Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

October 2023

Unpacking the new US executive order on artificial intelligence

On Monday, October 30, President Biden signed the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence — the longest in history at 117 pages. The executive order (EO) aims to advance and regulate artificial intelligence (AI) in the US. This landmark order pulls together a number of priorities that influence not just the AI industry, but also society at large.

How to Create SIEM Correlation Rules

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems play a crucial role in modern cybersecurity frameworks. They collate log and event data from an array of sources within an organization’s network, facilitating real-time analysis and long-term storage of this crucial information to uphold security standards. A core component of SIEM’s effectiveness lies in its correlation rules, which are designed to detect specific patterns or anomalies that might indicate a security issue.

Three Steps to Reduce False Positives and Alert Fatigue in Your SIEM

In the realm of cybersecurity, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems are indispensable tools for monitoring and analyzing an organization’s security posture in real-time. However, one of the hurdles that security professionals often encounter is the prevalence of false positives which can overwhelm analysts and obscure genuine threats.

Keeping Perspective Amongst the Sometimes Tumultuous Cybersecurity Environment

A SOC analyst role is equal parts fulfilling and overwhelming. On one hand, the landscape is dynamic and the work is critical to protecting organizations. On the other, the weight of continual responsibility can lead to stress, anxiety, and cybersecurity burnout. Understanding the importance of your mental health is crucial to maintaining productivity and preventing cybersecurity burnout.

This Month in Datadog: Heatmaps Updates, API Catalog, Content Packs for Cloud SIEM, and more

Datadog is constantly elevating the approach to cloud monitoring and security. This Month in Datadog updates you on our newest product features, announcements, resources, and events. This month, we put the Spotlight on a pair of Heatmaps updates..

Is retail a security fail? Make sure your PoS is not a POS

Whether it's a brick-and-mortar storefront or an e-commerce platform, no player in the retail space is safe from cyberattacks. Over the past decade, we have seen major breaches of big-name stores, resulting in multi-million dollar settlements and hundreds of millions of affected users. But what exactly is going on here? We will examine the mechanisms cybercriminals use to exploit retail stores and platforms, what they look for, and, most importantly, what can be done to thwart threats and leave cyber criminals on the shelf.

UTMStack Unveils Commercial License for its Correlation Engine and SDK: A Boon for Organizations Developing SIEM or XDR Solutions

In a significant move to empower organizations in bolstering their security infrastructure, UTMstack has announced the commercialization of its Correlation Engine and Software Development Kit (SDK) under a commercial license. This strategic initiative paves the way for organizations aiming to develop their own Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) or Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions by leveraging the state-of-the-art features embedded in the UTMstack’s platform.

How to Spot a Next-Gen SIEM Imposter

Staying ahead of the cybersecurity curve can feel like running a marathon uphill, and the right SIEM is key to leveling the playing field. Smarter SIEM solutions have emerged from the cloud to address the changing demands of today’s security operations. Unlike legacy SIEMs, which were designed for on-premises deployments and have limited scalability, more innovative next-gen solutions offer cloud-native SaaS models that provide greater flexibility and scalability.

How the MITRE ATT&CK Framework Helps CISOs Communicate Risk to Stakeholders

Picture this: Your CEO comes into your office and asks, “What’s our security posture, and where’s our greatest area of risk? I’m particularly worried about this new emerging threat group. What defenses or detections do we have around that?” You: “…” Enter the MITRE ATT&CK® framework and Devo’s MITRE ATT&CK Adviser app—built to help you tell the business where your risks are and what it would take to address them.

Does Your SIEM Empower Your SOC?

The right SIEM can make or break your SOC. While there are a lot of security solutions and platforms for you to choose from, ask yourself–how will they make life in your SOC better than before? If you make the right choice, you’ll empower your SOC to work more efficiently, more effectively, and more proactively. As you do your research and consider which SIEM is right for you, make sure it checks these boxes. Your analysts will thank you.

Ten modern SIEM use cases

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) protects organizational assets in today's evolving cybersecurity landscape. As threats become more sophisticated, the importance of well-structured SIEM use cases cannot be underestimated. Dive in as we explore the modern approaches to building, organizing, and prioritizing SIEM use cases. Read on to learn the right approach to building SIEM use casesGathering the Right Data for Meaningful Insights The top ten use cases you cannot afford to miss.

Top Challenges in Implementing SIEM Solutions

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems are the modern guardian angels of cybersecurity, offering robust threat detection, efficient incident response, and compliance tranquility. However, beneath the surface of these promising advantages lie intricate challenges. In this blog post, we delve deep into SIEM implementation challenges. But before diving in, let's first understand what SIEM entails.

A CISO's perspective: Why I've read the Elastic Global Threat Report

It’s that time of year again. Fall leaves are turning colors, families are gearing up for the holidays, and many vendors are releasing different reports during cybersecurity month. Our researchers at Elastic Security Labs released the 2023 Global Threat Report last week after months of analysis on more than 1 billion data points. As the CISO of Elastic, my team and I leveraged last year’s report findings and predictions to strategize for the changing threat landscape.

Top Five Free and Open Source SIEM

In an age where cybersecurity is paramount, organizations must be vigilant in protecting their digital assets and sensitive information. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions are crucial in this endeavor, as they provide comprehensive visibility into an organization’s cybersecurity posture. While there are many commercial SIEM tools on the market, the pursuit of truly free and open-source SIEM solutions is gaining traction.

Build a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) with Free and Open Source Technologies

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on building a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) using free and open-source technologies. In the digital age, protecting your organization’s information assets has never been more important. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and organizations of all sizes and industries are vulnerable to attacks.

Demystifying the Role of a Cybersecurity Researcher

If your idea of a dream job is hunting for vulnerabilities and staying current on emerging cyberthreats, then the role of a cybersecurity researcher could be your ideal match. These investigative specialists dedicate their hours to unearthing security issues and concocting protective countermeasures. If you’re interested in learning more about what this role entails, here’s a breakdown.

SIEM Logging for Enterprise Security Operations and Threat Hunting

Today’s enterprise networks are diverse and complex. Rather than the simple network perimeter of old, bad actors can attack through multiple entry points, including cloud-based applications. Not to mention, these networks generate massive amounts of transactional data. Because enterprise networks have become larger, they’re more difficult to secure and manage.

The Biggest Takeaways From SOC Analyst Appreciation Day 2023

SOC Analyst Appreciation (SAAD) Day 2023 has come and gone. With great speakers and great sessions, it was a can’t-miss event for SOC analysts and anyone else looking to better appreciate their SOCs and see what’s on the horizon for cybersecurity. But hey, we realize that despite your best efforts, some SOC teams and leaders couldn’t make it the day of.

Indigov's security team uses Datadog Cloud SIEM & Log Management to reduce mean time to respond

Watch this video to learn about how Indigov’s Security team (that runs their SOC, compliance program, and operations to support developers throughout the software development lifecycle) has deemed Cloud SIEM as one of the easiest and most integrated platforms to drive down response time from hours to minutes. Datadog Log Management has helped Indigov centralize all disparate data into one spot and Datadog Cloud SIEM’s out of the box detection rules and workflows have helped to capture their incident response process–driving response time down from hours to minutes!

Elastic Global Threat Report 2023: Top cybersecurity forecasts and recommendations

We are excited to announce the release of the 2023 Elastic Global Threat Report, a comprehensive analysis of over one billion data points. The report provides insights into the methods, techniques, and trends of threat actors from the perspective of defenders, helping customers, partners, and security teams to prioritize and improve their security posture. The observations in the report are based on anonymized Elastic telemetry and public and third-party data submitted voluntarily.

Evaluating Your SIEM: 4 Ways Your Legacy On-Prem Solution Might Be Cramping Your Style

As a CISO or security leader, you juggle many responsibilities—crafting a cybersecurity strategy, managing the security budget, and overseeing your organization’s information systems. But can you remember the last time you took a moment to step back and prioritize evaluating your SIEM? Like your favorite pair of jeans from 15 years ago, your trusty on-prem SIEM likely isn’t fitting as well as it used to. Here are four ways your legacy solution is holding you back.

Trustwave Launches Managed SIEM for Microsoft Sentinel

Trustwave has introduced a new solution allowing organizations using Microsoft Sentinel to obtain the highest return on investment possible while keeping their security level at peak performance and improving response times. Trustwave Managed SIEM for Microsoft Sentinel is a managed solution intended to maximize an organization’s Microsoft E5 investment, specifically firms without a robust cybersecurity team.

Get your head in the clouds

Today’s forecast is cloudy, with a chance of headaches, heartburn, and a hell of a lot of unforeseen security challenges. Digital transformation may not be a new term, but it is, nonetheless, still very much a part of the roadmap for many companies. No matter if a company is cloud-native or newly embracing the cloud, the issues of securing your cloud infrastructure can be daunting, from managing misconfigurations to monitoring hundreds of microservices. Managing your cloud attack surface can leave you feeling like Sisyphus. But if you’re feeling a little bolder (see what we did there?), you can take a deeper dive into how you can get your head in the cloud and in the cloud cybersecurity game.

Can You Use the ELK Stack as a SIEM? A Fresh Take

A SIEM system (Security Information and Event Management) is often used by security operations centers (SOCs) for real-time detection of suspicious activity and security events. While some teams choose to adopt a purpose-built SIEM, others rely on the same DevOps tools they are already using for tasks like troubleshooting and operational log data analysis.

What's SIEM? Security Information & Event Management Explained

Effectively detecting, investigating and responding to security threats is not easy. SIEM can help — a lot. SIEM is cybersecurity technology that provides a single, streamlined view of your data, insight into security activities, and operational capabilities so you can stay ahead of cyber threats.

How to Get a Job in Cybersecurity by Leveraging LinkedIn

Landing a SOC job and breaking into the cybersecurity space can feel daunting. One way to set yourself up for success is to leverage professional social networking sites like LinkedIn. When used correctly, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for growing your connections and landing your dream gig. Not sure how to get a job in cybersecurity by using LinkedIn? Here are some tips.

How to Build Your Cybersecurity Leadership Skills as a SOC Analyst

Leadership skills are important for career growth in any industry, and cybersecurity is no exception. While you can certainly have a long, fulfilling career as a SOC analyst, you may be interested in moving up the ranks into a leadership position one day. Whether you aspire to be a SOC director or even a CISO, these tips will help you position yourself and develop the skills needed to move into a cybersecurity leadership role.

Creating a Threat Hunting Lab in Graylog

When I was looking to break into the cybersecurity industry, I found myself overwhelmed with the sheer amount of content to learn and try. So much of the content, you had to purchase certain things, or it was way too complicated for me to understand at the time. Today, I wanted to break down create an easy walk-through on how to set up a functional threat hunting lab.

Splunk Named #1 SIEM Provider in the 2022 IDC Market Share for SIEM for 3rd Time in a Row

Splunk has been named #1 SIEM Provider in the Worldwide Security Information and Event Management Market Shares, 2022: The Multitude of SIEMs (doc #US51012523, July 2023). The continued recognition from IDC as a SIEM market Leader is a testament to our commitment to delivering a data-centric, modern solution that delivers data-driven insights for full-breadth visibility for our users.

DORA: A paradigm shift in cybersecurity and operational resilience

In the dynamic realm of governmental regulations, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) in the EU emerges as a game-changer. Slated for a detailed rollout by early 2024, the buzz surrounding DORA has resonated within the information and communication technology (ICT) and financial sectors for quite some time, and its distinction lies in its holistic and authoritative approach. DORA is heralded as the high-water mark for cybersecurity regulations tailored for the financial arena. Its mission?

Elastic wins 2023 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award for Cloud Security Platform of the Year

Elastic's cloud security solution recognized for comprehensive protection of cloud-based workloads We are excited to announce that Elastic® has been honored with the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award 2023 for Cloud Security Platform of the Year. This award recognizes our open, unified solution with integrated cloud security capabilities that protect both cloud-native and hybrid workloads, enabling analysts to defend against cloud misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and runtime attacks.

Securing IaaS, PaaS and SaaS with a Cloud SIEM

As cloud computing continues to expand with no end in sight, it’s only wise to invest in it. Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service bring significant cost savings (personnel and ownership), improved performance, better reliability, freedom to scale and significant security benefits. It’s no wonder many businesses have already adopted all three of these models.