You Cannot Detect What You Cannot See

Comprehensive logging and Security Information and Event Management provide the visibility needed to detect and investigate threats.

Log Sources

Collect from firewalls, endpoints, servers, cloud services, applications, and authentication systems. More context enables better detection.

Log Retention

Retention requirements vary by regulation. Generally, retain logs 1-7 years. Consider hot, warm, and cold storage tiers.

SIEM Capabilities

Centralized collection aggregates logs. Correlation identifies patterns across sources. Alerting notifies on suspicious activity. Dashboards provide visibility. Investigation tools support analysis.

Use Cases

Detect brute force attacks. Identify lateral movement. Monitor privileged access. Track data access. Detect insider threats.

Implementation Tips

Start with critical assets. Tune alerts to reduce noise. Document expected behavior. Build runbooks for common alerts.

Alternatives

Managed detection and response services provide SIEM capabilities without operational overhead. Consider for resource-constrained organizations.

Need help with this topic? Contact me at contactme@itsdavidg.co