Managed SIEM Services

As organizations continue to ramp up their reliance on technology, using it to create, analyze, share, and store critical data, more (and more!) evildoers come out of the woodwork, intent on stealing your company’s most precious resource: information. Even when you’ve set up advanced firewall protection, intranet security, and installed cutting-edge anti-virus software, vulnerabilities still exist. Why?

Unfortunately, there are several reasons breaches still occur, but the following two are beyond any organization’s control. First, malware is being developed and introduced at such a rapid rate that even the most powerful solutions available can’t provide 100% protection against a breach. Second, no one can truly control the human element; there will always be unwitting employees who mistakenly expose your network to attack. You can deploy the best, most comprehensive managed virus protection and network security programs out there, but a single human error can still allow threats to snake their way in.

Fighting Back Against Hacks

It’s unnerving to consider that a threat can not only compromise your network, but that it can do so entirely undetected. And the longer the attack goes on, the more havoc it can wreak on your business, its resources, and its future. When companies become aware of their vulnerability, they inevitably ask, “Well, how do we know if we’ve been hacked?” Enter SIEMs, or Security Information Event Managers.

What is managed SIEM? This is a class of solutions that monitor a company’s network looking for indications that it’s has been compromised. Once a potential threat is identified, a SIEM will respond appropriately to ensure its eradication, then log the incident for data collection and analysis purposes. In addition to providing threat detection, response, and reporting, these solutions also enable organizations to adhere to a number of key compliance regulations. There are a number of solutions available, and, unfortunately, no product is one-size-fits-all. Instead, each one is tailored to meet different needs and fulfill certain criteria. Deciding on the right solution for your organization is critical, given that choosing the wrong program can ultimately cost your business time and money, practically creating as many problems as it solves.

Finding the Right Fit

So, given all the options available, how do you choose the managed SIEM solution that best meets your needs? First, you’ll need to define your requirements. What are you looking for in a SIEM? Consider the following features and options:

Tuning: Many solutions offer you the ability to dial in the level of protection you need, so you can weed out the real threats and avoid false alarms. What sort of customization do you need in this area? What sorts of resources do you need to dedicate to the managed SIEM and monitoring its effectiveness?

Data Collection and Storage: What do you need to log, how often, and in what format do you need the data? How long do you need to store it for and who needs to access it?

Compliance: Does your organization need to meet certain compliance regulations? What are those requirements? Do you need a 24/7 real-time staffing response? How about automatic remediation?  What sorts of reports will you need?

Analysis and Reporting: How will you use the data? What sorts of information do you need to include in your analysis, and how does that data need to be reported? Do you need custom or standard reports?

Personnel: What staffing resources will you need to effectively use the program and respond to problems? Will you require assistance with staffing or will you utilize in-house personnel?

Exploring Implementation

SIEMs are available in as standalone appliances or as software solutions. You’ll need to decide which type is the best fit for your organization, bearing in mind these main points:

Redundancy: If you use an appliance, you’ll need more than one to avoid a situation in which your appliance breaks down and leaves you unprotected. In this situation, software offers an obvious advantage, since, it can be installed on your IT infrastructure, making it readily accessible from a new device if the old one breaks down.

Scalability: An appliance offers you the benefit of a turnkey solution, but it comes with a limited capacity. Software can be more easily scaled as your needs change and grow. This means that not only do you have more easily scaled capabilities, you also have more flexible and scalable storage options.

Management: Purchasing an appliance means you’ll need the in-house resources available to manage it. The benefit of software-as-a-service managed SIEM solutions is clear, since it affords your organization the flexibility to outsource its management or even share management responsibilities with your service provider. When organization and provider share tasks, the latter manages the software technology itself, while the former performs threat remediation with an in-house team.

Better Together

At Real IT Care, we’ve found that managed SIEM services enable security and risk management leaders to maximize value from SIEM and enhance security monitoring capabilities, while retaining control and flexibility. To provide our clients with a powerful, flexible security solution, Real IT Care is a SIEMphonic Essentials solutions provider. SIEMphonic Essentials, which is powered by EventTracker, is specifically designed to deliver the results small- and medium-size businesses (SMBs) need in a practical and cost-effective model.

Want to learn more about managed SIEM solutions and how they can help your organization? Stop worrying about the question, “How do we know if we’ve been hacked?” Call us today to learn more about SIEMphonic Essentials.