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Top 10 Best SIEM Tools for Cyber Attack Monitoring (Pros and Cons). In this brief guide, we introduce SIEM and after we navigate to top 10 SIEM tools, that helps you to monitor cyber security attack.

Today, to keep a network secure, one needs to have sturdy and advanced security tools. Among them are the SIEM tool. Primarily, one that provides real time analysis of a network’s hardware, keeps a close watch, and alerts you whenever there is any suspicious activity.

Seeing its popularity, we have listed the ten best SIEM tools you can use to monitor any cyber attack. So, without further ado, let’s get straight into it. 

Let’s start with Top 10 Best SIEM Tools for Cyber Attack Monitoring.

What is SIEM?

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SIEM, or Security Information and Event Management, comprises software packages ranging from Log Management Systems to Security Information Management and Security Event Correlation. In other words, it is a group of tools that work together to secure your network. The idea is to provide the user with a 360 view within a system, making spotting suspicious activity effortless.

Although this system is not fool proof, it is a critical indicator of organizations’ defined cybersecurity policies. In addition, its superior log management capabilities have made them a central hub of network transparency.

Usually, security programs operate on a micro scale. Moreover, it addresses more minor threats but misses the bigger picture of cyber attacks. Even if Intrusion Detection System (IDS) does more than just monitor packets and IP addresses, service logs only show your sessions and configuration changes. However, with the help of SIEM, you can acquire a complete overview of any security incident using real time monitoring and event logs analysis.

Why is SIEM Important?

After all, SIEM has become modern organizations’ crucial component. Every user or tracker leaves a virtual trail in a network’s log data. This system uses this log data to generate insights from past attacks and events. In turn, it helps the system identify an attack’s occurrence and allows you to see how and why it has happened.

Moreover, with organizations upgrading and upscaling themselves to increasingly complex IT infrastructures, this tool becomes even more critical. Contrary to popular belief, firewalls and antivirus cannot completely protect the network. Even when these security measures are in place, zero day attacks can penetrate the system.

However, using SIEM, you can address this problem as it detects attack activity and assesses it against the past behaviour on the network. Besides, it distinguishes the behaviour as legitimate use and malicious activity. This way, a system’s incident protection increases, and any damage to the system or virtual property decreases.

Using SIEM can also enable you to comply with various industry cyber management regulations. This best system provides you with the appropriate regulatory requirements and transparency over the log. This way, you generate clear insights and improvements.

Top 10 Best SIEM Tools for Cyber Attack Monitoring

1. Datadog Security Monitoring

First of the list of Top 10 Best SIEM Tools for Cyber Attack Monitoring is Datadog Security Monitoring. Certainly, the platform monitors real time and logs data, considering the right reasons. Then, it identifies every event automatically. It includes checking the vulnerabilities or suspicious activity and reporting it to IT professionals. This tool collects local information via an agent that uploads every record to its server. It then analyzes all incoming notifications and stacks them into a file.

Features of Datadog Security Monitoring

The critical features provided by this SIEM are:

  • Instant Detection through real time monitoring.
  • Allows access to logs, traces, metrics, etc.
  • Provides several integrations to customize your security.
  • Fast and unique setup.

Pros of Datadog Security Monitoring

  • Provides real time threat detection.
  • Complete security visibility with more than 500 integrations.
  • Provides a 14 day free trial.
  • Quick and Effortless setup and works immediately.

Cons of Datadog Security Monitoring

  • Numerous functionality makes the process overwhelming.

2. LogPoint

LogPoint is a on premises SIEM system that uses anomaly detection for hunting threats. It also records the activity of every use using machine learning processes. This way, it establishes a baseline for detecting unusual behaviour, triggering focused activity tracking. The technique is known as User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA).

Features of LogPoint

The crucial features of LogPoint are as follows:

  • Baselining activity using UEBA.
  • Provides Threat Intelligence Feed.
  • Have efficient processing.
  • Account takeover detection.

Pros of LogPoint

  • Provides orchestration with other tools.
  • Conducts GDPR reporting.
  • Constitutes threat detection rules.
  • Have insider threat detection.

Cons of LogPoint

  • Do not provide any free trial.

3. ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer

ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer SIEM tool helps manage logs and glean their security and performance information. It collects Windows Event log and Syslog messages and organizes them in files. Then, it rotates files in an appropriate place and meaningful directories to access them effortlessly. Also protects the files from getting tampered with.

Features of ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer

The essential features it provides are:

  • Live intrusion detection
  • Alert mechanism.
  • Log analysis
  • Windows Event Log and Syslog messages.

Pros of ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer

  • It is a multi platform available in both Linux and Windows.
  • Provides a free testing version.
  • It supports free compliance auditing for every crucial standard, including HIPAA, FISMA, PCI, etc.
  • Provides intelligent alerting feature that helps mitigate false positivity and makes the process of prioritizing specific events or areas of the network.

Cons of ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer

  • Since it is a feature rich product, new users find it arduous to use and invest much of their time learning about it.

4. Exabeam Fusion

Exabeam Fusion enables IT analysts to collect valuable log data and use behavioural activity to detect breaches. It also responds to incidents automatically. This comprehensive SIEM solution uses a behavior rich strategy to detect threats, aggregate relevant events, exclude admissible events, and use machine learning to detect breaches in real time. Moreover, it improves detection rates, ensuring to consider all the alerts.

Features of Exabeam Fusion

Exabeam Fusion provides the following features:

  • Can adapts baseline via UEBA.
  • Constitutes SOAR for detection and response.

Pros of Exabeam Fusion

  • Unlimited data architecture
  • Automation capabilities
  • Advanced analytics

Cons of Exabeam Fusion

  • Does not provide any free trial or price list.

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5. SolarWinds Security Event Manager

SolarWinds Security Event Manager software helps in improving security posture. This tool demonstrates compliance using a lightweight, ready to use, affordable security information and event management solution. Its detailed real time incident response makes it appropriate for those looking to exploit Windows events logs to protect their network infrastructure from future threats.

Features of SolarWinds Security Event Manager

  • Centralized log collection and normalization.
  • Simple and affordable licensing.
  • Automated threat detection and response.
  • Built in file integrity monitoring.
  • Integrated compliance reporting tools.
  • Intuitive dashboard and user interface.

Pros of SolarWinds Security Event Manager

  • Provides a 30 day free trial.
  • It is enterprise focused and offers a wide range of integrations.
  • Provide a straightforward log filtering process.
  • It is a historical analysis tool that helps you find strange behavior on the network.
  • Provides dozens of templates

Cons of SolarWinds Security Event Manager

  • It is an advanced product used only by professionals. For beginners, it takes some time to learn.

6. Graylog

Graylog is a log management system that includes packages like a data collector to pick up OS derived log messages. It also acquires log data from other applications integrated with the package. 

Features of Graylog

The essential features of this tool are:

  • Syslog and Windows Event.
  • Consolidator.
  • Data collector.
  • Application Integrations.

Pros of Graylog

  • Adapts SIEM functions.
  • Reports formats.
  • Provides orchestration.
  • Ad hoc query tool.

Cons of Graylog

  • Hard to install on Windows

7. ManageEngine Log360

ManageEngine Log360 software is also an on premise package that constitutes agents for different operating systems and cloud platforms. In this platform, the agent helps in collecting log messages and sends them to the central server unit. They also use Windows Events and Syslog messages. Then, its log server consolidates log messages and displays them in a data viewer in the dashboard.

Features of ManageEngine Log360

The features it provides are:

  • Collection of a log from site and cloud systems.
  • Sends alerts to service desk packages.
  • Have threat intelligent feed.

Pros of ManageEngine Log360

  • Manages logs and reports compliance.
  • Monitors file integrity.
  • Automates threat detection.
  • Combines Windows Events and Syslog messages into a standard format.

Cons of ManageEngine Log360

  • Not applicable for Linux.

8. OSSEC

OSSEC is one of the best Host Based Intrusion Prevention Systems (HIDS) that makes the services performed by SIM systems interchangeable. This tool mainly focuses on the information available in the log files to look for evidence of intrusion. Besides reading through log files, it also monitors the file checksums to detect tampering.

Features of OSSEC

The features of OSSEC are:

  • Managing log files.
  • Free to use.
  • Support package option.

Pros of OSSEC

  • Supports various operating systems like Linux, Windows, Mac, and Unix.
  • Have community built templates that enable you to begin the process immediately.
  • Functions both as SIEM and HIDS.
  • Customizable and highly visual interface.

Cons of OSSEC

  • Its open source version does not provide paid support.
  • Requires secondary tool for further analysis.

9. AlienVault Unified Security Management

Next on the list is of Top 10 Best SIEM Tools for Cyber Attack Monitoring is AlienVault Unified Security Management. One of the most competitively priced SIEM software. But, comes with very attractive offerings. This traditional SIEM solution has built in intrusion detection, behavioural monitoring, and vulnerability assessment. It has onboard analytics that people mostly expect from a scalable platform.

Features of AlienVault

The features of AlienVault software are:

  • Monitoring behaviour.
  • Intrusion detection.

Pros of AlienVault

  • With the help of artificial intelligence, you can effortlessly hunt down threats.
  • Its User Power Portal enables customers to share their threat data and improve the system.
  • This tool not only scans log files but also provides vulnerability assessment reports based on scanned devices and applications.

Cons of AlienVault

  • Does not provide a more extended trial period.
  • Not having enough integration options.
  • The log becomes harder to search and read.

10. Splunk Enterprise Security

Splunk is one of the popular SIEM software in the world. It has incorporated analytics into its system. Moreover, it monitors networks and machines in real time as the system scours for potential vulnerabilities. It also points out abnormal behaviour on the web.

Features of Splunk

The features of this software are:

  • Asset investigator.
  • Monitors real time network.
  • Analyses past data.

Pros of Splunk

  • Prioritize events effortlessly.
  • Available for both Linux and Windows.
  • Detect threats using behavioural analysis.
  • Enterprise focused.
  • An excellent user interface with high visuals and effortless customization options.

Cons of Splunk

  • Suitable only for large enterprises.
  • Does not have transparent pricing. You need to wait for the quotes.
  • Uses Search Processing Language (SPL) to steepen the learning curve and queries.

Thank you for reading Top 10 Best SIEM Tools for Cyber Attack Monitoring (Pros Cons). We shall conclude.

Top 10 Best SIEM Tools for Cyber Attack Monitoring (Pros Cons) Conclusion

To summarize, SIEM is a powerful tool that organizations of all sizes can use and acquire benefits. If you are also thinking of adding this tool to your current security setup, ensure to look at its pros and cons and features to tailor your network security needs. Above are some solid options you can check out and increase your network security.

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Edyta Wisniowska

I am a Linux and Windows enthusiast and cyber security researcher. Currently working as InfraSOS technical writer and content manager.

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