SMBs starting out with SIEM

Navigating the pros and cons

LEARN MORE
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is a comprehensive solution that provides real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware.

Yet it goes beyond just about buying software; it's about establishing a process for continuous security monitoring and response. It can be a significant commitment in terms of time and resources, so it's essential to make an informed decision that aligns with your business needs and capabilities.

Implementing a SIEM solution can be valuable, but there are certain key considerations you should be aware of.

Here's a brief guide to help you navigate:
1. Understand your needs
  • Scope: Define what you want to achieve with SIEM. Do you only want to monitor security events, or are you also interested in compliance reporting?
  • Data Sources: Identify the key systems, applications, and devices you want to monitor. Consider servers, databases, firewalls, and applications that handle critical or sensitive data.
2. Budget
  • Costs: SIEM can be expensive not just in terms of software costs but also for infrastructure, maintenance, and potentially additional personnel.
  • Cloud vs. On-Premises: Cloud-based SIEMs can offer more flexibility and may be more cost-effective for SMBs. However, ensure you understand any ongoing subscription costs.
3. Ease of use & implementation
  • For SMBs without large IT teams, the ease of setup, configuration, and day-to-day management is critical.
  • Consider SIEM solutions that are specifically designed for SMBs or offer out-of-the-box configurations.
4. Scalability
  • As your business grows, your SIEM solution should be able to handle increased data volume and more complex requirements.
  • Check how easily you can add new data sources or expand storage.
5. Integration capabilities
  • Ensure the SIEM solution can integrate with your current systems and applications.
  • Consider future integrations as well. As you add new technologies to your environment, you'll want your SIEM to support them.
6. Compliance needs
  • If you're in an industry that requires regulatory compliance (like healthcare or finance), ensure the SIEM solution supports necessary reporting and auditing capabilities.

 

 

7. Alert management
  • Ensure that the SIEM provides meaningful alerts without overwhelming you with false positives.
  • Look for solutions that offer customization of alert thresholds and parameters.
8. Support & community
  • Check what kind of support the SIEM vendor provides. For SMBs, having good vendor support can be crucial.
  • A strong community around a SIEM product can be beneficial for finding configurations, scripts, or addressing common challenges.
9. Data retention & storage
  • Determine how long you need to retain log data for analysis or compliance. Storage requirements can grow rapidly.
  • Consider solutions that offer efficient data compression and flexible storage options.
10. Training & expertise
  • SIEM systems can be complex. Invest in training for your team or consider hiring or contracting experts, at least for the initial setup.
  • Some SIEM vendors or third-party organisations offer training and certification programmes.
11. Vendor reputation & reviews
  • Research the reputation of SIEM vendors. Peer reviews, industry awards, and case studies can be valuable sources of information.
  • Consider the longevity and financial stability of the vendor.
12. Incident response & forensics
  • Evaluate the SIEM's capabilities in supporting incident response. Can it provide rich context during an investigation? Does it offer integration with other response tools or platforms?.

Want to find out more? Our friends at LogRythm have offered their expertise to help our Community members delve further into the difference - and what it means to your business.

About LogRhythm Axon

LogRhythm Axon offers a cloud-native SaaS SIEM platform. It blends the advantages of both SaaS and cloud-native approaches, freeing security teams from infrastructure management to focus on threat detection and response.

Related Stories
Community Opinion
Thursday, January 04, 2024 | 3 MINS
Community Opinion

Looking Under the Hood of the LogRhythm and Exabeam Merger

InTheCloud Podcast Episode 4
Friday, April 12, 2024 | 3 MINS
InTheCloud Podcast Episode 4

LogRhythm Axon's Joanne Wong outlines promises made means promises kept

Get up to speed with the latest and greatest SIEM!
Friday, June 07, 2024 | 3 MINS
Get up to speed with the latest and greatest SIEM!

July 2024 quarterly launch - LogRhythm Axon

InTheCloud Podcast🎙️Episode 3
Monday, April 08, 2024 | 3 MINS
InTheCloud Podcast🎙️Episode 3

LogRhythm Axon's Matt Willems talks flexibility of cloud-native SIEM and much more!

LogRhythm Axon takes centre stage!
Tuesday, April 02, 2024 | 3 MINS
LogRhythm Axon takes centre stage!

Pull back the curtain on the leading cloud-native SaaS SIEM

Eight top cyber security insights
Tuesday, April 02, 2024 | 3 MINS
Eight top cyber security insights

Vulnerabilities to be aware of, what’s to come with GenAI

InTheCloud Podcast🎙️Episode 1
Monday, March 25, 2024 | 3 MINS
InTheCloud Podcast🎙️Episode 1

LogRhythm Axon's Kevin Eley goes pulls no punches!

InTheCloud Podcast🎙️Episode 2
Tuesday, April 02, 2024 | 3 MINS
InTheCloud Podcast🎙️Episode 2

LogRhythm Axon's Guy Grieve untangles cloud-native SIEM.

Transforming security for the modern digital landscape
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 | 3 MINS
Transforming security for the modern digital landscape

White paper: Cloud-native SIEM

SaaS and cloud-native
Wednesday, October 04, 2023 | 3 MINS
SaaS and cloud-native

Definitions and best practices

Why switch SIEM provider?
Thursday, February 01, 2024 | 3 MINS
Why switch SIEM provider?

5 good reasons to make the shift

On-prem vs cloud native - what's your best SIEM?
Monday, February 05, 2024 | 3 MINS
On-prem vs cloud native - what's your best SIEM?

See which SIEM is right for you with this handy comparison table.

>SIEM Cloud Clinic
>Learn More About SWCRC
Rate the Article

Click the link below to rate this article

Rate this article
Have you seen...
  1. Community Opinion: Looking Under the Hood of the LogRhythm and Exabeam Merger
  2. LogRhythm Talking Heads Series Episode 4 - Joanne Wong
  3. July 2024 Quarterly Launch - LogRhythm Axon 1
  4. LogRhythm Talking Heads Series Episode 3 - Matt Willems
  5. The stage is set for LogRhythm Axon!
  6. Eight top cyber security insights for 2024
  7. LogRhythm Talking Heads Series Episode 1 Kevin Eley
  8. LogRhythm Talking Heads Series Episode 2 - Guy Grieve
  9. Transforming security for the modern digital landscape
  10. SaaS and Cloud-Native – Definitions and best practices
  11. Why switch SIEM Provider?
  12. On prem SIEM vs cloud native SIEM
  13. Getting in the security flow with LogRhythm Axon
  14. What To Look for When Purchasing a Cloud-Native SIEM
  15. Ready to defend
  16. Under wraps until 2024
  17. Back to Basics: Cloud-Native Security
  18. How to detect and respond to threats faster
  19. Faster Threat Investigation
  20. SIEM: Why Insight Matters
Rate this article

Let us know what you think about the article.

If you’d like to know more about any of the technologies mentioned in this article please get in touch.