Cybersecurity’s going through a bit of an evolution. The modern business is relying on the Cloud for a laundry list of solutions: data storage, remote working and always-accessible apps, and that means more of our sensitive data is potentially entering the public Cloud than ever. Clearly, our SIEM protections need to evolve to match our new ways of working.
What is SIEM?
SIEM – which is just as weird to pronounce as it looks – stands for Security Information and Event Management. It’s a common ingredient in any modern cybersecurity setup; an intelligent solution with 4 key roles:
- Collecting data from across a company network,
- Compiling and standardising this data
- Rigorously scanning this data for anomalies and threats
- Respond to threats smartly
In an era of new and evolving cyber-threats SIEM’s an invaluable business asset. Yet it isn’t a front-to-back protective solution and isn’t without its drawbacks either. For the average business, SIEM is a colossal, frequently complex solution, requiring regular maintenance and monitoring. In an era of ever-evolving threats, that’s a responsibility most of us could probably do without.
Setting up a business SIEM solution can be expensive too; something of a ‘resource hog’, for those businesses running theirs through on-prem hardware or servers.
With Azure Sentinel, however, Microsoft are aiming to provide those extra resources – while eliminating the complexity surrounding them.
What makes Azure Sentinel Different to other SIEMs?
Like anything delivered through Microsoft’s Azure platform, Sentinel leverages the Cloud to emulate powerful hardware and provide near-limitless data storage. Because Sentinel is Cloud-delivered, there’s no setup or hardware needed; any business already using the Azure portal could roll their Sentinel solution out within literal minutes.
Yet it’s the technical benefits of Azure that elevate Sentinel above most other SIEM solutions. For example:
Artificial Intelligence – Sentinel can leverage Azure’s Artificial Intelligence capabilities, smartly responding to perceived threats based on historic data and network events. Essentially, your Sentinel SIEM become even smarter over prolonged use.
App Integration – As you’d expect, Sentinel is configured for all existing Cloud-based Microsoft solutions, meaning your Microsoft 365 and SharePoint environments benefit from instant SIEM solutions
Flexibility – Like any Azure solution, Sentinel is almost endlessly scalable, allowing businesses to configure their Sentinel’s data capture capabilities as best they see fit.
Hybrid-Friendly – It doesn’t matter how much of your business is within the Cloud, Sentinel can provide on the user, application, device and infrastructure, so Hybrid workplaces are no less protected.
Customised Responses – One of Sentinel’s major benefits, users can implement rules and policies and have Sentinel detect and resolve threats instantly. This way, your business has specified policies that Sentinel abides by, better protecting you from business-specific threats.
There are plenty more benefits to Azure Sentinel, but with this new SIEM solution, Microsoft have clearly considered the transformative potential of the Azure Cloud, and applied it to one of the modern enterprise’s most valuable security methods.
Could Your Business Benefit From Azure Sentinel?
With so much of your business data in the Cloud – and so many emerging cyber threats waiting to compromise it – it makes sense for your SIEM solution to reside there too; not least when it can be scaled and configured to suit your business needs.
Any business, however far along in their Cloud journey, would be well-advised to explore Sentinel. As well as providing the usual SIEM functions, it introduces all-new benefits, requires no ongoing maintenance, and could significantly cut the costs of an on-prem SIEM solution.
And if you’re not Azure-fluent, don’t worry – you’re in the company of an MSP that is.
If you’re exploring your security solutions, or are taking your business to the next stage of its Cloud-empowered journey, we’re here to help. Call Vital on 0333 241 9301 to speak to an IT support specialist or arrange a callback.
