What is SIEM? Best SIEM according to the most common features.

What is a SIEM?

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is a cybersecurity software that combines two methods:

Security Information Management (SIM): Analyses log and event data in real-time to provide threat monitoring, event correlation, and incident response by Threat Modelling.

Security Event Management (SEM): Collects, analyses, and reports on log data from various sources across the network, such as network devices, servers, domain controllers, and others, to facilitate log management.

Why do you need to use a SIEM?

1. Provides an updated and centralized view of the organization’s cybersecurity landscape.
2. Discovers irregular user behavior patterns that could indicate threats from hackers or internal security risks and launch a quick defense.
3. Uses HIDS to monitor the network 24/7 and identifies any suspicious or malicious activities through network traffic analysis.
4. Detects y prevents security breaches and possible cyber threats.
5. Issues real-time alerts for every security incident detected.
6. Avoids data breaches early by identifying threat indicators.
7. Helps organizations with IT regulations compliance.
8. Allows forensic analysis and speeds up post-incident recovery.

What are SIEM features crucial for your company?

Each SIEM tool prioritizes certain features and functionalities. That’s why you must understand SIEM basics to choose the tool that meets your needs. Whether you decide to go for a free, paid, or open-source SIEM program, you should always lookout for the following features.

• Unlimited log collection

SIEM solution should collect data from every available source and process it for correlation and analysis. Generally, data sources include cloud data, network data, log data, etc. However, your SIEM should hold up data management from a single point of control.

• Visualization

The SIEM that your organization decides to buy should have to include extensive dashboard management. This management lets visualizer the data through graphs, charts, heat maps, and other graphics to make it easier to understand the analyzed data.

• Threat intelligence

It would help if you had a SIEM that uses threat intelligence to provide more information about IP addresses, domains, websites, or other logical entities currently associated with malicious behavior. It would be better if the SIEM supports using any threat intelligence feeds instead of a particular feed.

• Compliance reporting

The compliance reports help identify and report system configuration deviations or unauthorized access to data. Besides, it is used for assessing the risk/impact of violations or detecting potential violations. The selected SIEM must allow you to include built-in reports depending on your compliance needs and ability. Also, it should allow creating new reports or built-in tailor reports according to your organization-requirements and characteristics.

• Forensics capabilities

An advanced SIEM can capture additional information about security events to identify attacks, gather evidence, and investigate incidents. The forensics is made to analysis to discover who infringed security protocols and policies and take disciplinary or prosecution purposes measures.

• Compatibility

The SIEM should have compatibility with different types of devices to monitor all the data in an organization. They also need to be compatible with other security products such as endpoint protection to avoid a vulnerability from any direction.

What are the disadvantages of SIEM?

1. Usually, SIEM is expensive to implement and maintain.
2. Very difficult to install and manage, but with the right support become easy.
3. The amount of data they collect is overwhelming for any IT department.
4. It needs constant updating.
5. It needs dedicated staff to operations and continuous tuning.

Which is the best SIEM tool for 2020?

1. UTMStack

UTMStack is a free Next-Gen SIEM and compliance platform. This SIEM delivers all essential cybersecurity services to simplify cybersecurity management and compliance in small and medium-sized businesses.

Features of UTMStack

• Flattens the learning curve.
• Prevents cyber incidents. For this, it complies with HIPAA, GLBA, and SOC regulations.
• All the tools stacked in UTMStack combine into a centralized correlation & classification engine backed by AI technology engines.
• Classic rule-based to support threat detection and incident response functions.
• Designed for hybrid infrastructures (cloud and on-premises environments).

2. Splunk

Splunk is one of the most popular SIEMs on the market for both small and large organizations alike. Splunk specializes in analyzing and managing machine data from the internet, sensors, application logs, and IT infrastructure. Also, it’s capable of indexing large quantities of information from IT infrastructures.

Features of Splunk

• It can work with any machine data, even if it is from the cloud or on-premises.
• Real-time monitoring.
• Automated actions and workflows for quick and accurate responses.
• It has the capability of event sequencing.
• Detailed reports on performance KP.

3. McAfee

McAfee SIEM is a platform that offers real-time threats data and security insights to improve the effectiveness of an organization’s defenses against these threats. McAfee SIEM integrates with a variety of third-party products to provide deeper threat intelligence.

Features of McAfee

• Advanced analytics and rich context to detect and prioritize threats.
• Dynamic presentation of data.
• Monitors and analyzes data from a broad heterogeneous security infrastructure.
• It has open interfaces for two-way integration.

4. LogRhythm

LogRhythm is cybersecurity management and compliance platform that protects companies from cyber-attacks. This SIEM is designed with cloud-based deployment and on-premises deployment options available. It also integrates with leading third-party solutions for added endpoint monitoring, vulnerability assessment, endpoint forensics, incident response, encryption key management, and more.

Features of LogRhythm

• Supports Windows and Linux OS.
• Processes unstructured data and provides a consistent, normalized view.
• Supports a wide range of devices and log types.

5. Securonix

Securonix can be used in small and big enterprises to monitor their IT infrastructure for security or operational risks. This SIEM can identify threats and their severity on the companies' networks. Its data is encrypted, so it is not vulnerable to outside hackers and other cyber-attacks.

Features of Securonix

• Always-on approach to monitoring the IT environment.
• Cloud services.
• Easy to use through an intuitive user interface.
• Advanced analytics capabilities with machine learning algorithms to monitor traffic at scale.

SIEM Solutions Comparison Table

Table 1: As per the online reviews, these are the prices by SIEMs.

Conclusion

1. SIEM is the complete software to protect your organization against cyber-attacks because it provides intrusion detection, vulnerabilities management, and incident response in real-time.
2. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is an excellent tool, but it requests a constant update to keep up with the most recent cyber threats.
3. According to the pricing comparison of the best SIEM tools, they are relatively expensive, except UTMStack. Even Securonix can apply additional taxes or fees.
4. Splunk, McAfee, and LogRhythm deliver a free trial, except Securonix. UTMStack delivers a free version all the time if companies decide it.
5. All these SIEM have a deployment On-premise, except Securonix which has it only in the cloud.