SIEM vs. Firewall

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions differ significantly from firewalls. While both security solutions are integral components of cybersecurity infrastructure, they have different capabilities, functions, and roles.

Do you need SIEM if you already have a firewall?

If you have questions about the difference between SIEM and firewall, you have come to the right place. This blog explores the difference between SIEM and firewall and how they work together to create an in-depth cyber defense system.

What is a Firewall?

A firewall is a commonly used network security device that filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on pre-established policies. A firewall is a barrier between your secure private network and the public Internet.

Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), the latest version of advanced firewalls, focus on blocking malware, malicious content, and application-layer attacks. They integrate with Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) to seamlessly detect and prevent attacks across the network.

What is SIEM?

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) aggregates and analyzes security information from log-producing sources across your network. SIEM solutions provide real-time information about what is happening within your network and make your IT teams more proactive. SIEM conducts real-time log data analysis to provide event correlation, threat monitoring, and pre-investigated alerts.

Benefits of SIEM Cybersecurity

SIEM solutions are widely popular with security analysts and experts. As cybersecurity environments grow increasingly multi-layered and complex, the consequent demand for automated security solutions is fulfilled by SIEM.

Let’s take a look at the significant benefits of using SIEM:

• Efficient Security Operations:

SIEM shifts through millions of data points across your entire network and performs the required analysis, investigation, and correlation. Today, network security architectures have multiple solutions like firewalls, web filters, endpoint security solutions, and email filtering systems, to name a few. It is humanly impossible to analyze all that data daily without the help of automated solutions like SIEM.

SIEM increases efficiency by filtering unnecessary data and only showing you what you need to see. It cuts through the noise to help your team create an informed security strategy and response plan.

• Enhanced Network Visibility:

SIEM provides an excellent overview of network operations. Complex and multi-layered networks develop “dark spaces.” As networks scale up, security analysts often lose visibility into certain parts of the network. Also, providing attention to detail is difficult for widespread networks.

SIEM collects security information from every aspect of the network. It stores, analyzes and visualizes the data in a centralized platform. All those “dark spaces” are brought into the light by SIEM.

• Improved Compliance Management:

Regulation frameworks like HIPAA and PCI DSS are complex and subject to frequent changes. Keeping up with these regulations is a resource-intensive task for security teams. SIEM eases this process by providing automated compliance with data security regulations and delivering on-demand audit-ready reports.

How Is SIEM Different from Firewall?

SIEM is a threat detection and data collection tool, while a firewall is a threat prevention tool. They perform very different functions. A firewall blocks malicious content from entering your network. SIEM collects and analyzes log data from the firewall (among other network security solutions).

Firewalls provide adequate network security and are the first line of network defense. But hundred percent threat prevention is impossible. This is why you need a comprehensive threat detection solution like SIEM, which raises an alert anytime suspicious network activity occurs.