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Using Logs as a Foundation for User Activity Monitoring

User activity monitoring involves collecting and analyzing all the various records pertaining to an activity of an individual user across the IT environment (and even beyond IT, in the case of physical access monitoring). When tracked on their own and in the context of other IT data, user activity records can serve as an indicator of malicious activity or unintentional security threats originating from within or outside the IT environment. They also help satisfy the demands of today's regulations.

Deep Incite: Security Management

The complexity of today's computing environment is making it increasingly unlikely security professionals can keep track of all computing assets, analyze ongoing attacks, and ultimately vouch for the integrity of the private data an organization controls. Combine this reality with a dynamic and ever-expanding attack surface, and it's almost impossible for a security professional to keep up.

The SANS 2008 Log Management Market Report

The survey by the SANS Institute shows that companies now want more data collection, correlation and analysis, but they work under ongoing limitations in these areas. As in past years, the lack of common format between log systems among (commercial and custom applications) is still causing problems with collecting, sorting and parsing of log data. This lack of interoperability is denying organizations access to data that they now know is in their logs — data that they can't access under existing conditions.

Best Practices in Starting PCI Compliance Initiatives

PCI is an attempt to improve the security of cardholder information throughout the processing lifecycle. The standard was spun out from the individual card brands (such as Visa and MasterCard) and is controlled by the PCI Security Standards Council. The standard lays out 12 specific requirements for compliance, with granularity down to specific functions companies must perform. Despite all the emphasis placed on compliance, PCI is a means to an end. The focus should be on developing and maintaining the means to protect customer information. Log management plays a key role in this process.