The Benefits of Managed SIEM Services for Threat Detection and Response: A Guide

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic alone, the FBI has seen a 300% increase in reported cybercrimes, partly due to the fact that remote work has rapidly expanded. Plus, according to The State of Cloud Security 2020 Report, 70% of organizations hosting data/workloads in the public cloud have experienced a security incident.

One way for an organization to proactively detect and protect against security issues is with Managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) services. 

To understand why SIEM might be right for your business, we’re going to break down what it is, what Managed SIEM Services include, and the benefits that come with it.

What is SIEM?

SIEM is a monitoring technology that collects, correlates, and analyzes log data from a variety of systems spanning the entire IT infrastructure stack. 

It creates a single, holistic view of workloads in the cloud, on-premise and endpoint devices, allowing them to be analyzed and cross-reference. This can help an organization take an effective and proactive (versus reactive) response. 

A robust SIEM ensures that workloads are fully compliant, protected, and secure no matter which platform they’re operating on or where they’re located.

What do Managed SIEM Services Include?

Managed SIEM Services provide the security capabilities an organization requires to effectively monitor various workloads and systems.

A robust SIEM offering, such as what Carbon60 provides, should include the following:

• Asset discovery to provide visibility into who and what is connected to the network at all times.
• Vulnerability assessment, which uses automated asset scanning to identify potential vulnerabilities and exposure.
• Intrusion detection across environments, including cloud and on-premises.
• In-depth endpoint security monitoring, detection and response across Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems.
• Behavioral monitoring for the identification of suspicious actions and network anomalies.
• Log management to correlate and analyze security event data across the network.
• Compliance management, which includes continuous monitoring, pre-built customizable reports, and compliant log storage.
• Threat intelligence for real-time curated data on emerging threats and attack methods.

Additionally, Managed SIEM Services should assume the responsibility for the setup and ongoing maintenance of the SIEM platform.

What are the Benefits of Managed SIEM Services?

Some organizations struggle with the decision of building or buying a SIEM versus adopting a service model for threat detection and response. Part of the hesitation may be because of an uneasiness with entrusting the security of their data to another party.

To understand why that shouldn’t be the only factor in making this decision, it’s important to take a look at the benefits that come with finding a trusted partner to handle your Managed SIEM Services.

Cut Down Your Costs

The expenses that come with purchasing and configuring a SIEM can accumulate quickly if not properly managed. Managed SIEM Services take on the responsibility of deploying and maintaining the system.

Plus they provide security specialists to offer insight and handle incident response. In fact, according to the Managed Security Report produced by Crowd Research Partners, 21% of organizations surveyed found that SIEM as a service reduced cost and complexity. 

Find Flexibility

Building or buying and operating a SIEM doesn’t just cost an organization up front. It also uses up the valuable time of a company’s IT staff, which could be otherwise spent on more profit-center tasks.

Additionally, if an organization builds their SIEM in a particular way and then decides to make a change, it means duplicating efforts and likely paying for some of the same things twice. 

Using a Managed SIEM Service puts these changes in the hands of a partner while the company can keep focusing on their core business.

Take a Holistic Approach

Buying or building an SIEM system means that you get what you pay for and you can be somewhat limited when it comes to tools and systems. 

A Managed SIEM Service provides multiple tools to collect and store logs from a company’s disparate tools and systems, and is able to provide a centralized security viewpoint and produce holistic reporting.

Monitor Around the Clock

A Managed SIEM Service ensures that the customer’s network is always monitored, and guarantees specific response times for network threats in order to mitigate risk. This ensures threats are recognized quickly and appropriate measures are initiated. 

Taking this burden off of an in-house team reduces internal human error and frees up valuable resources.

Neutralize and Prevent Cyber Attacks

A Managed SIEM Service is laser focused on recognizing threats and then handling any potential breaches appropriately. In the case of a threat, the Managed SIEM Service will log the threat and communicate with other security controls within the network to ensure it is contained and neutralized in a timely manner.

Stay Compliant

Every industry has its own set of regulations, such as HIPAA and PCI, and each regulation has its own specifications as to how data must be handled and stored. 

A Managed SIEM Service can help ensure that an organization meets compliance requirements, and can generate reports to identify areas that need to be improved.

Why Consider a SIEM?

A Managed SIEM Service is a smart option for organizations looking to protect their workloads regardless of platform or location, particularly since 76% of those surveyed in the Managed Security Report by Crowd Research Partners, report that SIEM resulted in the reduction of security breaches.

Taking this kind of holistic approach means that organizations can not only focus on their own business, but rest easy knowing that their security is in the hands of a trusted partner. The key is working with a partner like Carbon60, which has a rich and robust Managed SIEM Service, and is trusted by both mid-market and enterprise customers with their business-critical workloads. 

Ready to get started? Learn about Carbon60’s security offerings.

Carbon60 is an MSP dedicated to helping businesses maximize the performance and security of their core application infrastructure with an agnostic cloud approach using public and hosted private clouds. A partner with both Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure along with our own cloud hosting platforms, we have the experience and the expertise to support organizations wherever they might be on their cloud journey with security at the forefront.