Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Software

What is Security Information and Event Management Software?

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools are security software concerned with collating log and event data. A SIEM allows security analysts to look at a more comprehensive view of security logs and events that would be possible by looking at the log files of individual, point security tools. SIEM tools allow security analysts to gather and analyze logs and events from operating systems, applications, servers, network and security devices, intrusion management systems, etc.

SIEM is a management layer sitting on top of existing systems and security controls that unifies data from these disparate systems. It allows these systems to be analyzed and cross-referenced from a single user interface.

SIEM tools have recently extended their capabilities to more frequently include analytics functions. These automated analytics run in the background to proactively identify possible security breaches within businesses’ systems. SIEM software providers are refining the balance between quickly identifying breaches and flooding IT administrators with false positives. As these analytics functions become more standard, some SIEM vendors are pairing the traditional log collection with threat detection and response automation.

SIEM Features & Capabilities

SIEM tools should have the majority of the listed features. Some capabilities may be more common among NextGen SIEM, but are quickly becoming expected features for products in this category:

• Centralized event and log data collation
• Log data correlation
• Event and log normalization
• Deployment flexibility
• Integration with identity and access management tools
• Custom dashboards and views
• Host and network-based intrusion detection
• Log retention
• Data integration and API management
• Behavioral analytics and baselining
• Rules-based and algorithmic detection thresholds
• Response orchestration and automation
• Reporting and compliance management
• Incident indexing and searching

NextGen SIEM

NextGen SIEM is the most recent market evolution in the SIEM space. It has emerged in response to the exponential proliferation of data and complexity within organizations’ security architectures. NextGen SIEMs are designed to more effectively manage big data volumes, while making said data more accessible and usable by security analysts.

The main two advancements in NextGen SIEM are related to the architecture and the analytics components. NextGen SIEMs heavily emphasize their open architectures. More open design enables the SIEM to process a wider range and higher volume of data. This includes more effective data collection, normalization, and long-term retention.

NextGen SIEM also expands the range and depths of features within the single system. For instance, NextGen SIEMs are most likely to natively include security next steps, such as security orchestration and response (SOAR). They also tend to provide more advanced analytics, which often utilize threat intelligence resources. By centralizing additional security steps and making the platform more usable overall, NextGen SIEM can also be more accessible for mid-market companies than legacy SIEM software.

Type of Data Collected by SIEM

SIEM software generally collects data as log files. Log management products were created many years ago to collect the large volumes of logs created by the various systems in a large enterprise data center. A large data center can produce terabytes of plain text log files. The volume is such that it is extremely difficult to consume the data.

SIEM systems are designed to correlate a subset of the most important data to highlight the most critical data. Unfortunately, the myriad operating systems and applications and servers all produce log files in a slightly different human-readable format, and these have to be normalized in machine-readable format that the SIEM can understand and parse.

One of the most difficult aspects of deriving value from a SIEM is the difficulty of tuning the system by balancing correlation rules that catch all possible attacks and do not produce too many false positives, which can be very difficult to manage.

SIEM Tools Comparison

When comparing Security Information and Event Management software products, consider these factors:

1. Support for existing security systems: Does each SIEM tool in question support log inputs from the business’s preexisting security and monitoring systems? Most SIEMs will advertise compatibility with hundreds of business systems, but few if any will support every tool available. Create a list of the systems the organization already uses that the SIEM tool will need to integrate with. Then match that list specifically against each product’s advertised support list.
2. Data collation and formatting vs. log generation: Do the business’s systems generate their own logs for the SIEM to import, or does the tool need to do more of the lift in terms of taking and formatting the raw data output from systems? Understanding the business’s existing systems’ capabilities will help determine whether a viable SIEM has to include the ability to generate its own logs based on suboptimal data exports from systems that don’t generate logs on their own.
3. Traditional SIEM vs. NextGen SIEM: While many leading SIEM tools have added on various threat detection and response features, this functionality is not universal. Businesses should consider whether they need a specific point solution for log collation and management and use other tools for threat detection and response, or if there are benefits to the organization to combine these capabilities into one product.

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Pricing Information

Pricing for SIEM software can vary widely from about $5k to over $100k, depending largely on the quantity of events and logs being monitored. In addition to software expense, the total cost of ownership will include maintenance, professional services, hardware, personnel, and training.

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