It won’t be a stretch to presume that ten to thirty percent of organizations are still far from having full-on digital transformation efforts. Some may already be on the way but are still figuring things out, too inexperienced to get things done efficiently.
To make matters worse, there’s the problem of cyber threats. Being new to the digital world does not excuse anyone from hacking and other cyberattacks. Digital transformation is essential in the modern way of doing things, and it should come with meaningful efforts to address risks and threats.
NextGen SIEM
SIEM is an acronym for security information and event management. As the phrase suggests, it is about managing security information and incidents. It deals with security alerts, notifications, and other data as well as the corresponding responses to this information, especially when security events such as data breaches and malware infections are detected.NextGen SIEM is the progression of a SIEM platform (a conventional one, that is) into a system that is more capable of handling the more aggressive and complex cyberattacks at present. It usually entails the use of artificial intelligence, automation, and an emphasis on greater effectiveness and efficiency.
A NextGen SIEM platform typically consolidates multiple security tools under a comprehensive interface that significantly simplifies operations and makes processes more efficient while reducing the overall costs of cyber defense activities. These consolidated tools include user entity and behavior analytics (UEBA), threat intelligence platform (TIP), and network detection and response (NDR).
Next-generation SIEM brings together various advanced security technologies to ensure better protection. It provides machine learning correlation, flexible data sourcing, and sensor-driven data collection. Additionally, it enables multi-modal threat detection, purpose-built data normalization and enrichment, deterministic incident response, and automated threat hunting.
These details may already sound technical and intimidating, but they are a part of the necessary difficulties organizations should face. Even those that are having their initial dip into digital transformation must be aware of the threats and the suitable solutions. NextGen SIEM is of particular interest because of its role in addressing the latest attacks, especially in optimizing existing security solutions.
NextGen SIEM in new digital transformation
Why should organizations that are still familiarizing themselves with buzzwords like business process automation and low-code/no-code apps care about NextGen SIEM? The answer is simple: because it is one of the best ways they can protect themselves, especially as they are likely using a slew of security tools as part of their cybersecurity efforts.While Anton Chuvakin of Gartner, the organization that introduced SIEM, submits that SIEM is not the best threat detection technology there is, he opines that it is "indeed the best beginner threat detection." The log-centric nature of SIEM makes it easy for organizations with minimal experience in comprehensive cybersecurity to undertake sensible and efficient security monitoring.
So why not conventional SIEM? Why the need for the next-gen iteration? It’s because legacy SIEM is quickly losing its effectiveness in dealing with threats as threat actors become more aggressive and sophisticated. The technology has been updated to keep up with the worsening threats modern organizations are facing.
The main benefits of NextGen SIEM can be summed up as follows:
- Meeting security and regulatory compliance requirements without the need for additional resources
- Automated identification of crucial threats resulting in more efficient threat detection and response
- Rapid deployment and scalability
Compliance
Compliance is one of the major points many organizations that are new to digital transformation fail to take into account. They try to make the most out of their digital tools and connectivity without realizing that there are rules to follow. Data privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can spell serious problems to organizations that become unwitting violators.IBM says that “SIEM solutions are a popular choice for organizations subject to different forms of regulatory compliance.“ SIEM is designed to automate data collection and analysis, making it a valuable tool for the collection and verification of compliance data throughout an organization. SIEM platforms, especially the NextGen iterations, can produce real-time compliance reports for HIPPA, GDPR, SOX, and PCI-DSS compliance.
Efficient threat detection and response
Next-generation SIEM offers a multitude of features and functions that make it easier and faster to detect and stop threats. For one, it supports flexible data sourcing, wherein security data from various existing security tools are consolidated to achieve broad security visibility. This can be done automatically with the help of sensor-driven data collection and purpose-built data normalization and enrichment. Hence it significantly reduces the burden on cybersecurity teams.In addition, it harnesses machine learning correlation to contextualize data and achieve more accurate assessments. NextGen SIEM also provides multi-modal threat detection that employs supervised and unsupervised machine learning and AI-driven threat hunting. It can also implement deterministic incident response through predefined response actions or customizable threat response playbooks.
These functions have significant contributions toward the goal of becoming highly efficient in detecting and responding to threats. Organizations that have only started fully digitalizing understandably have very lean cybersecurity teams. Some do not even have one. The availability of NextGen SIEM is a boon for these organizations.
Scalability and rapid deployment
Moreover, NextGen SIEM is designed to be highly scalable and easy to deploy. Organizations do not need to adopt a system with a fixed set of features and functions to address specific situations. Instead, they get to choose what security tools to have or integrate into the SIEM platform depending on their needs. They can also decide to go cloud-scale and work with Big Data once they are ready for these advanced technologies.SIEM is also suitable for multi-tier, multi-tenant, and multi-site setups. This enables organizations to deploy the platform and their data anywhere, be it on-premise, in the cloud, or under a hybrid arrangement. It also supports the setting of granular access controls and custom tenant structures to match specific needs.
Organizations that have only recently undertaken significant digital transformation tend to be the ones that seek to expand and operate agilely. As such, they require a platform or solution that affords them the scalability and rapid deployability they require.
In conclusion
Digital transformation guarantees that organizations will significantly expand their cyber-attack surfaces. At the same time, it shoves organizations into unfamiliar territory, especially when it comes to cyber threats. Unfortunately, most organizations do not have the resources to operate cybersecurity teams with the most proficient members and access to the best security products.NextGen SIEM offers an excellent solution for fledgling digital transformation programs, most of which are likely unprepared for the overwhelming cybersecurity challenges. It addresses three vital aspects, namely regulatory compliance, effectiveness and efficiency, and rapid deployment and scalability.
Image: freepik/rawpixel
by Web Desk via Digital Information World
