Thanks to the cloud, it’s possible for all kinds of businesses, organizations and individuals to take advantage of remote security services. IT infrastructures can be secured in a variety of ways...
7/9/2019
As businesses of all sizes stretch their budgets to survive and thrive after recent trials, it has become clear that effective cybersecurity is a necessary focus. 69% of organizations predict a rise in cyber spending for 2022. 26% expect that rise to be a 10% or higher spike. A brief glance at the events in 2021 makes it easy to see why. The year began with companies and government agencies reeling from the effects of the SolarWinds attack.
Large-scale infrastructure attacks were soon to follow. The largest ransom demand to date ($50 million) went to a major computer manufacturer. One of the biggest meat-producing companies in the world was a victim of the same attacker. An extensive attack against a company that manages IT infrastructure worldwide impacted around 1,000 businesses. Unfortunately, these high-profile attacks were only the tip of the iceberg. Businesses experienced 50% more attacks per week in 2021 compared to 2020.
While increasing cybersecurity budgets are essential to addressing potential risks, defining the parameters of effective cybersecurity is exponentially more important. A substantial budget funds cybersecurity efforts, but if those funds are spent on measures that aren't performing the way they should, it's wasted when companies continue to fall victim to expensive and dangerous attacks. Still, even while business leaders know that risks are increasing every day, most CEOs don't have the knowledge or experience to know whether they're spending money in the right areas.
A complete cybersecurity solution includes hardware, software, and security professionals with the expertise needed to leverage these technologies. For most companies, this solution comes in the form of managed security services. Third-party managed security service providers (MSSPs) use a predefined security stack, guidance, support, and continuous monitoring.
Managed Services for Securonix SIEM Addresses Existing and Emerging Risks
A successful cybersecurity solution combines advanced, cloud-based technologies to create a comprehensive layered security posture. These technologies are then layered with automation and managed services to ensure a higher ROI on returns. Bitlyft leverages best-of-breed technologies Securonix, Cylance Protect (BlackBerry Protect), and Tenable IO for a superior security stack that offers a complete insight into your network, provides advanced vulnerability protection, and automatically sends alerts about potential threats. This technology is combined with automated responses to alerts and layered with advanced 24/7 support from an off-site security operations center (SOC).
Here's now the premium tech stack leveraged by Bitlyft cybersecurity experts works to protect your network.
Securonix SIEM
Securonix offers a cloud-native SIEM service that includes log management, user and entity behavior analytics, and security incident response. Security information and event management (SIEM), uses highly technical software to provide ongoing, real-time analysis of security alerts that detect known and unknown threats. SIEM software uses machine learning and applied commands to identify threatening behavior and detect malicious files like ransomware, viruses, and other malware.
Industry-leading Securonix Next-Gen SIEM excels in four main categories to provide unparalleled success in visibility, threat detection, and response while streamlining cumbersome tasks. Consider how these powerful tools help protect your network against threats.
Detect
Industry-leading analytics help you reduce false positives and monitor user and entity threats across your enterprise with risk scoring that defines when to take action, pre-built use case analytics that removes complexity, and threat chains that map to both the MITRE ATT&CK and US-CERT frameworks.
Respond
Simplify threat investigation and response with built-in SOAR that puts all your data in one place, incident management that tracks workflows and investigation steps, and long-term search to detect and respond to discreet threats in your environment.
Visibility
Ingest and view all of your data in a single, collaborative user interface composed of cloud connectors that offer a complete picture of risk with over 350 connectors that ingest data, built-in cloud integrations that uncover blind spots, and enterprise and vertical application monitoring that integrates beyond traditional data sources to extend threat monitoring.
SOC Efficiency
Leverage automated threat sweeps and workflows to improve efficiency with an investigation workbench, pre-built use case content, and autonomous threat sweeper. These tools allow your SOC team to create cases with real-time and historical content, achieve fast value with industry-specific use cases, and automatically and retroactively hunt for emerging threats.
It's no surprise that Securonix received the highest score in all SIEM use cases in the 2021 Gartner Critical Capabilities report. Advanced tools decrease threat detection gaps, provide data that assists compliance, and supply complete visibility into network activity.
Blackberry Protect
Rapid technological advancements have placed IoT devices in a critical position for many industries. Remote work has grown exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic, promoting the use of mobile devices for business use. Unfortunately, these devices also open a vast network of potential vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit. Over the past year, 54% of IT decision-makers saw an increase in phishing, 56% an increase in web browser-related infections, 44% saw compromised devices being used to infect the wider business, while 45% saw an increase in compromised printers being used as an attack point. Companies hoping to mitigate these risks need highly effective endpoint security for safeguarding against sophisticated cyber threats.
BitLyft utilizes the award-winning endpoint protection supplied by Blackberry Protect to protect against endpoint threats. BlackBerry Protect is an artificial intelligence-based endpoint protection platform that prevents breaches and provides added controls for safeguarding against sophisticated cyber threats. The platform uses Cylance AI-driven malware protection to detect and prevent attacks before they can execute. Continuous threat prevention powered by Cylance AI automates this endpoint protection to mitigate threats.
- Prevent the execution of known and unknown malware and zero-day payloads
- Prediction capabilities identify and stop attacks before they can start.
- Trained machine learning models identify zero-day malware and prevent execution.
- Maintain uninterrupted protection without a signature or scan requirements.
- Prevent attacks in milliseconds with faster protection.
- Manage responses with faster deployment and less effort than legacy solutions.
- Use only a fraction of processing power with a lightweight agent.
- Device approval makes it possible to manage access and eliminate external threats.
BlackBerry Protect won the 2021 AAA award for detecting and preventing cyberattacks during SE Labs Breach Response Test. Alongside stopping all threats before the damage occurred, the software offers a variety of deployment options for different environments and provides a comprehensive dashboard view.
Tenable IO
Network vulnerabilities occur for a wide variety of reasons that range from software inadequacies to targeted malware. These vulnerabilities make your network an easy target for all types of threat actors. Cloud-based vulnerability management provides complete visibility into the assets and vulnerabilities in your organization. For this protection, BitLyft depends on Tenable IO for a complete end-to-end vulnerability management solution that provides the industry's most comprehensive vulnerability coverage with the ability to predict which security issues to remediate first.
Tenable IO works in three phases to actively identify, investigate, and prioritize vulnerabilities.
- Discover: Get unified visibility and a continuous view of all your assets with active scanning, agents, passive monitoring, cloud connectors, and CMDB integrations,
- Assess: Coverage for more than 68K vulnerabilities provides the industry's most extensive CVE and security configuration support to help you understand all your exposures.
- Prioritize: Easy to understand risk scores derived from the combination of vulnerability data, threat intelligence, and data science quickly assess risk and know which vulnerabilities to fix first.
Tenable IO is #1 in CVE coverage, zero-day research, and vulnerability management. The platform uses cloud-native tools to deliver continuous and near real-time visibility into your AWS exposures without scanners or agents to deploy.
Human Expertise
While every element of the tech stack utilized by BitLyft is at the top of its class and has received various awards for outstanding performance, the advanced security these technologies offer wouldn't exist without the human element in cybersecurity. AI-powered technology streamlines procedures and even accomplishes tasks that humans can't complete alone. However, a cybersecurity system that is introduced to the network of an organization without proper optimization will fail to meet the cybersecurity goals of the business. Why? Because innovative technology doesn't operate alone. Humans are the intelligence behind computers, software, and AI. Therefore, successful cybersecurity software is deployed by security professionals, and successful security systems are run by humans.
Out-of-the-box software provides minimal settings. This is a big reason that even the most advanced technology isn't successful without human assistance. Like all tools, SIEM must be properly set up and monitored to provide the best results. For your SIEM system to meet the specific security needs of your company, you must be able to tell it what to do. This is where the assistance of professional security analysts comes in. Proper SIEM implementation directs the flood of information into digestible categories and reduces false alerts for complete visibility and effective threat response. The passionate SOC team at Bitlyft reinforces and strengthens your cybersecurity team to provide expert-level protection for businesses of all sizes.
Can My Business Save Money by Investing in Technology Alone?
When searching for an effective cybersecurity solution, many organizations focus on technology. After all, the software is designed to work without human intervention and receives prestigious awards for functionality. It's true that the software has the capability to complete certain tasks. Yet, almost every single install of Securonix bought as stand-alone will struggle to leverage it to its fullest potential. A rush towards technologies without the associated skill sets is almost certain to result in failure.
Consider how other technologies are implemented by professionals. The F-15 is the most advanced fighter jet ever built, but most people could never fly it. Why? Because we have not been trained to fly it. Network security is the same. Businesses can buy highly advanced products, but will never fly them without the expertise to do so.
Organizations with an in-house SOC team are often working with a limited headcount and a defined number of available hours. The result is part-time security that isn't properly optimized or monitored for complete success. As an organization, you must be willing to not only invest in security, you MUST dedicate a full-time employee who is fully certified on Securonix. Many companies hope to work around this by hiring a specialist willing to quickly become certified. Unfortunately, this approach is often equally futile. Even when that employee is fully trained they do not have the needed skill sets to mitigate the security problems simply because they have no historical exposure to the needed mitigation processes.
Businesses that invest in highly effective technology without including the necessary expertise to utilize the software end up with mediocre to poor results. To be effective, technology must be properly implemented, periodically updated, and consistently monitored by cybersecurity professionals. Developing a network security posture is hard, and is impossible without guidance, support, and continuous monitoring. Trying to develop the needed skills in-house is always expensive and often yields subpar results.
In the face of an ongoing talent shortage and labor shortages elevated by the pandemic, organizations are finding more difficulties than ever when attempting to keep a sufficient in-house SOC team. A 2020 survey of 500 US IT decision-makers revealed 83% of IT leaders that already have in-house security teams are considering outsourcing their security efforts to an MSP. Reasons range from reduced headcount in IT to the observation of more incoming attacks despite ongoing security efforts.
The Challenges IT Specialists Face Mitigating Security Problems
Most business leaders are aware of the importance of cybersecurity and the dangers and costs associated with an attack. Cybersecurity has been a priority among business leaders across a variety of industries for many years. Yet, despite investments in cybersecurity technology, successful cyberattacks keep occurring. Unfortunately, investing in technology alone will never be the answer. SIEM is a tool, and like other tools, it must be used by experienced professionals to provide the best results.
Consider the different types of specialized software used in various industries. When organizations recruit professionals to fill open positions they use job listings that post required capabilities like the need to be fluent with certain platforms and types of software. Existing knowledge and experience are even more crucial when it comes to SIEM. These platforms utilize a variety of tools that work in tandem to detect and mitigate threats before your network is affected. Depending on the software to complete these jobs alone will definitely limit the effectiveness of the tools. Overdependence on technology without the professionals to oversee your security efforts can even make you more vulnerable to attacks that exploit new weaknesses.
No matter how highly trained and educated your IT team is, they cannot effectively deploy and manage a SIEM system without the associated skillset. Furthermore, many IT teams have a limited headcount that shrinks with every budget cut, creating an environment that stretches talent and resources thin. These are the most common challenges faced by IT teams when organizations invest in cybersecurity technology as the backbone of their security efforts.
Configuration Difficulties
SIEM software is very complex and requires proper configuration to detect threats in the unique environments of different organizations. SIEM systems collect data and categorize it into a readable format, recognize suspicious activity, and send alerts when threats are recognized. To accomplish these tasks, certain information must be introduced to the system and effective tests conducted to eliminate false alerts. Failure to properly set up the system and provide feedback throughout optimization typically leads to a deluge of false alerts. This often leads to alert fatigue and overlooked threats.
Lack of Resources
Third-party security teams are typically already established with a large security team that has expert knowledge in leveraging the tools within a SIEM system. These teams provide 24/7/365 monitoring for your entire network. MSSPs also have the advantage of utilizing a predefined tech stack they already have experience with and that works seamlessly together. IT teams facing new technology are at a disadvantage without the same experience and connections at their fingertips. In-house teams generally consist of significantly fewer professionals and lack the 24/7 attention provided by outsourced teams.
Slow Deployment
A managed SIEM with a predefined tech stack and certified security experts will take time to properly introduce and optimize these complex tools for your network. However, IT teams new to the software will need even more time to get the proper certification, successfully purchase the necessary equipment and software, and install and configure the software without mistakes.
After installation, managed SIEMs can also be scaled quickly to meet the needs of an organization. Businesses with an in-house SOC must invest in new hardware and often increase personnel to scale cybersecurity for a growing business. Not only will these efforts need to be approved as a necessity for a limited security budget, they will also take more effort to implement than growth for a third-party SOC.
Limited Threat Recognition
When software that utilizes machine learning is introduced to a single network, the amount of data it utilizes is limited. Basically, analysts are forced to train the software based on threats within the network. Outsourced SIEM vendors leverage the experience of other customers to train the software faster and recognize threats more quickly. Crowd-sourced information improves event correlation, data analytics, and machine learning for more robust security in a shorter period of time.
Added Expenses
To successfully utilize cybersecurity technology, you must hire a full team, purchase expensive software, invest in specific hardware, and develop a space for your team. These expenses can severely restrict the tools and software your company can afford. When SIEM is outsourced as a service, companies face lower costs and can afford the most robust security available with a single monthly payment.
Technology is Only Half of the Cybersecurity Puzzle
Would you purchase a new machine for your manufacturing floor if you didn't have the required staff to run the machine? Probably not. Yet, many companies invest in high-performing SIEM technology with similar expectations. A rush towards technologies without the associated skill sets is a reckless mistake. Securonix is recognized as the best SIEM platform money can buy, but how will your IT staff with limited headcount and available hours leverage it? Almost every single install of Securonix bought as stand-alone will struggle to leverage it to its fullest potential. This makes it more of a mistake than an effective investment.
Risk mitigation is the process of developing options and actions to reduce threats and protect sensitive information. Educated specialists with no experience using the threat mitigation tools within a specific platform don't have the necessary tools to reduce the adverse effects of an attack. Every network is unique and therefore faces individualized threats. Trained security analysts identify your most important assets and use specific risk strategies to protect them.
With historical experience using the tools Securonix SIEM has to offer, trained security specialists have in-depth knowledge of the outcome most likely to occur when specific tools are introduced to your network. This allows your security team to optimize your SIEM for the most effective results from the outset. Instead of playing a guessing game and dealing with false alerts by ignoring them, your system will effectively detect and eliminate threats before they have the chance to damage your information, devices, or network.
Attempting to develop a strong security posture from scratch is impossible without guidance, support, and continuous monitoring. For most businesses, SIEM as a service layered with other industry best technology and implemented and overseen by a third party SOC is the most effective and affordable solution to complete cybersecurity success. BitLyft holds all the needed skill sets and exposure to manage and mitigate at a fraction of what an in-house effort would cost. Our security experts work in tandem with your team, providing complete visibility and oversight of all the technologies we leverage on your behalf. Learn more about the capabilities of Securonix SIEM, and how our team can leverage it to recognize greater visibility into your network and complete control over how your network responds to threats.
