Companies large and small are facing an increasing number of cyberattacks, while at the same time the amount of sensitive data is increasing.
Going without a Security Operations Center (SOC) is like playing with fire - because the next attack is sure to come. Ontinue, an expert in Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR), has put together a complete solution for the cybersecurity game.
If “cybersecurity” were a PC or console game, it would probably be a so-called cooperation strategy game: In order to successfully defend themselves against hackers, companies need a strong basis (security infrastructure) and excellent teamwork. Co-op games have similar requirements for victory. Unfortunately, the topic of cybersecurity is extremely serious for many IT departments and hackers cannot be defeated in the long term. The following step by step solution of Ontinue gives an overview of which levels companies have to go through in order to make their cybersecurity game a success.
Level 1: EDR and SIEM platform
In most strategy games, gamers first build a base. This is also a basic requirement for the highest level of cybersecurity and is, so to speak, the first level. A stable foundation is a mixture of an EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) platform. The EDR platform provides the IT security team with the necessary visibility of all of the company's clients. It collects data about all security-relevant processes at all endpoints. The SIEM platform extends this visibility and enriches the data from clients with that of the rest of the company's hardware, software, network and cloud components. In addition, SIEM tools offer sophisticated analysis and visualization functions that a security operations center needs for its work.
Level 2: The SOC engineers
The second level that companies must master is installing SOC engineers. You are the first human authority in every security operations center, which is so important in the fight against cyberattacks. SOC engineers set up and manage existing security tools. Her tasks include, among other things, the initial review of warning messages and their escalation to the responsible security analysts.
Level 3: The security analysts
Finding security analysts and putting them in position is the third level. You work closely with the SOC engineers and evaluate the warning messages from the EDR and SIEM platforms, analyze the inherent risk potential and prioritize them. They then take countermeasures: If a warning suggests that a user account has been hacked, they can lock them out.
Level 4: The Threat Hunter
The fourth level is something that is already very difficult for most companies to achieve: building a threat hunting team. Its job is to proactively search for vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure and security components, carry out penetration tests and detect specific threats that have remained hidden from the SOC engineers and analysts.
Level 5: The Threat Intelligence Team
Like the fourth level, the fifth level is not an easy challenge. The threat intelligence team is entrusted with intelligence work: This includes tasks such as analyzing the global security situation and combing through relevant information sources such as forums, security portals and blogs, as well as official reports from the BSI and other authorities. Based on the information collected, they search for the most suitable security software or for necessary upgrades, patches and add-ons for the existing tools.
Bonus Level: Automation and AI
Companies that have completed all levels and installed a working SOC should tackle the bonus level. Automation is helpful at all levels and supports the security operations center in completing its tasks. Artificial intelligence has also become almost mandatory as a defensive measure, as more and more cybercriminals are using the technology to increase their attack power.
“If you want to win the cybersecurity game, you need more than just good security software,” emphasizes Jochen Koehler, VP EMEA Sales at Ontinue. “A security operations center is the right choice - but expensive and practically impossible even for corporations due to the shortage of skilled workers. In such cases, externalizing to an MXDR service provider is a good idea: essentially the cheat code for companies.”
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About Ontinue
Ontinue, the AI-powered Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) expert, is a XNUMX/XNUMX security partner headquartered in Zurich. In order to continuously protect its customers' IT environments, assess their security status and continuously improve them, combined Ontinue AI-driven automation and human expertise with the Microsoft security product portfolio. The intelligent, cloud-based Nonstop SecOps platform is enough Ontinues Protection against cyberattacks far beyond basic detection and response services.