Last year saw a 72% increase in cyberattacks and 343 million victims. And with each breach costing close to £2 million, security is a top-level directive everywhere.
Threats are growing in complexity and demand robust and sophisticated responses. Taking control of your risk means that the role of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, like Microsoft Sentinel, and managed Security Operations Centres (SOCs) has never been more important.
These systems and services provide the tools and expertise to detect threats, prevent attacks, and respond to cyberattacks with ruthless efficiency, and working with a managed security services partner means you have 24/7 access to highly specialised expertise that is increasingly difficult to source and retain.
This article details five critical use cases where these technologies and a managed security approach will prove indispensable.
1 Increasing attacks: comprehensive digital attack surface visibility and security
The frequency and sophistication of attacks are escalating. Organisations require a holistic view of the entire digital attack surface to combat this and prevent attack, to ensure resilience and continuity.
A SIEM system like Microsoft Sentinel, integrated within a Managed SOC service, is designed to ingest a vast array of data types, whether existing or emergent. Doing so ensures all potential vulnerabilities are monitored, and any malicious activity is swiftly identified for advanced threat protection.
Alongside this total visibility, Microsoft’s data retention policy, which extends up to seven years for compliance purposes, coupled with Sentinel’s ability to integrate easily with out-of-the-box content, connectors, and additional solutions, enhances readiness and responses to cyber threats.
These features facilitate rapid and flexible customisation of security measures, ensuring defences evolve in tandem with emerging threats.
2 Multiple regions, any industry: global threat intelligence
Organisations operating across multiple geographical areas and industries face unique challenges due to vast and varied operational landscapes. Managed SOC services, and Microsoft Sentinel as an example, analyses over 65 trillion signals daily to create a highly sophisticated threat intelligence platform capable of supporting even the most complex of organisations.
This immense data pool, enriched with AI and the expertise of thousands of security professionals, provides a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on global security threats.
This integrated approach not only aids in the early detection and prevention of attacks but also ensures that should a breach occur, the affected areas are isolated quickly, simplifying the remediation process.
Such capabilities are vital for maintaining continuity and safeguarding against catastrophic breaches.
3 Faster, more sophisticated attacks: AI-enhanced detection and remediation
The time window for effective response is narrowing. Managed SOC services powered by advanced AI and machine learning (ML) technologies offer enhanced tools that significantly speed up threat detection and remediation processes.
Microsoft Sentinel’s built-in intelligence capabilities help reduce false positives and accurately pinpoint real threats by correlating disparate alerts into coherent incidents.
These incidents can span the entire "attack kill chain," allowing security teams to handle threats comprehensively. Machine learning also aids in prioritising alerts, enabling security analysts to focus on the most critical issues first, directly from the incident interface.
4 Quick identification of malicious or benign entities
One of the most time-consuming aspects of threat management is determining whether a detected anomaly is malicious. Microsoft Sentinel enhances this process with sophisticated investigation tools that provide deep insights into the nature, scope, and origin of threats.
The platform's identity mapping graph is particularly valuable. It enables analysts to conduct detailed inquiries into specific entities and delve deeper into their interactions and behaviours.
This capability speeds up the identification process and improves the accuracy of threat classification, thereby optimising the subsequent response strategies.
5 Lurking threats: proactive threat hunting
Threats that manage to infiltrate and remain undetected pose a severe risk. Proactive threat hunting is essential to identify and neutralise such hidden dangers.
Microsoft Sentinel supports this proactive approach with advanced hunting search and query tools that cover all integrated data sources. These tools allow security analysts to detect anomalies and patterns that may indicate the presence of a lurking threat, ensuring even the most discreet or dormant dangers are uncovered and addressed before they cause harm.
These systems afford organisations the tools and capabilities to manage and mitigate risks and stay ahead of sophisticated and stealthy cyber threats.
Leveraging AI, machine learning, and vast signal intelligence, organisations can maintain robust security postures capable of reacting to and even anticipating potential security breaches. Working with a Managed Security Services Provider adds a deeper layer of protection and offers businesses direct access to deep subject matter expertise on demand.