SIEM

Systems and Information Event Management (SIEM) is a type of technology used in organizational computer security that provides real-time security monitoring, analysis, and event correlation of safety and compliance events within a network. It is designed to help organizations detect, respond to, and mitigate cyber security threats and other malicious attacks.

SIEM technologies typically rely on log management, event correlation, and real-time analysis of security alerts generated by network hardware and applications. SIEM systems work by collecting log and event data from security devices, applications, and servers, normalizing it into a consistent format, then analyzing it in real time to support security operations and incident response activities. SIEM technologies are critical for comprehensive security operations, helping businesses ensure systems are secure, compliant and available.

SIEM was first introduced in the early 2000’s and was initially developed as log management and security information management (SIM) products focused on compliance. Organizations needed an effective way to monitor multiple log sources across their network to identify security issues and comply with regulations such as HIPAA and PCI-DSS. As the threats facing networks have become more sophisticated, the capabilities of SIEM systems have also advanced.

Modern SIEM solutions typically include a log management and security analytics component that correlates log data from a variety of sources and executes complex analytics. This analytic component can be used to detect abnormal or malicious activities and alert the security team proactively. A SIEM can also be used to analyze historic log data to identify slow and stealthy threats that may have gone unnoticed.

SIEM technologies are increasingly important for business continuity and compliance. In addition to providing real-time alerting capabilities, the technology can provide an audit trail of evidence for compliance and offer an enterprise-wide overview of security operations. To protect valuable data and maintain system reliability, the use of SIEM technology is becoming increasingly necessary.