With the increase in the number of cyberattacks, the need for a core security component like SIEM has become crucial for modern organizations. The leading tool not only helps discover the attack but also allows users to track how and why the attack took place.

The SIEM tools enable businesses to use log data to generate quality insights for past attacks and events.

Today, many firewalls and antivirus packages are available in the market, but they might not be enough to fully protect a network. For example, zero-day attacks can still penetrate the systems.

However, SIEM tools can address this problem and update users on the past behavior of the attacks. As a result, you can improve your system’s incident protection and save it from future damage.

Here, we will discuss SIEM tools, and their advantages and disadvantages. Further, we will compare the two popular tools – Arcsight and Splunk. Hence, making it easier for you to choose between the two.

What Are SIEM Tools?

SIEM stands for Security Information and Event Management, a set of security monitoring tools used by organizations to discover and identify malicious behavior on a network, endpoint, and servers. The tools provide a holistic view of different information security systems.

It is a combination of Security Information Management (SIM) and security event management (SEM) that allows admins to monitor and analyze all events. It is one of the popular security solutions that enable businesses to discover threats and vulnerabilities before an attacker makes any move.

SIEM is no longer limited to log management. It also provides advanced user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), and manages ever-evolving threats, reporting, etc. Using artificial intelligence, one can also automate different manual processes linked with incident response and threat detection.

The best part about SIEM tools is they provide automatic security event notifications. It has a dashboard that updates security issues and provides instant notifications on detecting threats.

Other benefits of SIEM tools are:

• Reduces time to identify and react to real-time threats
• Offers centralized compliance auditing and reporting options
• Allows integration with powerful Security Orchestration Automation and Response
• Helps improve inter-departmental efficiencies
• Enables businesses to detect advanced and unknown threats like Phishing attacks, SQL Injections, DDoS Attacks, etc.
• Conducts digital forensic investigations

Today, you can find a large number of security information and event management solutions in the market. Here, we will discuss the two popular SIEM tools – Arcsight and Splunk.

ArcSight Product Highlights

ArcSight is one of the popular security management solutions that can operate with multiple products and manage all security issues to boost productivity. The main purpose of designing the SIEM tool was to track, detect, and analyze data insights, and resolve cyber threats and compliance policy guidelines components.

Key Features

Here are a few features of ArcSight:

• Blocking Threats It has dashboards where users can track threats and block them after getting notifications. Further, it provides other latest security solutions, such as rules, use cases, and reports.
• Source ingestion The best part about the SIEM ArcSight tool is it supports analysis of previous data and cyber threat data intelligence using STIX and CIF standard dashboards. APIs, firewall logs, XML/JSON, database connectivity, and other sensible interfaces make up source ingestion.
• Implementation ArcSight supports threat management and runs 100,000 EPS (events per second). In most cases, the API feature also allows for broad data integration.
• Support It offers good data management and support services but at a price.
• Scalability It allows scaling up to 100,000 EPS using distributed correlation.

Why do we recommend it?

ArcSight provides a comprehensive SIEM solution, offering real-time event and log management, as well as robust threat detection capabilities. Its scalability and ability to process millions of EPS files quickly make it an industry leader.

It is an Enterprise Security Manager that supports real-time event management, log management, compliance management, automatic response, and other features essential for managing security policy. With the help of this tool, users can quickly monitor events and track behavior across multiple users, servers, IPs, and workstations.

Further, it is one of the robust and adaptive SIEMs that enables businesses to detect threats in real time and supports native SOAR technology that helps empower the security operations team. The tool collects event data from the network using SmartConnectors which later converts it into a standardized schema.

The Enterprise Security Manager processes and stores all the collected event data in the CORR-Engine.

With the help of ArcSight Console or the ArcSight Command Center, users can easily track events, generate resources, perform analysis, manage systems, spot issues like data staging, email exfiltration, privileged account abuse, and create reports. Also, using the SIEM tools, users can drive event flow and ease the process of analysis.

Further, it provides security alerts and incident responses to users on detecting threats.

ArcSight SIEM Platform, ArcSight ESM, ArcSight Logger, ArcSight Express, and ArcSight SmartConnectors are a few components that help gather and preserve data for long-term use..

Who is it recommended for?

ArcSight is ideal for large enterprises and organizations with complex security needs. Its features like real-time correlation, vulnerability assessment, and native SOAR technology are especially beneficial for security operations teams looking to strengthen their threat detection and response capabilities.

Splunk Product Highlights

Splunk is a free software program that monitors, scans, visualizes, and analyses all computer or machine-generated data in real-time. The collected data is generated by web servers, mobile app logs, IoT devices, etc. The best part about Splunk is it can read all the information available in unstructured, semi-structured, or structured form. 

Key Features

Here are a few features of Splunk:

• Data Ingestion Splunk supports different data types, such as XML, JSON, etc., as well as unstructured computer or machine-generated data including weblogs and application logs. Another feature of Splunk is you can model the unstructured data into a structured one as per the requirement.
• Data Indexing It allows the indexing of ingested data for fast searches and querying.
• Data Searching Searching in Splunk involves the use of indexed data to generate metrics, detect patterns, and forecast future trends.
• Alert/Notification Splunk immediately sends an email or RSS feed to the operator or detects issues in the data.
• Dashboards It has an amazing dashboard that shows search results in the form of charts, pivot tables, reports, etc.
• Data Model The tool allows representing indexed data in more than one data set based on specialized domain knowledge. Thus, making it easier for end-users to understand use cases without expert knowledge related to the complexities of search processing language in Splunk.

Why do we recommend it?

Splunk excels in data ingestion, real-time indexing, and robust searching capabilities across various data types and formats. Its versatility and scalability make it a go-to tool for businesses needing to track and analyze large volumes of data quickly.

Further, you can quickly generate reports, search, and categorize data once read using the tool. It allows users to collect big data from multiple sources and run analyses. It is not exactly a SIEM but is used for similar purposes like log management and performing analysis. Another role of Splunk is to store all the real-time event data in the form of indexers or a searchable format.

With Splunk, customers ensure improved security and get access to a real-time view of the health and performance of all layers.

It comprises a Universal Forwarder (transmits log data), load balancer, Heavy forward (enables data filtering), Indexer (storing and indexing data), Search head (collects data and generates report), Deployment Server (deploys configuration), License Manager (checks the licensing details).

It is a group of security modules available in two packages – Splunk User Behavior Analytics, and Splunk Phantom. Additionally, its components are compatible with various platforms, including Windows, FreeBSD, Solaris 11, Linux, macOS, and AIX.

If you are looking for an extensible data platform suitable for the hybrid world, look no further. Splunk has an integrated observability and security team to meet your requirements and goals. It supports an expansive set of use cases and provides end-to-end data coverage.

Who is it recommended for?

Splunk is recommended for companies of all sizes that require a flexible and powerful data analytics solution. Whether you’re in IT, security, or any department needing actionable insights from complex data, Splunk’s suite of features like real-time alerts, dashboards, and reporting can significantly enhance your operations.

Arcsight vs Splunk: Head-to-Head 

There are various roles and requirements of a SIEM tool, such as generating reports, meeting regulatory requirements, protecting against emerging attacks, etc. 

If you wish to purchase a security information and event management (SIEM) solution and are confused between Arcsight and Splunk, we have shared a few parameters that will help compare and make it easier for businesses to make a final decision.

• Definition ArcSight is a security management solution that can be implemented on-premises and in the cloud for detecting, analyzing data insights, and tracking behavior across multiple users, servers, IPs, and workstations. Splunk, on the other hand, is a software program installed as a SaaS solution to track, scan, and analyze all machine-generated data in real-time.
• Deployment ArcSight supports centralized and distributed deployments, whereas Splunk supports hybrid deployment. Also, ArcSight can be executed on-premises or in the cloud in the form of an application or software. Splunk can be installed as a SaaS solution in a private or public cloud.
• Use Cases The use cases of ArcSight are enterprises, whereas Splunk includes highly regulated industries.
• Intelligence ArcSight integrates with all machine learning and intelligence platforms, whereas the Splunk tool integrates with UBA and other machine learning toolkits.

Pricing

ArcSight supports multiple pricing and licensing models, but its cost is calculated based on ingested data and events per second (EPS), whereas, for the Splunk tool, its cost is calculated based on max daily data volumes and data ingested per day. The price generally starts at $1,800/GB/day.

Metrics

Splunk users ingest multiple petabytes daily, whereas, ArcSight accounts for 350+ data sources and 100,000 EPS (events per second).

ArcSight vs Splunk: The Verdict 

In this blog, we have discussed some of the popular SIEM tools that play a key role in discovering attacks, and tracking how and why the attacks occurred in the first place. These tools are core security components vital for all modern organizations as cyberattack is on the rise. 

Even if your company has installed firewalls and antivirus, you require a better security tool that will also protect you against Zero-day attacks. Today, most companies trust SIEM tools because they update users on the past behavior of the attacks, aid in monitoring and analyzing all events, etc.

SIEM is a combination of security information management (SIM) and security event management (SEM) that is not restricted to only log management but covers other areas, including threat detection, reporting, etc. Further, the tool allows integration with powerful Security Orchestration Automation and Response.

We have also compared its popular tools – ArcSight vs Splunk. Both the SIEM tools are highly advantageous but have a few points of difference.

ArcSight is a robust and adaptive security management solution that supports native SOAR technology and enables businesses to track, detect, analyze data insights, and resolve cyber threats. It also provides security alerts and incident responses to users on detecting threats.

One can also integrate the tool with IT infrastructure, including web applications, threat feeds, and a ticketing system. 

Splunk, on the other hand, is a free software program that quickly generates reports, and allows searching, and categorizing of data once read. With the help of Splunk, you can collect big data from multiple sources and run analyses.

It allows monitoring, scanning, visualizing, and analyses of all computer or machine-generated data in real-time.

There are many more points of difference, such as ArcSight supports centralized and distributed deployments, whereas Splunk supports hybrid deployment. Enterprises are the use cases of ArcSight, whereas highly regulated industries are the use cases for Splunk.

If you are confused between the two tools, follow the above-listed features, pros, and cons to compare and make a final call.