Use Case Examples 1

Summary:

The document discusses various use cases for event correlation in security monitoring, including generating automated incident notifications, managing compliance or security events, identifying changes to critical assets, detecting unauthorized access, and tracking network traffic. Key scenarios include: 1. **Event Correlation for Incident Creation**: Automatically notifying about potential threats, compliance violations, or vulnerabilities based on events from multiple sources. 2. **Correlation Creation and Management**: Automated recognition of compliance or security events and the creation of rules for these correlations to maintain a proactive approach to security management. 3. **Reporting Change and Vulnerability**: Identifying and reporting changes in critical assets like device configurations, privileged accounts, and software versions to keep network infrastructure up-to-date and compliant. 4. **Repeated Firewall Blocks to Critical Systems**: Alerts for sudden spikes in firewall drops that may indicate unauthorized access attempts or malicious activities targeting critical systems. 5. **Firewall - Connection to IP space**: Monitoring outbound traffic connecting to known rogue IP ranges or competitor sites to investigate suspicious network activity indicative of espionage or competitive intelligence gathering. 6. **Firewall Failure**: An alert system for any detected firewall failure is crucial for immediate action and maintenance of network integrity. 7. **(VPN / ASA) Account logged in from Multiple VPN Sessions**: Triggers an alert when multiple VPN sessions are detected within a short period, potentially indicating unauthorized access or potential account takeovers. 8. **(VPN / ASA) User Authenticated**: Alerts on successful user authentication via VPN for further analysis and correlation. 9. **(Proxy) Outbound Traffic to Country, by Protocol or by User**: Provides reports and dashboards showing top outbound web activities, helping monitor employee internet usage and compliance with internet access policies. 10. **(Netflow) Bandwidth Utilization Statistics**: Offers detailed statistics on network traffic usage for identifying high-bandwidth users, critical services, or potential bottlenecks. 11. **(Wireless) Unauthorized Wireless Access**: Multiple detection points and strong evidence of unauthorized wireless access lead to decisions about disabling the wireless access based on evidence such as a rogue MAC address and unauthorized communication with sensitive networks. 12. **(Web Server) Web Defacement**: Triggers an alert for potential cyber attacks or attempts at data theft through manipulation of website content, particularly from attackers performing "low and slow" scans of web servers. These scenarios are supported by the use of monitoring tools like SIEM to identify early warning signs of vulnerabilities or suspicious activities in high-risk users who have access to sensitive systems. Strategies include user monitoring, perimeter monitoring, high-risk user monitoring, audit clearing and data transfers, vulnerability trending, and system availability and security measures. The aim is to detect potential breaches in real-time or early enough to mitigate their impact before they can be exploited by malicious actors, enhance security posture, comply with regulatory requirements, and protect sensitive information from exposure.

Details:

The document outlines several use case ideas and examples for event correlation in security monitoring, focusing on generating automated incident notifications, managing compliance or security events, identifying changes to critical assets, detecting unauthorized access, and tracking network traffic. Here's a summary of each scenario mentioned: 1. **Event Correlation for Incident Creation**: This involves automatically notifying about potential threats, compliance violations, or vulnerabilities based on events from multiple sources. It helps in quickly identifying and responding to security incidents. 2. **Correlation Creation and Management**: This use case focuses on automated recognition of compliance or security events and the ease of creating rules for these correlations. It aids in maintaining a proactive approach to security management. 3. **Reporting Change and Vulnerability**: The document highlights the importance of identifying and reporting changes in critical assets, such as device configurations, privileged accounts, and software versions. This is crucial for maintaining an up-to-date view of network infrastructure and compliance. 4. **(Firewall) Repeated Firewall Blocks to Critical Systems**: Specific scenarios include a sudden spike in the number of firewall drops (500 or more in 5 minutes), which could indicate potential unauthorized access attempts or malicious activities targeting critical systems. 5. **(Firewall) Firewall - Connection to IP space**: This use case involves setting up rules to monitor outbound traffic connecting to known rogue IP ranges or competitor sites, aimed at investigating suspicious network activity that might be indicative of espionage or competitive intelligence gathering. 6. **(Firewall) Firewall Failure**: An alert system for any detected firewall failure is crucial for immediate action and maintenance of network integrity. 7. **(VPN / ASA) Account logged in from Multiple VPN Sessions**: A rule that triggers when multiple VPN sessions are detected within a short period (60 minutes), which could be indicative of unauthorized access or potential account takeovers. 8. **(VPN / ASA) User Authenticated**: This use case involves triggering an alert upon successful user authentication via VPN, adding the session to correlation for further analysis. 9. **(Proxy) Outbound Traffic to Country, by Protocol or by User**: Provides reports and dashboards showing top outbound web activities, helping in monitoring employee internet usage and compliance with internet access policies. 10. **(Netflow) Bandwidth Utilization Statistics**: Offers detailed statistics on network traffic usage, allowing for the identification of high-bandwidth users, critical services, or potential bottlenecks. 11. **(Wireless) Unauthorized Wireless Access**: This scenario involves multiple detection points and strong evidence of unauthorized wireless access: a rogue MAC address on the access point, communication with the financial network from an unauthorized IP, and file downloads from financial servers to the wireless network. Based on this evidence, decisions can be made about disabling the wireless access. 12. **(Web Server) Web Defacement**: An attacker performing a "low and slow" scan of a web server could trigger this alert, indicating potential cyber attacks or attempts at data theft through manipulation of website content. Overall, these use cases demonstrate a comprehensive approach to detecting and responding to various cybersecurity threats using automated monitoring and response systems that leverage technology like firewalls, VPNs, proxies, and netflow analytics. The text outlines a comprehensive set of strategies and activities used by enterprises to proactively detect and prevent potential security threats. These include the implementation of monitoring tools such as SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) to identify early warning signs of vulnerabilities or suspicious activities in high-risk users who have access to sensitive systems, particularly those involved in shared accounts or roles that extend beyond normal responsibilities. The strategies involve a variety of techniques and controls including: 1. **User Monitoring**: This includes the observation of user behavior such as email activity, file downloads, and account usage patterns for anomalies that might indicate potential threats. 2. **Perimeter Monitoring**: Focuses on monitoring network traffic to detect unauthorized access attempts, unusual data transfers, or suspicious communications from internal systems to external networks. 3. **High-Risk User Monitoring Use Case**: Specific focus on individuals in key roles who have elevated access privileges and are responsible for critical systems to identify if they are accessing unauthorized systems or engaging with sensitive information. 4. **Audit Clearing and Data Transfers**: Monitoring activities related to the transfer of data, especially to competitor sites or known sharing platforms, which can indicate potential espionage or competitive intelligence gathering. 5. **Vulnerability Trending and PCI Compliance**: Keeping track of any trends in vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers and ensuring compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards related to cardholder data security. 6. **System Availability and Security Measures**: Ensuring the integrity and availability of critical systems by implementing robust firewall rules, antivirus updates, and regular audits to prevent unauthorized access or exploitation. By employing these strategies, enterprises aim to detect potential breaches in real-time or at least early enough to mitigate their impact before they can be exploited by malicious actors. This proactive approach not only enhances the security posture of the organization but also helps comply with regulatory requirements such as PCI DSS and protect sensitive information from exposure.

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