat detection and threat hunting. However, every organization has unique needs, and it is important to understand how a SIEM, when built correctly, can meet them. This is accomplished through aggregating data from various log sources, such as firewalls, servers, applications, cloud and network devices. Not all logs are created the same which laeds to vendors innovating and expanding storage capabilities. The power of centralized logging paves the way for advanced threat detection while delivering real-time monitoring, event correlation and incident response capabilities. 

A SIEM's value lies in its ability to provide comprehensive visibility into your security landscape. There are several key benefits of a SIEM, one of them being centralized log management. Instead of manually collecting and analyzing logs from disparate systems, a SIEM consolidates your data, simplifying monitoring and analysis. When it comes to threat detection and response, rule-based and AI-driven analytics are used to detect threats and anomalies, correlate events and trigger alerts. Cybersecurity tools like SIEMs can help streamline this process by providing detailed audit trails and reporting features. They can provide improved incident response by enabling quick detection and response to security incidents and are designed to help minimize your damage and downtime. These tools offer dashboards, providing actionable insights and reporting tools that can help your security teams prioritize risks and allocate resources effectively. 

 How a SIEM works

A SIEM operates through several specific stages, which we have outlined below: 

• Collection is the process of ingesting machine data from sources such as networks, endpoints, authentication, email, applications and more. This provides organizations with the ability to store their data in one location, meeting a slew of policy and regulatory requirements.
• Normalization and parsing of raw data are standardized into a consistent format to ensure compatibility and simplify analysis.
• Event correlation is the application of predefined rules or machine learning models to correlate seemingly unrelated events. For example, multiple failed login attempts followed by a successful login might indicate a brute-force attack.
• Alert generation is a critical component to a successful SIEM strategy. If a suspicious pattern is detected, the SIEM generates an alert for the SOC to investigate. These high-quality alerts are critical for proper visibility and response.

Why SIEM matters to you 

Frankly, cyber threats have become more sophisticated and traditional security measures alone are no longer sufficient. A SIEM can enhance your organization's ability to detect threats, including insider threats, zero-day exploits and advanced persistent threats (APTs). Streamlining workflows for SOC teams can also reduce the workload and enable faster resolution of incidents. This will help shrink the lifespan and capabilities of bad actors within an environment.

Not all incidents are caught by technology. Instead, some are discovered by seasoned and well-trained security practitioners. While this may initially appear as a shortcoming, proactive threat hunting is much more manageable with SIEM's core tenant of centralized logging. With the ability to dynamically query, organizations can build trends, visualizations and spot activity that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.

If your organization collects, stores and processes data, then there is a good chance you may be required to comply with specific key requirements. Industries like healthcare, finance and government must adhere to stringent compliance frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA or PCI DSS and a SIEM simplifies this compliance reporting. 

The future of SIEM: What's next? 

As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, so too will SIEM technology. The future of SIEM might include a defense in depth approach. Combining SIEM with other detection technologies, organizations can achieve a more holistic view of their security posture. The next generation of SIEMs has been termed just that, Next-Gen SIEM, by many vendors that are new to the industry. SOCs will rely heavily on AI to improve anomaly detection, automate event correlation and reduce false positives. In addition, with a shift to cloud environments, SIEMs will become increasingly cloud-native, offering better scalability and integration with cloud workloads and requirements. Say goodbye to delayed detections, as next-gen SIEM paves the way for real-time detection and alerting. 

As customers mature, so do their detections. As an industry, we have watched the transition from simple match rules into behavioral analysis and now the augmentation of AI/ML. Advanced behavior analytics will play a key role in the detection of insider threats and more sophisticated attacks. With the coexistence of SIEM and security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) platforms, security teams will be able to spend less time on tier 1 level tasks and more time where it counts. In addition, as more devices connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) and operational technology (OT) environments, SIEMs are predicted to expand to monitor and protect critical infrastructure and systems. 

Common pitfalls of SIEM

As with any technology, SIEM is not without its downfalls. While it is an extremely powerful solution, its effectiveness is often proportional to the amount of TLC that been poured into it. It is important to be aware that you will encounter occasional obstacles during your SIEM journey such as noisy alerts, constraints on resources and time, total cost of ownership, and constant tuning and maintenance requirements. Reviewing and selecting a SIEM requires a deep understanding of your organization's needs, making it important to ensure alignment between people, process and technology.

Securing the future: Let our experts guide you

In today's threat landscape, a robust SIEM is no longer a luxury but a necessity for organizations who are serious about cybersecurity. Providing centralized visibility, advanced threat detection and compliance, a SIEM can empower your organization to stay ahead of cyber adversaries.  If you are concerned about protecting against cyber threats and learning more about SIEMs and the market around it, please contact GSASecOps@wwt.com.  We are happy to assist in your cyber journey.