Next-generation SIEM tools are deployed to future-proof cybersecurity operations. Here’s what you need to know.
Times are changing fast in the ever-evolving cyber security space, where threat actors are moving fast and organizations are working to keep pace. Adversaries are infiltrating organizations faster than ever before: The average eCrime breakout time—the time it takes adversaries to move laterally after compromising an initial host—dropped to just 62 minutes, with the fastest observed breakout time just over two minutes.
This acceleration highlights the critical need for organizations to increase the effectiveness of their security operations. Many are now wondering: Are legacy SIEM tools equipped to handle the change in pace?
As companies move to cloud-based systems and adopt new technologies, traditional security information and event management (SIEM) tools often struggle to keep up with the growing volume of data and alerts that accompany a larger, more complex attack surface. This creates inefficiencies that leave organizations vulnerable to breaches. We’re seeing companies turn to next-generation SIEM solutions in an effort to future-proof against cyber threats and keep critical information secure.
CTO for EMEA at CrowdStrike.
The need for speed and operational efficiency
Every second counts in cyber security. With the advent of generative AI, attacks have become more sophisticated, widespread and easier to execute. Adversaries are now able to create more compelling social engineering campaigns at a larger scale, in addition to the malicious software, tools and resources to carry out larger and more effective attacks. This newfound advantage—in both speed and execution—is a stark reminder to security leaders that their security operations center (SOC) must continue to evolve to identify and mitigate potential threats.
Legacy SIEM tools were designed in a time when adversaries moved more slowly and executed simpler attacks. Now technology is advancing, but these older systems lack the speed and processing power required to function in data-heavy environments. Today’s SOC teams often manage a patchwork of outdated SIEMs, sprawling data lakes, and disjointed analytics tools, preventing the rapid investigation of attacks. This adds new layers of complexity to managing and operating a legacy SIEM system – which in turn increases the costs associated with maintaining a system, slows response times and reduces overall operational efficiency, draining resources and further contributing to delays. When a breach occurs, quick escalation and resolution is essential to confronting the perpetrator head-on and stopping the breach.
Plan for a secure future with next-generation SIEM
Over the past decade, many organizations have embraced digital transformation and migrated to cloud-based environments. SIEM has now evolved to extend visibility beyond traditional perimeters and introduce a number of advanced new features such as comprehensive visibility, proactive threat detection, continuous compliance, and automatic threat containment and elimination.
By combining IT and security data with AI and workflow automation, next-generation SIEM tools will power a unified AI-native SOC platform that enables security operations to act faster and more effectively to achieve the ultimate goal: stopping breaches . Many early adopter organizations are turning to next-generation SIEMs with the goal of improving efficiency and reducing response time from hours to seconds. Here are four critical features offered by next-generation SIEM to improve security operations:
- Comprehensive data collection and management: These capabilities enable SOC teams to seamlessly traverse data sources and integrate with cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud
- Big data architecture: SIEM solutions are scalable to support big data analytics, enabling real-time monitoring, investigation and search across multiple data sets to increase efficiency and agility
- Implementation and architecture: Built-in connectors and cloud-based architecture simplify deployment, reduce management complexity, and deliver rapid time-to-value and cost savings
- Modern analyst experience: Streamlined attack analysis automatically generates visual timelines and provides intuitive query language so analysts can triage incidents with minimal manual effort
Choosing the right next-gen SIEM for your SOC
When evaluating a next-generation SIEM, security leaders should ask important questions to ensure it meets the requirements of their SOC. First, can SIEM handle the growing volumes of data generated by hybrid cloud environments and modern IT infrastructures while cost-effectively scaling? This is critical as adversaries and data volumes grow at unprecedented rates. Second, is the SIEM easy to implement and maintain? SOC teams often spend significant time and resources setting up and managing SIEMs, time that could be better spent on mission-critical tasks. Finally, does it break down silos by consolidating tools and reducing complexity and cost? An effective SIEM should integrate seamlessly with existing tools, collect, normalize and correlate data across disparate sources.
The SIEM category is gaining renewed attention as organizations grapple with complex security challenges that legacy SIEMs can no longer handle. With attackers becoming faster and more sophisticated, next-generation SIEMs allow SOC teams to keep pace by breaking down silos, automating workflows, and reducing operational complexity and costs. Without these advances, organizations risk falling behind and becoming prime targets for modern threats.
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