What is information security monitoring?

What is cybersecurity monitoring?

Cybersecurity monitoring is a critical part of an organization's cybersecurity strategy. Its goal is to identify, analyze, and respond to security incidents in real time. Through cybersecurity monitoring, organizations can protect themselves from various threats, such as malware, data breaches, and insider threats.

Cybersecurity monitoring in large enterprises

Cybersecurity monitoring is typically done in large companies either by an internal or outsourced cybersecurity team. Many cybersecurity companies sell continuous monitoring services, known as Security Operation Center services. The purpose of this service is to provide continuous monitoring and a quick response for companies that do not have this expertise in-house. Security Operation Center or SOC is a service typically consisting of cybersecurity professionals who monitor customer networks and environments for potential attacks. SOC teams often have different TIER levels, with the first tier performing continuous monitoring and responding to alerts first. If an alert turns out to be a real problem, takes too long to resolve, or proves to be more challenging than expected, it gets escalated to TIER 2, and so on.

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Key Components of Cybersecurity Monitoring

Let's now go through the key parts of cybersecurity monitoring: security events, centralized place for collecting security events, setting up alerts, notification channels, and actions after an alert.

Cybersecurity events

Cybersecurity incidents are events or actions that may indicate a potential security breach or threat. These incidents can range from suspicious file transfers and unusual user behavior to identified malware and exploitation of system vulnerabilities. By identifying and analyzing these events, organizations can take steps to minimize security risks.

Centralized place for collecting cybersecurity events

At the core of effective cybersecurity monitoring is a centralized system that collects, stores, and analyzes security events. Such a system, usually referred to as a SIEM system (Security Information and Event Management), enables the integration of security data from various sources, such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and user activity monitoring tools. The centralized system helps identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate security threats.

Setting up alarms

An essential part of cybersecurity monitoring is defining alerts for interesting security events. This means setting rules and policies that determine which events are considered significant and require immediate attention. Alerts can be prioritized based on their severity, impact, or other criteria defined by the organization. The alert system should be flexible to adapt to changing threats and the organization's needs.

Notification channels

When an alert is triggered, it is important that the information reaches the right people as quickly as possible. This is where notification channels come in. Common notification channels include email, SMS messages, and communication platforms such as Slack. The choice depends on the organization's needs, available resources, and how critical certain alerts are.

Actions after the alert is triggered

The most common cybersecurity threats include:

When an alarm goes off in cybersecurity monitoring, it is important that the organization has a clear action plan on how to react. This fifth key component includes a process by which the organization handles and responds to cybersecurity alarms. It is also possible to use automated functions that can take immediate action in certain alarm situations, such as blocking user accounts.

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