Endpoint Security Monitoring - Part 5

Event Correlation

Event correlation is the practice of identifying meaningful relationships among various log sources, such as application logs, endpoint logs, and network logs.

Event correlation connects relevant information from different log sources, such as Sysmon logs and Firewall Logs, to identify significant details about network connections. This includes information like source/destination IP, ports, protocol, action is taken, process name, and user account. By linking these artifacts, event correlation helps complete the investigation puzzle.

Event correlation simplifies cybersecurity investigations by connecting information from various sources. By analyzing data like IP addresses, ports, actions taken, protocols, process names, user accounts, and machine names, investigators uncover the complete picture of an incident.

Key Points:

• Event correlation finds patterns and connections in multiple events, helping investigators understand the incident.
• It leverages data sources such as IP addresses, ports, actions taken, protocols, process names, user accounts, and machine names.
• By combining information, investigators reconstruct the sequence of events, identify the root cause, and develop effective strategies for protection.

Conclusion:

Event correlation simplifies cybersecurity investigations by connecting the dots and enabling a comprehensive understanding of incidents. It enhances incident response, aids in identifying attackers, and strengthens overall security.

Baselining

Baselining in endpoint security monitoring means understanding what's normal. It involves collecting data on user activities, network traffic, and processes to set a standard behavior. By comparing to this baseline, organizations can quickly spot unusual things that could be a threat.

Key Points:

• Baselining sets the expected normal behavior in endpoint security monitoring.
• Data collection includes user activities, network traffic, and processes on the organization's machines.
• Comparing to the baseline helps find abnormal behavior that could be a threat.
• Benefits include early threat detection, fewer false alarms, and quicker responses.
• Baselining helps take proactive steps to improve security.

Conclusion:

Baselining simplifies endpoint security monitoring by defining what's normal. By comparing to this baseline, organizations can quickly identify potential threats and respond effectively. This approach improves security, reduces false alarms, and enables proactive measures for better protection.

Baseline Activities:

1. Regular file access and modification by authorized users.
2. Standard login and logout patterns of employees.
3. Routine network traffic between trusted devices and servers.
4. Scheduled system updates and software installations.
5. Known communication protocols and ports used within the network.

Unusual Activities:

1. Unauthorized attempts to access sensitive files or folders.
2. Anomalous login behavior, such as multiple failed login attempts or unusual login times.
3. Unusual or unexpected network traffic patterns, indicating potential data exfiltration or communication with suspicious external entities.
4. Unplanned and unauthorized changes to system configurations or software installations.
5. Unexpected usage of uncommon or blocked communication protocols and ports within the network.

Understanding the Baseline:

Knowing the baseline activities allows organizations to differentiate between normal and unusual behavior. By establishing what is expected in the network, it becomes easier to identify activities that deviate from the norm, potentially indicating security threats or malicious actions.

Importance of Baseline Knowledge:

1. Early Threat Detection: Recognizing unusual activities helps detect potential security threats at an early stage, allowing for timely response and mitigation.
2. Minimizing False Positives: Having a clear baseline reduces false alarms triggered by legitimate but unfamiliar activities, leading to more efficient resource allocation and investigation.
3. Incident Response Efficiency: Understanding the baseline provides context and facilitates faster and more accurate incident response, enabling organizations to mitigate risks promptly.
4. Proactive Security Measures: Baseline knowledge helps organizations establish proactive security measures based on expected behavior, such as implementing access controls and intrusion detection systems.

In summary, having a clear understanding of the baseline activities and being able to identify unusual activities is crucial in network security. It allows organizations to detect threats early, minimize false positives, respond efficiently to incidents, and implement proactive security measures to protect their networks and data.

End of Intro to Endpoint Security articles. Next up, we'll dive into Core Windows Processors. Stay tuned for more details and insights in the upcoming article series.

Thank you.

Tharindu Damith.