Security Information Management Flashcards
Security Information Management (SIM)
Security Information Management, also known as SIM is specialized security software that helps with the collection, monitoring, and analysis of data and event logs generated from all security devices in a network (IDS, IPS, Antivirus Software, Firewalls). Facilitating the task of the investigators and the security team of an organization by centralizing all this information in a single service.
What Does SIM do?
SIMs are mainly concerned with the collection and translation of information relating to the operation of a network. These elements collect data and logs from devices within an organization, and may even collect information from some devices or sources outside the organization (such as public threat identification services and correlation networks), looking for patterns that will allow the system to understand the activity, operation and behavior of these devices, and then make reports, graphs and charts that will be presented to the user. Some of the actions performed by a SIM are:
Monitoring of events in real-time.
Sending and generating alerts and reports.
Automatic response to incidents.
Correlation of data from multiple sources to improve the quality of the information presented.
Translation of event logs from different resources through XML files.
However, and despite the enormous help that this type of service provides, it is necessary to clarify that these are not applications that can operate correctly without the help of security personnel and members of the organization. Therefore, it is always recommended to have a good security policy that complements the operation of this type of product.
Advantages & Disadvantages of SIM
SIMs are services that bring many benefits to the users who implement them in their organizations, some of which are:
Easy to deploy.
They can store and analyze large volumes of data.
They allow a fast and efficient analysis of all events in a system.
They correlate logs and events to provide the most accurate overview of the system.
They allow for easy threat management (assessment, containment, and analysis)
However, it is always important to mention some disadvantages that may affect users who want to apply this type of solution to their network:
They can be very expensive tools.
It is not completely certain that they can be properly adapted to the working environment.
Some providers do not provide full technical support for this type of service.
IT system security will always be a real battleground, and investigators and security professionals can not always be aware of every situation, so these tools can be the difference between a well-timed response and a data breach. A SIM will not be able to protect you from all threats, but they can help you identify the vast majority.
