What is IBM QRadar?
IBM QRadar Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is an advanced tool that helps detect and prioritise threats to security systems in real time. It can be the powerhouse to your company’s Security Operations Centre (SOC) ensuring your IT infrastructure is secure. It is the perfect solution if your business wants to protect customer data along with its own intellectual property.
Transform your SOC into a QRadar Security Information Centre to ensure you’re protected by a leading global security platform.
With the ability to work with over 450 products, QRadar can integrate with current servers, hosts, operating systems and applications for optimal performance.
An exciting feature of QRadar is its ability to integrate with cloud services such as Amazon Web Service, Azure, SalesForce.com and Office 365. In doing so, it helps detect any current misconfigurations in your IT environment and to respond to any threats. It will even detect when unsanctioned tools (Google Drive or Dropbox) are used.
IBM QRadar SIEM can be used for both on premise and in the cloud.
Additionally, using a basic log manager for your security alerts can open up your business to threats. Firstly, they often do not respond to threats fast enough and data breaches can occur before you are even warned. Secondly, security is a dynamic environment that is changing very quickly. To stay up to date you need a program that is continually being updated to ensure you’re not exposing your business to threats.
With a global powerhouse of technology security behind you, IBM QRadar is continuously going through updates to ensure it performing the best to protect your systems.
How QRadar Works
As a complex tool, there are many layers to how it operates. We’ve simplified the process below, but our security experts are happy to chat through the complexity any time so don’t hesitate to get in touch using the form below.
In essence, QRadar detects and prioritises threats to your IT infrastructure in real time.
From there, a thorough investigation of your whole IT system takes place to log event and network flow data from thousands of devices. Once reported, the system analyses the log to then collate information into a single alert for your business.
When something had been brought to attention, your QRadar SOC will undergo a remediation process. With Vectra Active Defence on your side, your business will maintain a world class security standard.
QRadar Implementation
The custom properties of QRadar allow of a high level of integration with a range of IT infrastructure. Through the QRadar implementation process of Vectra Active Defence, you can customise the product for your business needs. Due to this initial rule set, it can take up to 30 days to fine tailor it for you.
As leaders in cyber security we have the experience to get QRadar optimised for your IT environment quickly. No matter the size or compliance requirements, we can help customise the product for your business.
QRadar Tuning and Configuration
For optimal performance, QRadar must be tuned and configuration when first implemented.
There are two phases to QRadar Configuration and Tuning – Deployment and Application
Deployment Phase
This phase is important for establishing your IT infrastructure within QRadar such as asset configuration, network, scanner and log source.
One of the first steps is to establish a network hierarchy. In doing so, QRadar will understand the services in your network and the location of each one. As QRadar ignores internal IP address ranges, it’s important to note all spaces within your business.
If these are not added to the network hierarchy, it may lead to false positives.
When tuning, these top level objectives need to be added:
- Internet facing IP address for a DMZ
- IP addresses used for remote access in Virtual Private Network (VPN) systems
- Data centres and server networks
- Network devices and network management devices
Application Phase
This is the phase where the QRadar system is customised to your security.
This includes:
- Investigating current servers’ security
- Customising rules
- Tuning false positives
Before tuning begins, there is a 24 hour wait time. This is to ensure the IBM QRadar Security Intelligence Platform has properly detected network servers and the current flow of data.
Customised QRadar Reporting
With Vectra Active Defence, we can arrange a customised dashboard and reporting for your business needs. Being able to build custom reports is a great feature for needing to meet compliance reporting. Reports can be based on specific sections of your IT infrastructure that relate to the regulation reporting you need. Rather than provide reports of the full system.
QRadar provides critical security information to ensure you are successfully meeting compliance standards such as ISO27001, CPS234, PCI DSS, etc.
Through automatic updates, QRadar is continuously ensuring report templates include new global definitions, regulations and best practices.
Ongoing Management
As leading cyber security experts in Australia, Vectra is renowned for providing expert management of your IT security systems.
Here at Vectra, we understand clients face cyber security challenges from compliance requirements to lack of time or skills gaps. Building a cyber-security capability in-house can be complex, expensive or hard to achieve.
With this in mind, Vectra developed Active Defence. We pride ourselves in delivering a service based on high data security standards and industry best practices. This is supported by certified skilled professionals and backed up by one of the most advanced security intelligence platforms, IBM QRadar.
Click here to learn how Active Defence can help increase your security.
