Getting to Know the Benefits of Securonix SIEM

Rapid technology growth has exploded within the last decade, radically changing the way individuals live, shop, and work. The global pandemic accelerated the use of remote technology and altered the way employees across industries view employment. While few organizations or individuals appeared prepared to navigate these dramatic changes seamlessly, cybercriminals were poised to take advantage of the ensuing chaos. 

It's true that cybercrime is always evolving and growing with technology. However, in recent years, as the threat surface has expanded exponentially, cybercrime has become one of the highest-earning industries in the world. In terms of earnings, cybercrime puts Tesla, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Walmart to shame. It might seem strange to look at cybercrime as a business that earns yearly income, but today's cybercrime is conducted in an organized fashion like a business and only earns money from carefully plotted, successful attacks. According to Cyberedge Group's 2021 Cyberthreat Defense Report, 86.2% of organizations were hit with at least one successful attack in 2021. When facing potential risks in 2022, online dangers are recognized as the second most prevalent worry for businesses across the globe.

As a business owner or company leader researching the most effective ways to protect your organization from cybercrime, you face a challenging task. Whether you're seeking ways to eliminate security gaps, expand your security levels to provide full-time coverage, or start your cybersecurity efforts from scratch, the importance of effective protection cannot be understated. For security that stands up against modern sophisticated cyberattacks, your company needs more than software solutions that detect and prevent threats. You need a comprehensive security solution that provides complete visibility into your company's network and recognizes and responds to discreet attacks before and after network penetration. To accomplish this, most organizations will require a robust SIEM system that is overseen by experienced cybersecurity analysts and engineers. 

While many security vendors and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) offer SIEM technology, these products are not all the same. Some companies offer incomplete solutions, some products are based on outdated technology, and others provide complete, highly effective solutions. At BitLyft, our top choice for a complete, well-rounded SIEM solution is Securonix SIEM. This guide shares exactly what Securonix SIEM is, the innovative features included in the software, and why Securonix SIEM is so effective.

What Is Securonix SIEM?

Securonix SIEM is a complex security software solution created by an industry-leading company with a modern approach to threat detection and response. It is designed to collect and manage network data to parse out important information related to suspicious activity. When properly optimized, Securonix SIEM collects large amounts of data from multiple sources, detects unknown threats, and responds with automated alerts and responses.

The acronym SIEM stands for Security Information and Event Management. In the most basic sense, a SIEM system utilizes historical security information from your network to investigate suspicious activity and uses incoming log data to provide real-time alerts of potential immediate attacks. In other words, by constantly recording event logs, your SIEM creates digestible data that security analysts can use to investigate the origin of an attack and also uses advanced technology to pinpoint suspicious behavior and send automated alerts.

From a security standpoint, it's easy to see how this is a crucial part of eliminating successful cyberattacks. Yet, understanding the technology it takes to accomplish these tasks can be considerably more complex. Many SIEM providers offer the same promises of success, and it might be possible to make good on those promises with different systems. However, the effort and staff required to garner such results with inferior technology will be vastly different.

Securonix SIEM is an analytics-based, NextGen, cloud-native SIEM prepared to take on the sophisticated cyberthreats facing the modern hybrid enterprise. It includes log collection and management, user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), and security incident response. Designed for flexibility, Securonix SIEM was built with an open and modular architecture that simplifies the integration of the software into complete protection solutions and offers multiple deployment options for different types of security operation centers (SOCs).  Its unique analytics-based design leverages machine learning and context enrichment to apply context to huge amounts of unstructured data and uncover complex threats with minimal noise.

What are the Main Features of Securonix SIEM?

Securonix has been named a Leader for the 3rd consecutive year in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Security Information and Event Management report. The company received the highest score in all SIEM use cases in the 2021 Gartner Critical Capabilities report. These are the main features of Securonix SIEM that make it stand out from the competition.

Big Data Architecture

Built with open source components, Securonix utilizes well-tested software designed for unlimited scalability and flexible integration with all types of SOCs. The system is powered by Hadoop, a data platform that ingests hundreds of terabytes per day and supports economical long-term data retention. This means it's ready to scale with your growing business and data load while maintaining the fault tolerance to recover from the failure of any node without data loss. Unlimited long-term retention with over 90% compression offers users the opportunity to invest in a SIEM that can scale at the speed of business and offer a highly functional user interface. While all the capabilities are designed to handle the task of processing huge amounts of unstructured data from diverse sources, the cost is based primarily on identity, instead of quantity of events or gigabytes, making costs for organizations predictable.

Built-in User and Entity Behavior Analytics

The primary function of SIEM is to detect threats. As threats grow in number as well as sophistication, they are increasingly harder to detect. User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) is a process that tracks the events generated by humans and machines that occur across your entire network each day to establish a baseline of normal behavior. Once that unique baseline is established, the system provides alerts for abnormal behavior within the network.

Unlike most SIEM offerings, Securonix includes UEBA as an integrated part of SIEM instead of an add-on or separate service. With patented machine learning algorithms built directly into the SIEM, Securonix provides advanced analysis to detect advanced and insider threats. Built-in UEBA provides users with these out-of-the-box capabilities.

• Threat chain models to prioritize high-risk events
• Built-in connectors that enable rapid deployment and quick time to value
• The Threat Library and Threat Exchange allows users to continuously refresh use case content

Threat Hunting and Investigation

The ability to collect and manage massive amounts of data is at the core of any effective SIEM system. Hundreds or even thousands of events occur within the networks of large organizational networks each day. When these events are logged and categorized as digestible and useful information, the result is still a massive amount of data for human analysts to investigate. Threat hunting is the art of discovering potential ways of targeting a network that appears to be fully protected. It relies heavily on tools and information repositories as well as effective search methods for effectively using cataloged information.

Securonix Spotter enables blazing-fast threat hunting with the use of natural language search. For the user, normalized search syntax and visualization techniques allow threat hunters to investigate current threats and trends or track advanced persistent threats (APTs) over long periods of time. from the Spotter dashboard, users can search and view threats using various search filters and specify the report format to display in tables, bar charts, bubble charts, time charts, or a geographical map. Data can be saved as dashboards or exported in standard data formats.

Intelligent Incident Response

A fully effective SIEM doesn't stop at detection. Immediate and thorough remediation is necessary to stop the actions of the attacker and limit and repair damage. Securonix SIEM delivers in this area with a combination of automated remediation actions and streamlined workflow capabilities that allow multiple professionals to collaborate on an investigation. Built-in incident playbooks include configurable automated remediation actions to shorten response times, and comprehensive incident management lets security teams work together on different aspects of an attack. Securonix Investigation workbench offers a user-friendly interface for the rapid investigation of incidents. ResponseBot uses the power of AI to make recommendations to triage specialists for accurate incident response. The combination of these tools provides a comprehensive incident response system for a rapid and successful resolution to attacks in progress.

How is Securonix Effective?

Securonix SIEM combines the benefits of big data architecture with a unique analytics-based structure, built-in UEBA, and security incident response capabilities for a complete end-to-end security operations platform that offers advanced results. The industry-leading cloud-native platform uses machine learning and context enrichment to eliminate noise and detect complex threats lurking in your network. While all SIEM systems offer log collection and management capabilities, Securonix SIEM provides advanced effectiveness with these unique benefits.

Superior Log Collection/Management Capabilities for On-Demand Scaling

Today's digital world generates a vast amount of data which can make security log collection and management a challenging issue. Securonix Security Data Lake, powered by Hadoop, is a highly scalable, fault-tolerant, open data platform that ingests massive amounts of data and supports reliable and economical long-term data retention. This means you can invest in a comprehensive SIEM system that scales with your growing business, integrates with your existing platforms, and provides unlimited long-term retention to meet your compliance requirements. 

Analytics-Based SIEM Uncovers Complex Threats With Minimal Noise

Older SIEM technology focuses on detecting threats by their signatures and preventing infiltration from known threats. This firewall-type technology isn't sufficient to detect and remediate slow and low sophisticated ATPs used by modern threat actors. Securonix offered an innovative approach to threat detection and response in the form of SIEM technology focused on security analytics and machine learning to work with threats instead of anomalies. 

Securonix SIEM allows users to apply sophisticated patented machine learning algorithms to real-time event data to accurately detect advanced and insider threats. With the increase in phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and user identity theft, the ability to detect suspicious behavior that appears to come from verified users is crucial. 

Although detection of discreet threats is undeniably beneficial, it could potentially open the door to more false alerts. Securonix uses threat chain-based models to eliminate redundant reports where the same threat triggers multiple disconnected alerts. The result is a big picture focus on high-level threats. With out-of-the-box use cases delivered in the form of threat models and over 350 built-in connectors, Securonix SIEM enables rapid deployment and quick time to value for immediate use.

Whether you recognize it or not, some elements of your cybersecurity solution are likely patterned by the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Developed in 2013 by MITRE, the ATT&CK framework made an important change to modern threat detection. Instead of focusing on threat detection and blocking known threats, the ATT&CK focuses on the actions of a threat actor post-compromise. This is the process that allows security analysts to detect sophisticated attacks, advanced persistent threats, and discreet lateral movement before an attacker can reach the final objective.

Securonix is the only SIEM designed to work in direct conjunction with the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Since Securonix is built on a platform that focuses on security analytics and is designed to work with threats, it naturally aligns with the framework. The integration of MITRE tactics, techniques, and procedures into Securonix threat chains and threat hunting query workflows allows the Securonix SIEM platform to automate alerts and responses based on the MITRE kill chain. Securonix Threat Library maps 80% of the 364 use cases defined within the MITRE framework. When this information is incorporated into real-time security event management tools, unknown threat detection becomes automated, eliminating many of the manual tasks associated with threat detection and making it possible for organizations to recognize discreet attacks before network damage occurs.

Network Traffic Analysis Applies Context for Improved Visibility

SIEM systems collect information to provide visibility into an organization's network. However, visibility into your IT network isn't exactly the same as the visibility provided by your home security cameras. Your IT network records every action of the users within your organization. This information is collected in a series of coded entries to be categorized and translated into readable information by your SIEM system in a process called Network Traffic Analysis (NTA). Yet, if this information doesn't work together, fragmented log entries and alerts can actually slow threat searches and delay investigation with redundant alerts.

Securonix incorporates user context into the NTA process to offer a single platform that monitors and correlates network traffic events, security events, and user activities to connect related actions that signal the presence of an advanced attack. The combination of context-enriched traffic analysis and the ability to link actions together through Securonix threat chains provides automated detection and response for discreet attacks that could otherwise go unnoticed. Since threat chains link related actions together, false positives are reduced by over 90%, allowing your teams to focus on real threats.

Built-In UEBA Detects Unknown Threats

The term insider threat describes attacks that are launched by verified users logged into your network. The obvious assumption for such an attack suggests that an employee is working against the company, but this isn't always the case. Modern sophisticated attackers depend on deception and user credential theft to launch discreet multi-step attacks that allow them to take their time moving throughout your network. Since Securonix is built with UEBA fully incorporated into the SIEM, it automatically applies context to user roles to provide alerts for suspicious insider behavior. 

Unlike SIEM systems that offer UEBA as a separate component, Securonix uses powerful machine learning algorithms to establish a baseline for a network's normal behavior. To accomplish this, the system analyzes interactions among users, systems, applications, IP addresses, and data. In other words, the SIEM becomes accustomed to typical communications between users, login attempts, frequency of data downloads by specific users, and daily activities on specific on-premise and cloud platforms used by your organization.

This context is then applied to real-time security events in the form of user identification, IP addresses, geolocation, hosts, and threat intelligence. When this immediate context is applied to user activity, it becomes easier to see when presumably legitimate activities are actually suspicious in comparison with normal behavior. Alongside these rapid detection capabilities, Securonix UEBA comes with pre-packaged use case content to automatically detect insider threats, cyber threats, fraud, cloud data compromise, and non-compliance. The overall result of the advanced UEBA system leads to faster detection and response of APTs with a significant reduction in false alerts for the ability to investigate and respond to threats quickly and accurately.

Cloud-Native SIEM Offers Complete Cloud Security at Reduced Costs

The growth of cloud usage means that most organizations can't recognize complete protection with on-premise security alone. Your SIEM system needs the capability to provide seamless visibility into your on-prem infrastructure and cloud-based platforms. Securonix delivers with a cloud-native platform that gives you complete cloud security visibility while eliminating costly infrastructure with cloud deployment. With out-of-the-box connectors and content for both cloud-deployed and on-prem platforms, Securonix SIEM provides seamless visibility and protection across all of your organizational assets.

Fully Customizable Automated Incident Response Provides Rapid Remediation

The true value of SIEM log ingestion and data management lies in its ability to provide rapid and complete remediation when security events occur. To accomplish effective incident response, your system should offer automated actions to quarantine threats as well as user-friendly research tools for thorough and efficient investigation. 

Securonix SIEM checks all the boxes in the incident response department with the Securonix Investigation Workbench for advanced investigation and ResponseBot for an advanced automated response. Context enrichment is also a noted part of these systems for a highly accurate and responsive SOAR system. The Securonix Investigation Workbench offers a visual analysis of events in relation to their context that is visible to multiple teams for collaboration. ResponseBot, a recommendation engine driven by artificial intelligence, utilizes UEBA of Tier 2 and 3 analysts to make incident response recommendations to triage specialists. With these capabilities, many incidents are resolved through fully or partially automated responses for faster, more accurate resolutions.

Securonix SIEM Managed by BitLyft Offers Advanced Security Against Modern Cyberthreats

Securonix SIEM software provides organizations with advanced visibility into their networks and superior threat detection and response in comparison to many competitors. The industry-leading system provides out-of-the-box UEBA capabilities and built-in MITRE-based threat chain models and incident playbooks. Cloud deployment provides unlimited scalability for both cloud and on-prem data ingestion and management.

Yet, the software is only half of the SIEM success puzzle. SIEM is a tool designed to be optimized, overseen, and updated by cybersecurity professionals. For this reason, companies that only invest in SIEM software never realize the full capabilities of the SIEM system. SIEM-as-a Service allows organizations to combine the benefits of industry-best software with the security expertise provided by a full staff of professional cybersecurity experts. Whether you're seeking security services to extend the security of your on-prem SOC or seeking a complete solution, SIEM as a service provides your team with immediate and ongoing access to professional advice and immediate actions to protect your network. 

At BitLyft, our security experts work in tandem with your team to provide complete visibility and oversight of all the technologies we leverage on your behalf. It's our belief that the unique structure and benefits supplied by Securionix SIEM offer the highest level of security for the many organizations we partner with. To learn more about how managed Securonix SIEM from BitLyft can help you achieve greater visibility into your network and protect your organization from sophisticated cyberattacks, schedule your free demo.