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The cybersecurity solutions market is crowded with countless vendors and filled with acronym after acronym. But when it comes to focusing on advanced detection of threat vectors and alerting security teams to pending threats, modern enterprises look at two key pieces of the cybersecurity tech stack: user and entity behavior analysis (UEBA) and security information and event management (SIEM).
In this article, we’ll explore and compare UEBA and SIEM, unpacking the roles they play in cybersecurity and how they complement one another.
What is UEBA?
UEBA tools focus on monitoring activities to identify anomalous behavior and detect security threats. UEBA looks at human users and machine entities, such as servers, routers, internet of things (IoT) devices, and other systems.
A UEBA solution begins by analyzing application logs and metrics to establish a baseline of behaviors via predefined algorithms and machine learning (ML). From there, it can compare real-time user and entity activities against the baseline behavior, raising an alarm when anomalous activity is detected.
UEBA tools detect threats that would ordinarily be overlooked by traditional rule-based systems. Because of its focus on behavior, a UEBA solution can even detect internal threats. For example, consider a scenario where an attacker gains access to credentials from a legitimate user and downloads a high volume of data. UEBA compares this action to the user’s typical actions and flags it as abnormal. Traditional rule-based tools would not catch these kinds of anomalies because the actions come from a legitimate user account.
What is SIEM?
SIEM combines security information management and security event management. A SIEM solution collects logs from the organization’s IT infrastructure, including on-premises and cloud environments. SIEM consolidates the logs and runs real-time threat detection algorithms based on predefined rules. It uses advanced analytics to find and identify hidden patterns and correlations that may indicate security incidents.
Though the focus of SIEM is log collection and analysis, it also acts as a key element in maintaining compliance and forensic auditing. Since logs are stored centrally within a SIEM system, SIEM tools track responses to security events. Most SIEM tools also provide compliance support for regulatory frameworks — like PCI DSS and HIPAA — and help improve metrics such as mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR).
SIEM solutions perform these actions by automating typical processes involved in the analysis of logs and security incidents.
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Download the Complete Guide to NG-SIEMComparing UEBA and SIEM
Though UEBA and SIEM can play a vital role in an organization’s overall cybersecurity, they have several clear differences.
| Focus of monitoring | UEBA focuses on user and entity behavior. UEBA tools first group activities on a per-user or per-entity basis, and then they search for behavioral anomalies. | A SIEM solution aggregates event logs and data from security devices to detect harmful event patterns. There is no specific user or entity focus. |
| Detection method | UEBA systems detect threats by establishing a baseline for expected behaviors and then conducting behavioral analysis and anomaly detection. | Most SIEM systems rely on predefined correlation rules and defined algorithms to flag possible threat patterns rather than relying on a baseline. |
| Data sources | UEBA analyzes user and entity data — including structured and unstructured data — based on their behavior. The data source often includes information not present in the analyzed activity log. | SIEM works with structured logs from network firewalls and other security devices. |
| Data storage | UEBA compares real-time data to an established baseline, storing behavior logs for a shorter duration while the baseline is established. | Most SIEM systems support compliance monitoring and forensic auditing, which means that logs are stored for extended periods based on the configured archival policy. |
Complementary roles
Despite their differences, UEBA and SIEM also have complementary roles within a broader security strategy.
Holistic security approach
SIEM and UEBA enhance the other’s threat detection and alerting functions. While SIEM provides a broad view of event data through logs, UEBA adds depth by analyzing user- and entity-specific behavior over time. UEBA’s ability to detect previously unknown threat elements makes it effective even against internal threat vectors.
Some modern SIEM tools are adding UEBA functionality to their feature set because of the value it can bring. A security platform with both SIEM and UEBA is the ideal weapon against security threats.
Enhanced threat detection
Combining SIEM and UEBA enables organizations to detect threats, including suspicious insider activity. SIEM excels at detecting known threats based on predefined rules, and UEBA catches stealthy, sophisticated threats that may not yet be known. UEBA assists where traditional rules might not apply because it does not look for specific patterns. Rather, UEBA seeks behaviors that are different from the established baseline.
Integrate UEBA and SIEM for comprehensive protection
SIEM and UEBA address different aspects of cybersecurity, and each one can bring significant value to a broader security strategy. While SIEM focuses on structured logs collected from across an entire system, UEBA analyzes user and entity activities to detect anomalous behavior.
A practical approach to strengthening your organization’s security is to integrate SIEM and UEBA with a well-defined strategy. As an all-in-one cybersecurity platform, the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform provides a suite of tools — including UEBA and SIEM — to ensure your organization is always on top of potential security threats.
For behavioral analysis and anomaly detection, many organizations lean on CrowdStrike Falcon® Identity Protection. For ML-based threat intelligence and AI-native indicators of attack (IOAs) that optimize the entire security stack’s effectiveness, organizations can explore CrowdStrike Falcon® Adversary Intelligence. Organizations that need an all-inclusive, high-performance SIEM solution can look to CrowdStrike Falcon® Next-Gen SIEM, which offers industry-leading detection, investigation, and response across all data.
