When conducting research for an SIEM solution, it's important to be able to identify features that will enable effective detection, prevention, and response to security threats. Below, we'll discuss a number of critical topics to consider when selecting an SIEM solution.
Log Correlation – The Heart of SIEM
SIEM software works with the principle of log collection and correlation, therefore, it's important to ensure that log correlation happens effectively, in real time, and provides centralized visibility into potentially insecure and non-compliant network activity.
Ensure that your SIEM solution is capable of the following:
• Logs are collected from across the IT infrastructure covering all your network devices, security appliances, servers, workstations, databases, etc.
• Log correlation is real-time and happens in-memory to detect zero-day threat vectors
• The ability to perform multiple event correlation to process all time and transaction-based events to provide actionable data and incident awareness
• The ability to send real-time notifications and alerts about irregularities in the network
The success of SIEM software depends on the principle and mechanism of effective event log correlation.
Log Analysis & Event Forensics
Logs are the means to any actionable result and they carry a wealth of information about all network and user activities happening. Being able to gain quick access to historical log data and analyze events will help you identify anomalies and suspicious activity patterns on your network.
Ensure your SEIM software allows you to:
- Interactively explore historical log data with simplicity and ease
- Isolate the root-cause of a threat, breach, failure, or any non-compliant activity
- Perform event forensics to determine what really happened before, during, and after the event
- Track log activity over time and in context of suspicious events
Automated Threat Response & Issue Remediation
Incident response is an SIEM software feature that responds to a detected (by log correlation) security threat by containing or preventing it with automated response actions. The application of incident response has expanded beyond security to cover IT troubleshooting and issue remediation for efficient IT administration.
Your SIEM software should be able to:
- Mitigate emerging security threats with automated active response
- Remediate operational IT issues with pre-programmed corrective actions
- Respond to policy violations and non-compliant activities with built-in correlation rules
- Counter activities like insecure network connections, system settings and policies, and unauthorized network and user access, USB misuse, etc.
Regulatory Compliance & Reporting
Satisfying compliance reporting requirements of key security policies such as PIC-DSS, HIPAA, GLBA, NERC CIP, etc. is a key aspect of an SIEM. With out-of-the-box reporting templates and the power of customization and report scheduling, an SIEM becomes an integral part of your IT security architecture. Starting from federal policies to compliance with internal corporate standards, SIEM software should be able to provide:
- Detailed reports of non-compliant activities and policy violations in the network
- Historical system-based, user-based and network-based event data for compliance auditing
- Information about threat response and mitigation measures carried out to contain or prevent attacks
Yes you can – when you select an SIEM solution that provides a true return on investment. Choose an SIEM system that offers:
- Node-based licensing to cover log collection and correlation from a variety of network devices, servers, and workstations
- Scalability and flexibility to expand to more nodes easily
- Simple-to-use software that is affordable, easy to evaluate and procure
Overall, SIEM is an all-encompassing solution for log management, security, and compliance. By implementing a comprehensive SIEM solution, such as SolarWinds® Log & Event Manager (LEM), you'll be able to expand security and protection across the breadth of your IT landscape. SolarWinds LEM is available as a virtual appliance offering centralized log management and network defense from an intuitive Web-based interface.
LEM provides built-in active responses to:
- Block an IP address
- Remove user from domain groups
- Detach USB devices
- Kill processes by ID or name
- Disconnect networking on computers
- Restart or shutdown machines, and more…
Top 3 Reasons to Try SolarWinds Log & Event Manager
- Full-function SIEM capabilities including real-time event correlation, alerting, log analytics, active response, USB defense, and over 300 built-in compliance repotting templates
- Easy to deploy and use virtual appliance available on intuitive Web console
- Affordable and reliable SIEM software that monitors your entire IT infrastructure 24/7
Here's a short guided tour of SolarWinds Log & Event Manager (LEM).
