Dealing with the High Cost of SIEMs
In today’s increasingly digital world, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems have developed into an indispensable component of both corporate compliance and safety. They provide analysis of security warnings in real time from a variety of infrastructures, which helps in the identification and response to cyber-attacks. Nevertheless, there are major costs associated with SIEMs, from the initial setup to the ongoing upkeep.
The necessity of human oversight is a significant contributor to the cost of SIEMs. Even the most sophisticated SIEMs require a specialized SOC team composed of cybersecurity professionals to properly evaluate and respond to the data they collect. The cost of recruiting cybersecurity professionals has increased in recent years due to the growing demand for their skills. In addition, the requirement that monitoring occur around the clock necessitates the involvement of numerous specialists to ensure continuous coverage.
The SIEM implementation process involves more than just installing software. It includes procedures such as auditing the infrastructure, integrating the platform, and making any necessary adjustments to reduce the number of false warnings and noise. These modifications take place on a continuous basis and necessitate the steady allocation of resources. However, excessive customizations might lead to a failure to recognize real dangers, which could have negative ramifications for the company’s finances.
Because SIEMs process and store huge amounts of data logs on a regular basis, storage costs rapidly increase. The exponential increase in system generated data is out of alignment with the incremental increases of organizations security budget. The SOC teams have the goal of collecting all available data, but financial constraints frequently compel them to collect only a subset of available data, which reduces the efficiency of both SIEM and SOC.
In an effort to control expenses, some companies may choose to restrict data gathering, cut staff, or forego the deployment of SIEM, thereby jeopardizing their security posture. There are, however, approaches to keep costs in check while still maintaining a high level of security:
- Cloud-based SIEM solutions offer an alternative that is both more scalable and more cost-effective. This is accomplished by shifting the burden of maintaining the necessary infrastructure to the service provider. SaaS-based security information and event management systems have a greater propensity to simplify and lower the cost of an efficient deployment.
- The utilization of human oversight and SOC teams can be reduced when automation is incorporated. This can be accomplished through the utilization of artificial intelligence and machine learning by the SIEM platform, in addition to integrated Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) functionality that is built into the SIEM.
- To collect comprehensive data without breaking the bank, you should look into SIEMs that have modern cost structures that are centered on user numbers or comparable metrics rather than data storage. These SIEMs allow for, sometimes, unlimited data ingestion and long-term retention at significantly reduced costs.
- Choose security information and event management (SIEM) systems that require the fewest number of adjustments and tuning. Only the most important information is presented by the top platforms, doing away with the necessity for manual rule formulation and minimization of background noise. This results in a reduced need placed on SOC teams resulting in reduced resource requirements.
SIEMs are necessary in the current state of the cybersecurity industry; yet there is a cost associated with using them. Organizations can secure their digital assets in an effective and economical manner if they first acknowledge the expenses involved and then make educated investments.
