A security information event management (SIEM) solution is like a radar system that pilots and air traffic controllers use. Without one, enterprise IT is flying blind. Although security appliances and system software are good at catching and logging isolated attacks and anomalous behavior, today’s most serious threats are distributed, acting in concert across multiple systems and using advanced evasion techniques to avoid detection. Without a SIEM, attacks are allowed to germinate and grow into catastrophic incidents.

The importance of a SIEM solution to today’s enterprise is magnified by the growing sophistication of attacks and the use of cloud services which only increase the surface of vulnerability.

In this buyer’s guide, we aim to explain what a SIEM solution is, what it isn’t, its evolution, what it does and how to determine if it is the right security solution for your organization.