Compliance is vital for any enterprise not merely to adhere to various regulatory/industry frameworks but also to mitigate the risks attached to corporate IT assets. Enterprises failing to comply not only face penalties from the regulatory bodies but also risk losing respectability and trust. However, in recent times many enterprises fail to remain fully compliant at all times which has led to many security breaches. Case in point, the recent Heartland breach highlighted the fact that staying compliant is a full-time process and just staying within the boundaries of a given regulatory framework is not sufficient to secure your network(s). Enterprises therefore need to look beyond the applicable frameworks to achieve compliance, and one important way is to analyze and manage system, application and event logs to prevent such huge incidents.
Log management for Compliance requirements is an increasingly vital process for enterprises across verticals. There are several implications to having an ineffective log management process, both tangible and intangible.
Enterprises that analyze their log data efficiently can easily recognize the value and impact on their IT and overall operations. The insight gained by log analysis and reporting can help enterprises determine their existing security implementation, cut down on costs on extensive regulatory audits and recovery measures, if any. Up to date log data analysis provides insight into the health and accessibility of network(s), system and applications.
A strong log management solution that handles voluminous and variety of logs is a necessary tool for enterprises to maintain the integrity of all data.
Let’s look at a checklist to ensure log management is applied effectively to ensure compliance.
Do’s
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Make Log management a daily routine and not just to satisfy compliance requirements
If log management is not done only for the sake of meeting regulatory requirements then we can cover our bases much more effectively. It will take care of any overlapping frameworks and reduce the time to meet all regulatory requirements. This will also cover any condition that is overlooked in the impression that another regulatory requirement covers it. Reports and alerts ensure that the security threat posed is brought to your attention, including those beyond the scope of regulatory compliance.
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Ensure alerts are set up as per the requirements of the enterprise
Ensure all alerts are set up correctly and for the specific requirements of the enterprise and not just to meet compliance requirements. If any critical data is suspected to have been accessed by an unauthorized user it must be alerted instead of ignoring it if it doesn’t meet a specific regulatory requirement. The alert set up must be reviewed and reassessed periodically.
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Review reports regularly to identify any gaps in the set up and regulatory requirements.
All reports must be checked not just for the expected data but also for any anomalies in them. Reports must be maintained also for what doesn’t meet the requirements and reviewed frequently.
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Conduct periodic tests to determine the effectiveness of the set up.
The network must be tested for effectiveness and efficiency in managing and analyzing logs in order to ensure that compliance requirements are met appropriately. A robust log management solution is a vital key towards staying compliant. The test must also be highlighted and validated by the system.
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Have a representative from the legal department to check if all regulatory requirements are understood and met by the IT department.
Not all regulatory requirements are easy to comprehend and hence might be misunderstood by those defining the IT compliance requirements. This is a pitfall that must be avoided hence all legal aspects must be simplified.
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Have a consistent approach to managing and analyzing the logs.
Make sure there are defined set of rules on how logs must be managed and analyzed. This must be dependent on the enterprise and not on the authorized personnel. If any change in authority takes place the set of rules for log handling mustn’t be changed as this can lead to loss of log data.
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Check for unauthorized programs installed by users within the network.
Most breaches are caused due to malicious code planted in the network through unauthorized programs. Users are mostly unaware of the potential threat in installing seemingly harmless programs. A log management solution can help detect such unauthorized programs and alert the administrator before any harm is done.
Don’ts
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Give access to unauthorized users to view, edit and delete any information.
Access to the network must be strictly monitored and only given to authorized members. Data should be classified appropriately and access to them regulated and monitored. All unauthorized access must be alerted promptly by the log management solution.
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Provision any Team/group access to any critical data.
No authorization must be provided on a team/group level as this is a greater exposure to risks and provide room for human error. Any changes made on one-on-one level will be lost if not communicated on team/group level.
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Keep unnecessary ports open in the network.
All redundant ports must be closed in the network(s) in order to protect it from any malicious attack. Ports must be periodically reviewed to ensure only those required are accessible.
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Run unused services in vital servers.
In order to keep the network(s) efficient and easy to manage all unused services mus
t be stopped to avoid any conflict with essential services. Any redundant service poses a risk in interfering with the operation of critical resources, which will lead to failure of required processes.
This isn’t a comprehensive checklist of course but if you don’t have one, this might be a good place to start. Each enterprise needs to get started with log management with their customized set of checklists to ensure the enterprise IT network(s) is optimally secured. Merely being compliant isn’t enough; it also requires staying more vigilant and having stringent security measures in place.
