What Is Managed SIEM?

Imagine a scenario where a small business owner is trying to implement better security measures for their company network and email. They have a small IT team, but they do not have the resources or expertise to manage their own SIEM solution. So the business owner employs the help of a managed SIEM service to outsource the management of their security monitoring so their internal IT department isn't as overwhelmed. One day, the SIEM provider detects a series of failed login attempts on the business's network from an unknown IP address. The provider immediately investigates the incident and determines that it is a brute force attack attempting to gain unauthorized access to the network. They then take immediate action to block the IP address and notify the business owner of the incident.

Thanks to their managed SIEM service, the business owner was able to quickly detect and respond to the security incident, avoiding a potential data breach or financial compromise. The business owner can continue to focus on running their business, having the peace of mind that their cybersecurity is being monitored and managed by experts.

Managed SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a service that offers an alternative to setting up, monitoring and maintaining the SIEM software in-house. It’s a type of software solution that allows organizations to collect, analyze, and manage security-related data from various sources in real-time. Managed SIEM can provide businesses with many advantages, ensuring their network is constantly monitored and responding swiftly to threats. Alerts can then be issued quickly so appropriate measures can be taken quickly to reduce risk. Managed solutions provide businesses with the latest security management technology to stay ahead in an ever-changing threat landscape.

What Is Managed SIEM & How Does It Improve Cybersecurity?

Managed SIEM providers offer a range of services, including deployment, configuration, monitoring, and incident response, to help organizations improve their security and reduce the burden on their internal security teams. Managed SIEM services are also designed to provide a more complete view of an organization's security posture. With managed SIEM, organizations can offload much of the heavy lifting associated with setting up and maintaining a SIEM system, including installation and configuration of the software, monitoring of network traffic, data collection and storage.

Managed SIEM is an essential component of an organization's security architecture because it provides real-time threat identification and response, advanced threat intelligence, regulatory compliance auditing and reporting, and greater transparency monitoring users, applications, and devices.

While managed SIEM is managed by a third party outside the organization, unmanaged SIEM is operated from within by the company’s internal IT department. Many companies struggle to effectively manage their SIEM on their own since they often lack the in-house resources necessary to use their SIEM tools effectively, so it’s common to outsource SIEM management to a third party.

Managed SIEM with Guardian Digital

Guardian Digital recognized that managed SIEM is a critical part of protecting against email threats, and its EnGarde Cloud Email Security solution uses log data as part of its comprehensive approach to blocking malicious senders, repeat offenders and known spammers. Real-time email security data gathered via EnGarde’s intelligent auto-learn system is readily accessible via the EnGarde Cloud Email Security Real-Time Dashboard administrative portal. These key insights help you pinpoint the threats targeting your business and the most highly targeted individuals within your organization so you can make better cybersecurity decisions without any additional investment. The Dashboard’s user-friendly interface presents data both numerically and graphically and features integrated reporting, simplifying administration, increasing operational efficiency and cutting management overhead for SMBs and enterprises alike.

What Features Does a SIEM Provide?

Key features of SIEM include:

• Gathering data from across infrastructure, devices and applications
• Detecting threats and minimizing the number of false alarms
• Using business rules and pattern recognition to separate malicious content from benign content.
• Helping companies know when to take appropriate action and react to incidents by using automated responses (if possible) and then escalating when necessary

Key Benefits of Managed SIEM for SMBS & Enterprises

Managed SIEM provides organizations with the following key benefits:

• Managed SIEM provides real-time threat detection and response capabilities, giving organizations the ability to detect threats quickly before they can cause any damage.
• Managed SIEM provides advanced threat intelligence, allowing organizations to more effectively identify and respond to sophisticated threats.
• Managed SIEM solutions are scalable, enabling organizations to handle large volumes of data generated as their business grows.
• Managed SIEM can be cost-effective, as it eliminates the need for organizations to invest in expensive hardware, software, and security personnel.

Limitations of Managed SIEM & How To Overcome Them

While managed SIEM is overall a better choice for a company’s security management, there are some limitations to be aware of. When an organization contracts a third-party service provider to manage their SIEM solution, they may lose some visibility and control of security operations, making it harder for them to customize it according to their unique requirements. SIEM solutions excel at collecting data but lack in being able to effectively analyze and act upon it. SIEM collects huge amounts of log data, but its reports are hard to understand and full of noise. Lastly, SIEM reports are often inadequate for auditing and reporting purposes because they lack the necessary information. Companies often complain that they have issues with finding necessary audit data upon request. 

To overcome these limitations, organizations should consider the following strategies: 

• Organizations can reduce the workload of their security teams and improve efficiency by using automation within their SIEM solution. Automation can help detect potential threats quickly, initiating appropriate responses and allowing companies to more effectively deal with cyber threats.
• Companies can improve the effectiveness of their SIEM solution by regularly reviewing and updating security policies, procedures, and controls to ensure they align with organizational objectives.
• Organizations can improve the quality of data ingested by their SIEM solution by implementing controls to ensure that data is accurate, relevant, and timely. These controls include regularly reviewing and normalizing incoming information in order to make it consistent and reliable.

What to Consider When Selecting a SIEM Tool

Important considerations to take when selecting a SIEM tool include:

• One of the most important factors to consider is the organization's specific use case. Different SIEM tools are designed to address different security needs, so it's essential to identify the use cases a company requires to select the right tool.
• SIEM tools rely on the data they ingest, therefore, it's critical to consider what types of data sources a SIEM tool can integrate with and whether or not that tool can collect from all necessary sources.
• Integration with other security tools is essential to ensure that your security infrastructure is working together harmoniously. Therefore, it's essential to consider the SIEM tool's ability to integrate with other security tools and platforms.
• The SIEM tool's user interface should be intuitive and easy to navigate, enabling security teams to identify and respond to threats quickly and efficiently.

Keep Reading About Managed SIEM 

Overall, managed SIEM systems are more effective than unmanaged SIEM systems. While SIEM tools have some limitations in their effectiveness, there are ways to get around them through practices such as automation, regularly reviewing security policies, and regularly vetting data that is being fed into the SIEM tool. Managed SIEM offers the benefits of relieving strain on companies’ internal IT departments, cost-effectiveness, and improved security through the use of  the most up-to-date security management technology.

• Learn how the SIEM and SOAR security platforms differ, and their critical roles in cybersecurity.
• Learn about the benefits of outsourcing email security.
• Learn how to choose the right email security service for your organization.
• Learn how to improve your email security posture to defend against attacks and breaches by engaging in best practices.
• Get the latest updates on how to stay safe online.