What is SIEM? Top 5 SIEM Tools in 2020

With the ongoing CoronaVirus and an increase in demand for getting services at the safety of homes, several businesses are now operating online.

And with an increase in online functionalities, the risk and threats involved have also increased manifolds. This is where Security Information and Event Management (SIEM tool) comes to the rescue.

What Is SIEM?

SIEM is a combination of two approaches-

• Security Information Management (SIM)
• Security Event Management (SEM)

The basic functionality behind the SIEM tool is to collect data from various sources, analyze it in real-time, and then generate a report.

To get an overview of what is happening on their network in real-time, various large and small businesses are opting for SIEM. To detect any threats and to ensure cybersecurity, the use of 

SIEM has become critical in today’s time.

SIEM software collects the data from the host system and security devices and gathers them on a centralized server. The data is then segregated into different categories, based on the severity of the threat ( failed logins, malware activity, or firewall intrusion)

Threat alerts are then generated based on the potential of the issue.

Benefits of SIEM

With its ability to detect threats beforehand, the organizations are saved from some major issues related to security. There are several benefits of using Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) in companies and IT departments.

1. Improved efficiency: The issues are easily detected with the ability to collect logs in one place and thus increasing efficiency.
2. Preventing Security Threats: SIEM tool has drastically reduced any discrepancies in the security at the initial levels, thus saving the financial costs.
3. Data Presentation: SIEM tool provides data in a format that becomes easy to detect any suspicious activity by looking at the trends.
4. Financial Cost: With early detection of the risks involved in the system, most organizations are saved from spending out large bucks.
5. Visibility: No matter what is the size of the business, the data is always huge. SIEM tool helps in collecting the data and arranging in a commonplace, thus increasing the visibility and making it easily comparable.

However, with numerous advantages, it brings with it disadvantages as well. High cost, Long installing process. Sometimes, misconfigured SIEM tools bring with it the risk of not detecting the threats efficiently.

SIEM Tools

Here are some of the best SIEM tools in the 2020 market-

• SolarWinds Security Event Manager

 It is best for small, medium, and large businesses and offers a free trial of 30 days

1. It uses an event time detection process thus helping in faster detection of threats.
2. Helps in maintaining continuous security
3. Helps in attaining advanced level search and analysis.

It supports Windows, Linux, Mac, and Solaris platform

• Datadog

It is best for small, medium, and large businesses.

1. It detects threats in real-time
2. The detection rules are so powerful that it allows detection any suspicious risk in the logs, that too in real-time.
3. Allows to edit and customize any detection rule according to the organization’s requirements.

Datadog is supported by Windows, Mac, Linux, RedHat, CentOS, Debian

• IBM Security QRadar

It is best for medium and large businesses and it offers a free trial of 14 days.

1. Businesses having critical systems with a large range of logs find QRadar beneficial.
2.  Allows to detect constantly changing threats
3. A versatile platform that provides unique functionalities.

It is supported on IE, Firefox, and Chrome.

• Splunk Enterprise SIEM

It is best for small, medium, and large businesses and offers a free trial.

1. It uses AI and machine learning
2. Performs automated actions and provides quick response
3. Helps in detecting malicious threats in a jiffy

Mostly used in the public sector and healthcare departments. A bit expensive SIEM tool and hence is used in big enterprises.

• McAfee ESM

It is best for small, medium, and large businesses and offers a free trial. It is the most popular SIEM tool and runs through the active directory records.

1. Helps in prioritizing alerts
2. Offers an open interface for two-way integration.

It supports Windows and Mac operating systems.

Conclusion

With ever-advancing technology and ever-multiplying threats, the demand for SIEM tools will increase automatically. And hence SIEM needs to upgrade its system with improved orchestration and better detection and management of threats.