Security information and event management SIEM is a field within computer security that combines security information management SIM and security event management SEM to enable real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware.
National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST definition for SIEM tool is application that provides the ability to gather security data from information system components and present that data as actionable information via a single interface.
SIEM tools can be implemented as software, hardware, or managed services. First introduced by Gartner analysts Mark Nicolett and Amrit Williams in , the term SIEM has evolved to incorporate advanced features such as threat intelligence and behavioral analytics, which allow SIEM solutions to manage complex cybersecurity threats, including zero-day vulnerabilities and polymorphic malware. In recent years, SIEM has become increasingly incorporated into national cybersecurity initiatives.
For instance, Executive Order signed in by U. President Joseph Biden mandates the use of SIEM technologies to improve incident detection and reporting in federal systems. Compliance with these mandates is further reinforced by frameworks such as NIST SP , which outlines best practices for managing computer security logs.
Initially, system logging was primarily used for troubleshooting and debugging. However, as operating systems and networks have grown more complex, so has the generation of system logs.
