Users of SIEM and Log Management Technologies Report Measurable Gains

NEW YORK, NY, May 18 (MARKET WIRE) --
A recent study by Aberdeen Group concludes that the top 20 percent of
companies -- denoted by Aberdeen as "best-in-class" -- are showing
demonstrable gains from security information and event management (SIEM)
technologies in three areas: 1) a decrease in audit deficiencies; 2)
reduction in security incidents; and 3) considerable operational cost
savings. Vigilant LLC (www.thevigilant.com), a provider of on-site and
managed security services, views this as a positive indicator that SIEM
technology has matured significantly, and that best-in-class users are
contributing to the ongoing definition of best practices for SIEM and log
management.

The research, released this past April and commissioned in part by
Vigilant, also notes that the majority of respondents have not yet
achieved those quantifiable benefits, and in some cases are seeing
increases in audit deficiencies, security incidents and operational costs
associated with security management. To ensure better and more rapid
success, Vigilant advocates a systematic approach to deploying and
managing SIEM and log management tools -- taking into account the
following key success
factors:

-- Compliance objectives often drive funding for SIEM and security log
management (SLM) projects, but regulatory pressure alone should not drive
product implementation. By mapping security controls to the various
regulations, policies and standards that need to be addressed, project
leaders should prioritize monitoring of the most important control
elements, and be thorough in customizing with those in mind. High-quality,
focused work will both improve actual security and yield better audit
results than a race to meet the compliance checklist.
-- While companies can expect immediate efficiencies simply from being
able to view log data from a single console, SIEM and SLM products must be
contextualized to the environment to achieve significant gains. By
breaking the deployment into discrete phases, each associated with specific
and measurable objectives, companies can achieve greater success.
-- SIEM and SLM tools must be viewed as dynamic infrastructure, with
adequate staffing to manage their use against changes in the IT environment
and the threat landscape. With current budget constraints, companies
should consider options for augmenting internal capabilities with outside
resources.
-- To maximize opportunities to communicate the value of security
investments, IT groups need to gear reporting toward executives. Security
information data is still primarily consumed by security operations --
meaning that for most, monitoring security devices may be higher on the
priority list than securing key business processes -- a trend that must be
reversed before the full value of SIEM will be realized.

"Many organizations need help translating their IT risk and security
programs into effective, more rapidly delivered SIEM solutions, and they
need affordable ways to increase the value of SIEM over time," said Alison
Andrews, chief executive officer (CEO), Vigilant. "Our Fulcrum Framework
and co-sourcing services help companies do just that, so 'laggards' can
make rapid improvements, and the 'best-in-class' can continue to mature
SIEM for more transactional and business-oriented purposes."

A complimentary copy of the Aberdeen Group report, entitled "Leveraging
Logs, Information and Events: Three Use Cases for What to Do with All That
Data," is available through Vigilant at www.thevigilant.com.

About Vigilant

Vigilant LLC (www.thevigilant.com) provides on-site and managed services
that help IT security teams better defend and enable today's dynamic
business by refining and extending the security information and event
management infrastructure. The company's pragmatic approach solves today's
urgent security problems, while enabling rapid progress toward longer-term
security program objectives. Vigilant empowers customers to more
efficiently respond to shifting threats, achieve regulatory compliance,
prioritize protection of services that drive revenue and competitive
advantage, and measure progress of the overall IT risk management program.
Founded in 2003, Vigilant is headquartered in New York and serves a wide
range of global and regional organizations whose mission requires them to
secure highly sensitive and regulated services.

Media Contact
Meghan Attreed
Articulate Communications Inc.
212.255.0080, ext. 13
Email Contact

Copyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

-0-