How Using a SIEM Can Help Protect Your Business

As security threats continue to grow and businesses of all sizes are continually affected, it is more important now than ever before, to be sure that you have systems in place to help monitor your network for security threats. One way to do this is to use a SIEM.

SIEM is an acronym for Security Information & Event Management. SIEM solutions provide a holistic view of what is happening on a network in real-time and help IT teams to be more proactive in the fight against security threats.

A SIEM works by collecting and reviewing your log files in real time. All of your network devices generate log files when any events or actions occur.  If, for example, a new software is installed to your computer and your computer starts talking to another computer in China and a new network process is started, log files are automatically generated. These log files typically just sit on your device and are purged by the device after a period of time. These log files are actually very important in detecting an anomaly on your network if they are monitored. A SIEM does this monitoring for you.

A SIEM is a device or piece of software that runs on your network and collects all of the above-mentioned log files. A SIEM will automatically detect and tag any files that seem suspicious or set off security red flags, it then sends these suspicious log files to your IT department or to a SOC (Security Operations Center) for review and action.

For example: Joe in accounting gets a keylogger virus on his computer. The computer generates a log file to reflect the new software and system process. The SIEM grabs that log and sends it to the SOC. The SOC reports it to your IT department and the virus is cleaned. 

It is important to note that a SIEM is a reporting tool. It doesn’t make any changes to your system or directly stop a cyber-attack or virus. It is instead a tool that is used for early detection which is critical in keeping your network safe.

A SIEM is ideal for any business that falls under compliance standards like PCI, SOX, HIPPA, etc. any business with proprietary data and systems, and any business that would suffer a large financial loss if their data was compromised.  

For more information on using a SIEM or any other security information feel free to reach out to us here or call us at 800-358-7447