As cyberattacks get more elaborate every day, SIEM software is becoming the future of cyber defense. SIEM software bridges the gap between log management and threat intelligence, making it the ultimate security platform for the modern age

What Is SIEM Software and How Does It Work?

Security information and event management (SIEM) is a combination of security information management (SIM) and security event management (SEM). SIEM is a cybersecurity solution that collects, organizes, and analyzes log data. SIEM platforms are a robust cyber defense tool that can keep your business safe from cyberattacks by automating the process of detecting threats.

SIEM software automatically compares log data against predefined rules to detect threats. SIEM software is usually set up with a threat intelligence platform. When this software detects an anomaly, it sends a security alert to your security analysts. SIEM software is about more than just detecting breaches—SIEM tools are able to identify potential vulnerabilities to your network.

Benefits of SIEM Software

What are the specific benefits of SIEM software?

Real-Time Threat Recognition

SIEM software can help you detect threats before hackers have the opportunity to breach your business. The average data breach takes 212 days to identify. Hackers could be collecting your sensitive information during that time, including your clients’ financial data. Invest in an AI-powered SIEM system to make sure your business stays protected against cyberthreats.

Regulatory Compliance Auditing

SIEM solutions make compliance auditing easy. These systems automate the collection and analysis of system logs and security events, meaning you won’t have to spend internal resources on compliance reporting.

If you work in an industry with specific compliance standards like health care, finance, or government contracting, SIEM software can make compliance reporting a breeze.

Improved Efficiency

SIEM software makes your IT environment clearer and more accessible. This system can be crucial to improving interdepartmental efficiency by logically sorting information for easy access. SIEM platforms give all departments a unified point of access to organizational log data. This keeps everyone on the same page and operating off of the same data.

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What Does SIEM Software Do?

SIEM platforms are valuable because of their versatility. SIEM capabilities include log collection, parsing, categorization analysis, indexing, and storage. Let’s go over each of those functions and describe what they look like:

Improve SIEM and Log Management

Log management tools are one of the key offerings of SIEM software. SIEM systems collect log data from any desired source across an organization’s network. Many businesses struggle to integrate logs into their SIEM systems. We recommend sequencing log collection in specific tiers to simplify your processes.

SIEM software also automates log aggregation. SIEM services pull relevant information after collecting log data and store it in a standardized format. Logs are usually stored in a syslog format, which is easily queried by most SIEM solutions. The majority of SIEM offerings are prebuilt to be compatible with a syslog format. This makes the process of combining your SIEM software and log management easy.

Parse Data

SIEM systems come equipped with software components known as parsers. Parsers gather unstructured log data, identify patterns within it, and convert that raw data into a structured, readable format. Most SIEM offerings have multi-parser functionality. This means you can have multiple parsers configured differently for each system across your network.

SIEM tools give you an enormous amount of flexibility in how you can organize your data. Most importantly, SIEM systems can automate these data processes—they just need to be configured first. An automated SIEM system could save your company massive amounts of time and be a more accurate method of data collection. Accurate, efficient data can also bolster your cybersecurity by making

Organize and Sort Data

After collecting and structuring your log data, SIEM software will categorize it according to specific parameters that you set. These parameters could be based on things like:

• Remote or Local Operation
• System-Generated Events vs. Authentication-Based Events
• Whether a Reboot Was Required

Finally, SIEM systems enrich logs. SIEM systems can add critical details to logs like:

• Geo-location
• Email Address
• OS Used
• Raw Log Data

These factors can be configured depending on your business’s needs. If you’re concerned with tracking every metric, then you can configure your SIEM software to collect as much data as possible.

Our C4 Data Platform offers unparalleled web-based data visualization. Not only is C4 data visualization easy to understand and navigate, but it’s web-based. This lets you access your data anywhere, anytime.

Detect Potential Threats

One of the key benefits of SIEM software comes from its automated analysis. An SIEM system regularly scans your network in search of abnormalities that could lead to data breaches. The capabilities of SIEM threat intelligence will vary depending on what kind of SIEM you invest in.

A traditional SIEM will only detect threats based on predetermined rules that you set. An AI-powered SIEM with machine learning capabilities can learn to detect new anomalies in user behavior, helping prevent attacks before they even start.

For an AI powered SIEM that’s easy to incorporate, choose our C4 Data Platform. C4 has top-of-the-line cryptographic protection mechanisms. Data is the lifeblood of your organization—C4 can help you protect it.

Index and Store Data

Finally, SIEM software can help with log management by providing storage space for this log data and indexing data to make it easier to access. Again, these can be customized depending on your business’s needs. You can also configure your SIEM software to automatically dispose of data after a certain period of time.

Bottom Line: You should invest in SIEM software if you want your business to save time, meet compliance standards, and be prepared for the latest cyberthreats.

Invest in SIEM Software with Third Wave Innovations

Third Wave Innovations is the ultimate SIEM solution provider. Our C4 Data Platform and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solutions leverage machine learning to keep your business secure. We have over 20 years of experience and provide high-value IT solutions across industries. Partner with us today to prepare your business for the future.