Cybersecurity Deep Observability refers to a comprehensive approach to monitoring and analyzing digital systems and networks to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats effectively. Gigamon, a company that specializes in Deep Observability, notes on their website that “The Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline efficiently delivers network-derived intelligence to cloud, security, and observability tools. This enables customers to eliminate security blind spots and reduce tools costs so they can better secure and manage their hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure.” (https://www.gigamon.com/company/careers.html, 2024).
Let’s dive into some Deep Observability tenets:
Data Collection: Deep observability involves collecting vast amounts of data from various sources within an organization’s IT infrastructure, including network traffic, system logs, application activity, and user behavior. This data may come from sensors, agents, logs, and other monitoring tools deployed throughout the network.
Data Correlation and Analysis: AI and machine learning algorithms are employed to correlate and analyze the collected data in real-time. These algorithms can identify patterns, anomalies, and suspicious activities that may indicate a security threat. By analyzing data from multiple sources simultaneously, deep observability solutions can provide a holistic view of the organization’s cybersecurity posture. For example, collected data is aggregated and centralized in a security information and event management (SIEM) system or a similar platform. This allows security analysts to have a unified view of all security-related events and activities across the organization’s infrastructure.
Behavioral Analytics: Deep observability solutions utilize behavioral analytics to establish baseline behavior for users, devices, and applications within the network. By continuously monitoring and analyzing behavior patterns, these solutions can detect deviations from the norm that may signify malicious activity, such as unauthorized access attempts, data exfiltration, or insider threats.
Threat Detection and Response: Deep observability solutions enable rapid detection of cybersecurity threats by correlating indicators of compromise (IOCs) across different layers of the IT infrastructure. When a potential threat is detected, the system can trigger alerts or automated responses to mitigate the risk. This may include blocking suspicious network traffic, quarantining compromised devices, or initiating incident response procedures.
Forensic Analysis: In the event of a security incident, deep observability solutions provide the necessary data for forensic analysis to understand the scope and impact of the breach. By examining historical data and reconstructing the sequence of events leading up to the incident, cybersecurity teams can identify the root cause of the breach and take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Continuous Monitoring and Improvement: Deep observability is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and refinement. AI and machine learning algorithms can adapt to evolving threats and trends by learning from past incidents and updating detection algorithms accordingly. This iterative approach ensures that organizations stay ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats and maintain a strong security posture over time.
Overall, deep observability is essential for organizations to effectively detect, analyze, and respond to cybersecurity threats in today’s complex and dynamic digital environments. By leveraging AI and advanced analytics, organizations can gain deep insights into their IT infrastructure’s security posture and proactively defend against cyber threats.