In our previous articles, we have discussed the importance and need for SIEM security software in the landscape of enterprise cybersecurity. SIEM tools have proven to play a significant role in providing real-time analysis of advanced security alerts, log and event data generated by systems and hardware in the company’s IT infrastructure.
Read our blog to learn about the basic functionalities of SIEM software - What is SIEM? The Ultimate Guide
SIEM software help organizations stay on top of security incidents by attending to them swiftly while also carrying out automated monitoring tasks to ensure compliance with industry regulations. With security breaches at an all-time high, it is important for businesses to implement and make the best use of accessible cybersecurity software. In today’s post, we are going to discuss the best practices used by security experts while incorporating any SIEM solution into the enterprise framework.
Best Practices to Implement SIEM Software
Before you consolidate any new tool into the enterprise security architecture, it is important to understand the specific requirements for your SIEM implementation. Determine the objectives of SIEM implementation and prioritize the overall workflow. This can help you to choose if you want to use SIEM as on-premise software, a hosted service or access it through virtualization technology.
You also need to figure out what tasks the SIEM software would do for your organization and create a well-defined roadmap. Then, move on to reviewing security policies and processes that support the implementation of a SIEM solution.
SIEM deployment is a necessity but it is also crucial for you to check if you chose the right SIEM security software before you put it to use in full swing. The best way to do this is by subjecting the SIEM solution to a pilot run. Instead of implementing the software throughout the entire enterprise IT infrastructure, test it on a subset of devices and policies that represent the overall wider network and systems of your business.
This practice ensures that you get an essential proof of concept and also confirms the possible ROI. You can identify its strengths and weaknesses and determine the compliance controls or security policies that should be used.
Of the many use cases of the best SIEM software, helping organizations meet their compliance requirements is the most crucial. Many bigger businesses often come under multiple regulations and hence, they might overlap.
To avoid this situation, you need to make a chart of all the compliance necessities and maintain specific documentation for this. Compare this with the potential SIEM security tool and identify vendors that offer solutions with inbuilt features that support precise compliance mandates.
SIEM functions by collecting a stack of log and event data, collating them and then analyzing the aggregated data to find patterns and correlations that are used to create reports about the health of the enterprise security framework. Even the best SIEM software cannot make this happen if sufficient data is not fed into the system.
Data sources should range from logs from network devices and servers, antivirus software, identity and access management systems, vulnerability scanner systems, firewalls, databases and more. In cases of limitations, prioritize protected network environments and devices that handle regulated data.
For enterprises that handle and manage a huge flow of sensitive information on a daily basis, it is crucial to assign security tools that will constantly monitor the resources and ensure their safety from threat incidents.
Configure your SIEM solution such that it can observe and monitor privileged and administrative access, remote logins and system failures.
The best SIEM software empowers organizations by collecting and analyzing huge amounts of data. These security tools function by providing real-time alerts to security analysts as and when threats are detected. This facilitates quick incident response and ensures that the organization does not remain exposed to security breaches for a longer period.
To make sure that this entire process workflow carries on smoothly, organizations need to invest in a comprehensive security incident response plan. These two systems complement each other to form a robust cybersecurity framework for the organization.
Read more about Incident Response Strategies here - How to Test Your Incident Response Plan: Everything You Need to Know
Extensive planning and slow step-by-step implementation process is the best SIEM deployment practice. Throughout the lifecycle of the SIEM security software, you should continuously subject it to refinement and improvement inspections.
As cybercriminals are creating increasingly sophisticated threat elements, you should also keep up by tweaking and fine-tuning your security tools, procedures and policies.
CYBERAL® - Cognitive, Next-Generation SIEM Security Software from Anlyz
Available in two distinct business models, Cyberal provides a comprehensive surveillance grid to scrutinize threats proactively and provides contextual real-time insights. One of the best SIEM software, Cyberal empowers security analysts with features to help them zoom into threat incidents and defend organizational security systems based on priority and policy. With its easy integration capability, the tool collects logs from an unlimited number of sources, thus defeating both known and unknown threat elements.
Protect the ever-increasing web of sensitive business data with Anlyz’s new-age SIEM software - Cyberal.
SIEM Solutions - The Bottomline
SIEM tools provide an effective platform for enterprises to defend their growing security infrastructure. Advanced cognitive capabilities of the SIEM technology help security teams understand and tackle definitive threats and ensure that the organization complies with industry-specific regulations related to how and where data can be used and stored. While the tools are revolutionary, the responsibility of its smooth implementation falls on security teams that are tasked with making enterprise security architecture impenetrable. Following the above-mentioned security practices is significant because a platform like this is only as useful as the organization is capable of making it.
