SIM: A Single Pane of Glass

Whether they work in small companies or Fortune 100 corporations, security managers across the industry have one common complaint: too much information. Log files, event reports, security applications, and other tools generate so much data that most security administrators have trouble collecting it, much less using it to find the source of a potential problem.

The second issue of Dark Reading Security Insider focuses on an emerging technology for collecting and correlating security data: security information management (SIM). SIM tools provide the means to collect information from a wide variety of security applications and data sources, and then correlate the data to help identify the causes and effects of events on the network. Security Information Management: Who's Doing What delivers a complete accounting of the products and solutions now available in this emerging sector of the security market.

SIM tools are rapidly becoming the most comprehensive way to view security-related developments across the enterprise. Like network and systems management products before them, SIM consoles provide a "single pane of glass" for tracking anomalies, identifying vulnerabilities, and spotting zero-day attacks. SIM technology is one way to reduce the problem of "false positives" that plague users of other types of security tools.

Recently, however, enterprises have begun using SIM technology for an even more pressing need: regulatory compliance. In order to meet the security requirements laid on IT by policies such as Sarbanes-Oxley and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, many enterprises are deploying SIM as a means to identify vulnerabilities in their security perimeters and ensure they have the proper safeguards to meet auditor requirements.

No matter what their reason for investigating SIM tools, organizations will find that not all SIM products are alike. Our report provides a complete accounting of the offerings now on the market, including a vendor and product matrix that provides point-by-point comparisons for dozens of specific features and functions. Beyond product comparisons, the report provides insight into how best to evaluate and deploy these products, and how they might be used in the future.

The report, Security Information Management: Who's Doing What, is available as part of an annual subscription (6 bimonthly issues) to Dark Reading Security Insider, priced at $1,295. Individual reports are available for $900. For more information, or to subscribe, please visit: www.darkreading.com/insider.