Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems play a crucial role in protecting organizations against cyber threats by collecting, analyzing, and correlating security event data from various sources. SIEM solutions are capable of detecting anomalies, identifying patterns, and providing actionable insights to improve an organization’s security posture.
In this article, we will explore the top 32 SIEM use cases that organizations can leverage to enhance their cybersecurity defenses.
1. DMZ Jumping:
Detecting unauthorized access attempts to jump from the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to internal networks or vice versa, indicating a potential breach.
2. DMZ Reverse Tunnel:
Monitoring for reverse tunnels created from the internal network to the DMZ, which may indicate data exfiltration or lateral movement.
3. Excessive Database Connections:
Identifying abnormal levels of database connections, which could signify a potential database breach or misuse.
4. Excessive Firewall Accepts Across Multiple Hosts:
Detecting a high number of allowed connections from multiple hosts, potentially indicating an attempt to exploit a vulnerability or perform reconnaissance.
5. Excessive Firewall Accepts From Multiple Sources to a Single Destination:
Monitoring for a large volume of inbound connections from multiple sources to a single destination, indicating a possible distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack or port scanning.
6. Excessive Firewall Denies from Single Source:
Identifying a high number of denied connections from a single source IP, suggesting a brute-force or targeted attack.
7. Long Duration Flow Involving a Remote Host:
Detecting prolonged connections with remote hosts, which could indicate unauthorized access or data exfiltration.
8. Long Duration ICMP Flows:
Monitoring extended periods of ICMP traffic, which may indicate a network scan or reconnaissance activity.
9. Outbound Connection to a Foreign Country:
Identifying connections from internal hosts to IP addresses associated with foreign countries, highlighting potential data exfiltration or command and control (C2) communication.
10. Potential Honeypot Access:
Detecting attempts to access systems or services that mimic real systems, indicating potential attackers probing for vulnerabilities.
11. Remote Access from Foreign Country:
Identifying remote access attempts from IP addresses associated with foreign countries, raising concerns about unauthorized access or compromised accounts.
12. Remote Inbound Communication from a Foreign Country:
Monitoring inbound communication attempts from foreign IP addresses, which may signify unauthorized access or malware communication.
13. Single IP with Multiple MAC Addresses:
Detecting multiple Media Access Control (MAC) addresses associated with a single IP address, indicating potential MAC spoofing or network misconfiguration.
14. Systems Using Many Different Protocols:
Identifying systems that use an unusually high number of protocols, which may indicate suspicious network behavior or compromised hosts.
15. Authentication: Login Failures Followed by Success to the Same Destination IP:
Detecting login failures followed by successful authentication to the same destination IP, suggesting potential credential theft or brute-force attacks.
16. Authentication: Login Failures Followed by Success to the Same Source IP:
Monitoring login failures followed by successful authentication from the same source IP, indicating potential account compromise or unauthorized access attempts.
17. Authentication: Login Failures Followed by Success to the Same Username:
Identifying a pattern of login failures followed by successful authentication for the same username, suggesting credential stuffing or brute-force attacks.
18. Authentication: Login Failure to Disabled Account:
Detecting failed login attempts to disabled user accounts, which may indicate attempts to gain unauthorized access or escalate privileges.
19. Authentication: Login Failure to Expired Account:
Monitoring failed login attempts to expired user accounts, raising concerns about unauthorized access attempts.
20. Authentication: Login Successful After Scan Attempt:
Identifying successful logins immediately after a scan attempt, suggesting attackers may be attempting to bypass security measures.
21. Authentication: Multiple Login Failures for Single Username:
Detecting multiple failed login attempts for a single username, indicating potential brute-force attacks or account compromise attempts.
22. Authentication: Multiple Login Failures from the Same Source:
Monitoring multiple failed login attempts from the same source IP address, suggesting brute-force attacks or compromised credentials.
23. Authentication: Multiple Login Failures to the Same Destination:
Identifying multiple failed login attempts to the same destination IP address, indicating potential account compromise or brute-force attacks.
24. Authentication: Multiple VoIP Login Failures:
Detecting multiple failed login attempts for Voice over IP (VoIP) systems, which may indicate unauthorized access or VoIP fraud attempts.
25. Authentication: No Activity for 60 Days:
Identifying accounts with no activity for an extended period, raising concerns about dormant accounts that could be exploited.
26. Authentication: Possible Shared Accounts:
Monitoring for multiple logins using the same credentials, suggesting the use of shared or compromised accounts.
27. Authentication: Repeat Non-Windows Login Failures:
Detecting repeated failed login attempts for non-Windows systems, indicating potential brute-force attacks or unauthorized access attempts.
28. Authentication: Repeat Windows Login Failures:
Monitoring repeated failed login attempts for Windows systems, suggesting potential brute-force attacks or compromised credentials.
29. VPN Sneak Attack:
Detecting suspicious or unauthorized activity within a Virtual Private Network (VPN) environment, such as unauthorized access or lateral movement.
30. Anomalous Ports, Services, and Unpatched Hosts or Network Devices:
Identifying systems or devices running uncommon or unauthorized services, along with unpatched vulnerabilities, highlighting potential security weaknesses.
31. Brute Force Attack:
Detecting repeated login attempts using various credentials or password guessing techniques, indicating brute-force attacks.
32. Privileged User Abuse:
Monitoring activities performed by privileged users to detect unauthorized actions or misuse of privileges, helping prevent insider threats.
These SIEM use cases provide organizations with powerful tools to monitor and respond to potential security incidents. By leveraging the capabilities of SIEM solutions, organizations can proactively identify and mitigate threats, strengthen their security posture, and safeguard critical assets and data from malicious actors.
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