What is SIEM?

Security information and event management (SIEM) is a holistic security management system used to detect, monitor, analyze, and respond to IT infrastructure events. SIEM systems identify abnormal behaviors and other threats for advanced monitoring and detection, forensics, and rapid remediation.

SIEM goes beyond simple log management by incorporating user and entity behavior analytics, AI capabilities, and advanced security analytics. It provides continuous, centralized visibility into the security status of on-premises, cloud, and hybrid IT infrastructure using real-time and near-real-time analysis with context to deliver actionable insights. SIEM thus plays a vital role in enhancing cybersecurity resilience and enabling organizations to effectively manage their cybersecurity posture.

By automating log collection, normalization, and analysis, SIEM tools reduce the manual effort required for monitoring and maintaining security and enabling security teams to detect and respond to potential threats. This capability enhances threat detection and incident response. It also supports forensic analysis and compliance efforts by aggregating and correlating security-related events.

Additionally, centralized SIEM platforms integrate with other security technologies such as endpoint detection and response, firewalls, and threat intelligence feeds. This integration enables a more holistic approach to cybersecurity, providing a unified view of security events and facilitating coordinated responses to threats across different layers of the IT infrastructure.

SIEM performs numerous tasks to provide comprehensive security monitoring and threat detection capabilities across security tools at scale. Here's a detailed overview of the SIEM process:

SIEM systems gather logs and other data from diverse sources across an organization's IT infrastructure, including the following:

• Servers
• Applications
• Network devices, such as firewalls and routers.
• Security appliances, such as intrusion detection/prevention systems
• Endpoints, such as PCs and mobile devices.

This collected data comprises logs, events, and occasionally packet captures.

Once data is collected, SIEM systems normalize it by converting different log formats and time stamps into a consistent format. This process ensures all data can be analyzed and correlated effectively, regardless of its source.

SIEM systems aggregate and correlate data from different sources to identify patterns, anomalies, and potential security incidents. Correlation involves comparing events across systems and devices to detect suspicious activities that may indicate a security threat. For example, correlating multiple failed login attempts from different IP addresses could indicate a brute-force attack.

Using predefined rules, machine learning algorithms, or behavioral analytics, SIEM systems analyze correlated data to detect security threats in real time. This threat detection can identify activities such as malware infections, unauthorized access attempts, data exfiltration, and insider threats.

When a potential security incident is detected, SIEM systems generate alerts and notifications for security analysts or administrators. The severity of alerts can vary depending on the detected activity's potential impact.

SIEM systems offer tools and workflows that aid in automated context-aware security incident response. These tools can integrate with incident response platforms or ticketing systems, enhancing investigating efficiency and addressing security issues.

SIEM solutions generate reports and dashboards that provide insights into an organization's security posture. These reports can include details about detected threats, security events, compliance status, and trends over time. They're valuable for regulatory compliance audits and internal security reviews.

SIEM systems operate on a continuous monitoring basis, constantly updating their data, rules, and algorithms to adapt to new threats and changes in the IT environment. This ensures ongoing protection against evolving security risks.

SIEM platforms are used to address both security and operational needs within organizations. Here are five common scenarios where teams implement SIEM.

SIEM solutions provide real-time monitoring and detection of security incidents by analyzing logs and events across the IT environment to identify indicators of compromise. Upon detecting predefined events or patterns, such as a potential SQL injection attack, the system triggers alerts for investigation and can initiate responses to thwart the attack.

SIEM systems collect and aggregate log data that IT infrastructure and applications generate. SIEM tools correlate events from this data to identify patterns and potential security incidents, such as events related to unauthorized access, suspicious user activities, or application-level attacks.

SIEM can monitor and analyze user activity across the network and systems. This includes tracking login attempts, file access, application usage, and other behaviors that may indicate insider threats or employees' unauthorized activities.

Centralized SIEM platforms help organizations achieve and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards with compliance monitoring, auditing, and reporting. The automated collection and analysis of logs and other historical data allows organizations to demonstrate adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, General Data Protection Regulation, HIPAA, and other regulations.

When a security incident occurs, SIEM systems provide detailed forensic data such as the sequence of events leading up to and following the incident. This data is critical for comprehending the extent of the attack, pinpointing affected systems, and devising an efficient response strategy.

Beyond security-specific use cases, SIEM systems also provide operational intelligence by aggregating and analyzing data that can be used to optimize IT operations and improve overall IT efficiency. These operational intelligence capabilities enhance SIEM's value proposition beyond security, contributing to broader organizational IT and business objectives.

Integrating a unified observability and security solution with advanced SIEM systems significantly enhances monitoring and security capabilities across an organization's IT environment.

By combining Dynatrace's deep application and infrastructure monitoring with SIEM's security event correlation, organizations can achieve end-to-end visibility. Real-time monitoring of performance metrics and security events can help ensure comprehensive oversight across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid IT infrastructure.

Insights into application performance and user behavior powered by Dynatrace can be merged with SIEM's security data, enabling faster detection of suspicious activities or potential threats. SIEM platforms that leverage Dynatrace contextual data — such as application dependencies, user transactions, and performance metrics — generate precise alerts that prioritize incidents based on their business impact.