SIEM Modernization and Optimization: Step 1 - Assess the Data
A strategic blueprint on how to modernize SIEMs for the AI era. It all starts with the data.
CISOs and security leaders see the writing on the wall: they need to modernize and optimize their SIEM to harness the power of AI. For one, adversaries already have, launching more frequent, more complex, and better obfuscated attacks.
Cost is another driving force. Data volumes have exploded due to the increase in attacks as well as growing tech stacks and historical data. Volume-based licensing models have proven costly in the data-rich AI era.
But data is exactly where you should focus for your SIEM modernization and optimization project. Patchy, siloed data is hard for analysts to make actionable quickly and dangerous for Agentic AI as it can enact changes based on incomplete context.
To bring your SIEM into the AI era, you need to build a strong data foundation with a unified data architecture.
Assess the State of Your SIEM
Your SIEM modernization journey starts with carefully evaluating data sources. By examining what the SIEM ingests and the telemetry that makes it happen, you can begin to identify where security gaps exist.
To assess the state of your SIEM, it’s important to ask:
- What are the data sources?
- Are there any blind spots?
- What pain points exist around data (e.g., silos, latency)?
- How effective are my tools and my team at synthesizing all data sources?
Keep in mind this is an exercise in reality, not in the ethereal realm of “maturity goals.” What is the state of your SIEM today? Be objective, be meticulous. The data is the foundation everything else is built on.
How a Budget Can Create Blind Spots
SIEMs with consumption-based pricing models can skyrocket costs of using your own data. If your SIEM architecture isn’t built to handle today’s data flood in a cost-effective way, you’ll continue to struggle with, or overpay for, visibility.
Ultra-modern SIEM architecture means being able to harness your data, make it available to AI models for detection and response, and mitigate threats at lightning-fast speeds.
Make This Your First High-Impact Change
In a recent webinar, former S&P CISO and Anomali Chief Growth Officer George Moser shared his best advice for CISOs starting the SIEM optimization journey. His reply: A cybersecurity observable data lake.
“That is the number one priority,” said Moser. “Without [a security data lake] we can attack parts of the problem, but you can't conquer the whole problem unless you understand the universe of the problem itself.”
Siloed, incongruous data does not make for a strong foundation. It creates blind spots and makes contextualization all the more difficult. That’s why ultra-modern SIEMs and Agentic AI need a unified data architecture.
Unified Data Architecture: The Foundation of AI-Powered SIEMs
Threat actors rely on obfuscation to carry out their attacks. They can hide amongst the complicated landscape of security information, spreading their attacks across multiple systems. This makes it difficult to understand how details that seem innocuous in isolation actually point to an adversarial attack in context.
Siloed data gives an incomplete view of an organization’s attack surface. And the time it takes to piece data together is a boon to fast-moving threats.
A unified data architecture breaks down silos between tools, integrating data from:
- Endpoints
- Network traffic
- Identity and access management
- Entitlement usage
Unified data architecture creates a high-fidelity data lake of all observable cyber data that can feed SOC analysts and Agentic AI alike. No one’s working with blindspots. No one’s missing context. You can move against threats fast.
Unlock the Potential of Your Data
Moving to an ultra-modern, AI-powered SIEM will give you the speed and intelligence to combat AI-charged adversaries and empowers organizations to ditch costly legacy licensing models.
It all starts with a strong data foundation. By assessing the state of your SIEM data and implementing an observable data lake with unified data architecture, you’re taking a vital first step on your SIEM modernization journey.
Get the full guide, How to Modernize Your SIEM for the AI Era, here.
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