Security Information and Event Management (SIME Tools)

SIEM Tools

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools are integral to modern cybersecurity, offering organizations the ability to collect and analyze log data for real-time monitoring and threat detection. Currently, these tools require human analysis, but the landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by the increasing need for cloud functionality.

Types of SIEM Tools:

There are two main types of SIEM tools: self-hosted and cloud-hosted. Self-hosted tools involve organizations managing their infrastructure, providing physical control over data. In contrast, cloud-hosted tools are maintained by vendors, accessible over the internet, and are ideal for those not wanting to invest in infrastructure.

Hybrid Solutions:

Some organizations opt for a hybrid approach, combining self-hosted and cloud-hosted SIEM tools to leverage the advantages of both models. This allows them to benefit from the cloud while maintaining control over sensitive data.

Popular SIEM Tools:

Prominent SIEM tools include Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Cloud, offering self-hosted and cloud-hosted solutions, respectively. Google's Chronicle is a cloud-native tool designed for optimal utilization of cloud computing capabilities.

The Future of SIEM Tools:

Cloud-Native Evolution:

SIEM tools will continue evolving to accommodate technological shifts. As cloud adoption increases, cloud-native SIEM tools will gain prominence, offering enhanced availability, flexibility, and scalability. This evolution aligns with the growing interconnectedness of devices in the Internet of Things (IoT).

AI and ML Integration:

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will significantly impact SIEM capabilities. These technologies will enhance threat identification, dashboard visualization, and data storage functionality, making the analysis more robust and efficient.

Automation with SOAR:

Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) will play a crucial role. Automation will expedite responses to incidents, allowing SIEM tools to handle routine tasks without human intervention. This enables security analysts to focus on complex incidents that cannot be automated.

Interconnected Security Platforms:

The future entails better communication and interaction between cybersecurity platforms. While technology for interconnected systems exists, it's an ongoing development. Expectations include seamless communication between security tools, enabling a unified defense strategy.

SIEM Tools: Open Source vs. Proprietary:

Open-Source Tools:

Open-source SIEM tools, like Linux and Suricata, are free and collaborative, providing users with customization options. The open nature of the source code enhances security as potential issues can be identified and fixed rapidly.

Proprietary Tools:

Proprietary SIEM tools, such as Splunk and Chronicle, are owned by specific entities, requiring users to pay for usage. While users have limited modification capabilities, these tools often offer advanced features and support.

Common Misconceptions:

Contrary to a common misconception, open-source tools can be as effective and secure as proprietary ones. The collaborative development model and open access to source code contribute to quicker issue resolution and widespread industry adoption.

Staying informed about the evolving landscape of SIEM tools is crucial for security analysts. Cloud computing, integration with SIEM applications, and increased automation are key trends shaping the future of cybersecurity. Whether organizations opt for self-hosted, cloud-hosted, or a hybrid SIEM solution, the goal is to adapt to changes and deploy effective strategies against evolving cyber threats.

SIEM Tools A SIEM tool is an application that collects and analyzes log data to monitor critical activities in an organization. SIEM tools offer real-time monitoring and tracking of security event logs. The data is then used to conduct a thorough analysis of any potential security threat, risk, or vulnerability identified.

SIEM tools have many dashboard options. Each dashboard option helps cybersecurity team members manage and monitor organizational data. However, currently, SIEM tools require human interaction for analysis of security events.??

The future of SIEM tools As cybersecurity continues to evolve, the need for cloud functionality has increased.

SIEM tools have and continue to evolve to function in cloud-hosted and cloud-native environments. Cloud-hosted SIEM tools are operated by vendors who are responsible for maintaining and managing the infrastructure required to use the tools.

Cloud-hosted tools are simply accessed through the internet and are an ideal solution for organizations that don’t want to invest in creating and maintaining their own infrastructure. Similar to cloud-hosted SIEM tools, cloud-native SIEM tools are also fully maintained and managed by vendors and accessed through the internet.

However, cloud-native tools are designed to take full advantage of cloud computing capabilities, such as availability, flexibility, and scalability.? Yet, the evolution of SIEM tools is expected to continue in order to accommodate the changing nature of technology, as well as new threat actor tactics and techniques.

For example, consider the current development of interconnected devices with access to the internet, known as the Internet of Things (IoT). The more interconnected devices there are, the larger the cybersecurity attack surface and the amount of data that threat actors can exploit.

The diversity of attacks and data that require special attention is expected to grow significantly.

Additionally, as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology continues to progress, SIEM capabilities will be enhanced to better identify threat-related terminology, dashboard visualization, and data storage functionality.??

The implementation of automation will also help security teams respond faster to possible incidents, performing many actions without waiting for a human response. Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) is a collection of applications, tools, and workflows that uses automation to respond to security events.

Essentially, this means that handling common security-related incidents with the use of SIEM tools is expected to become a more streamlined process requiring less manual intervention.

This frees up security analysts to handle more complex and uncommon incidents that, consequently, can’t be automated with a SOAR. Nevertheless, the expectation is for cybersecurity-related platforms to communicate and interact with one another.

Although the technology allowing interconnected systems and devices to communicate with each other exists, it is still a work in progress. SIEM tools play a major role in monitoring an organization’s data.

As an entry-level security analyst, monitoring SIEM dashboards is part of the daily tasks. Regularly researching new developments in SIEM technology will help grow and adapt to the changes in the cybersecurity field.

Cloud computing, SIEM-application integration, and automation are only some of the advancements security professionals can expect in the future evolution of SIEM tools.

SIEM tools help security analysts monitor systems and detect security threats. First, the different types of SIEM tools that organizations can choose from, based on their unique security needs. Self-hosted SIEM tools require organizations to install, operate, and maintain the tool using their own physical infrastructure, such as server capacity.

These applications are then managed and maintained by the organization's IT department, rather than a third party vendor. Self-hosted SIEM tools are ideal when an organization is required to maintain physical control over confidential data. Alternatively, cloud-hosted SIEM tools are maintained and managed by the SIEM providers, making them accessible through the internet.

Cloud-hosted SIEM tools are ideal for organizations that don't want to invest in creating and maintaining their own infrastructure. Or, an organization can choose to use a combination of both self-hosted and cloud-hosted SIEM tools, known as a hybrid solution.

Organizations might choose a hybrid SIEM solution to leverage the benefits of the cloud while also maintaining physical control over confidential data. Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Cloud, and Chronicle are common SIEM tools that many organizations use to help protect their data and systems. Let's begin by discussing Splunk. Splunk is a data analysis platform and Splunk Enterprise provides SIEM solutions. Splunk Enterprise is a self-hosted tool used to retain, analyze, and search an organization's log data to provide security information and alerts in real-time.

Splunk Cloud is a cloud-hosted tool used to collect, search, and monitor log data. Splunk Cloud is helpful for organizations running hybrid or cloud-only environments, where some or all of the organization's services are in the cloud. Finally, there's Google's Chronicle.

Chronicle is a cloud-native tool designed to retain, analyze, and search data. Chronicle provides log monitoring, data analysis, and data cloud-hosted tools, cloud-native tools are also fully maintained and managed by the vendor. But cloud-native tools are specifically designed to take full advantage of cloud computing capabilities such as availability, flexibility, and scalability. Because threat actors are frequently improving their strategies to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their targets, it's important for organizations to use a variety of security tools to help defend against attacks. The SIEM tools we just discussed are only a few examples of the tools available for security teams to use to help defend their organizations.

More on SIME Tools

Open-source tools Open-source tools are often free to use and can be user friendly. The objective of open-source tools is to provide users with software that is built by the public in a collaborative way, which can result in the software being more secure.

Additionally, open-source tools allow for more customization by users, resulting in a variety of new services built from the same open-source software package.?

Software engineers create open-source projects to improve software and make it available for anyone to use, as long as the specified license is respected.

The source code for open-source projects is readily available to users, as well as the training material that accompanies them. Having these sources readily available allows users to modify and improve project materials.?

Proprietary tools Proprietary tools are developed and owned by a person or company, and users typically pay a fee for usage and training. The owners of proprietary tools are the only ones who can access and modify the source code. This means that users generally need to wait for updates to be made to the software, and at times they might need to pay a fee for those updates. Proprietary software generally allows users to modify a limited number of features to meet individual and organizational needs.

Examples of proprietary tools include Splunk and Chronicle SIEM tools. Common misconceptions There is a common misconception that open-source tools are less effective and not as safe to use as proprietary tools. However, developers have been creating open-source materials for years that have become industry standards.

Although it is true that threat actors have attempted to manipulate open-source tools, because these tools are open source it is actually harder for people with malicious intent to successfully cause harm.

The wide exposure and immediate access to the source code by well-intentioned and informed users and professionals makes it less likely for issues to occur, because they can fix issues as soon as they’re identified.

?? Examples of open-source tools In security, there are many tools in use that are open-source and commonly available.

Two examples are Linux and Suricata.

Linux

Linux is an open-source operating system that is widely used. It allows you to tailor the operating system to your needs using a command-line interface.

An operating system is the interface between computer hardware and the user. It’s used to communicate with the hardware of a computer and manage software applications.? There are multiple versions of Linux that exist to accomplish specific tasks.

Suricata

Suricata is an open-source network analysis and threat detection software. ?Network analysis and threat detection software is used to inspect network traffic to identify suspicious behavior and generate network data logs. The detection software finds activity across users, computers, or Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to help uncover potential threats, risks, or vulnerabilities.?

Suricata was developed by the Open Information Security Foundation (OISF). OISF is dedicated to maintaining open-source use of the Suricata project to ensure it’s free and publicly available. Suricata is widely used in the public and private sector, and it integrates with many SIEM tools and other security tools. Suricata will also be discussed in greater detail later in the program.