Here is a comprehensive checklist to Evaluate SIEM Vendors. We highly appreciate this community contribution.
by Sunil Soni, CISO, Punjab National Bank

Vendor Selection Framework For Integration Of Threat Intelligence With SIEM

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Key Selection Criteria (Minimum):

Financial/business stability

  • Its legal status in India
  • Condition of financial health
  • Mode of presence in India (directly or through subsidiary or a Joint venture)
  • Is it an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or their authorized Representative in India
  • Financial turnover for last three years
  • Turn over from Information Security Business during last two years
  • Is there a legal action pending against them for any cause in any legal jurisdiction?
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience in Information Security Business (Including consulting, actual implementation and support thereafter)?
  • Availability of skilled staff to support proposed solution (CISA/CISSP/CISM and PMP)
  • Have they implemented at least one SIEM solution on the proposed solution, if not then on earlier versions of SIEM solution?
  • Unsatisfactory record in completion of any of the earlier contracts with the Bank ?
  • Have experience in implementation of enterprise-wide SOC?

( Read More: 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Evaluating Security Information & Event Management (SIEM) Solution )

>> Compare Top SIEM Vendors: Click Here

Key Selection Criteria (Technical):


A. Capability

  • Capability to meet 24*7*365 support requirement
  • Availability of their DR Site?
  • Ability to handle any critical issue within least possible time?
  • The capability to monitor all kind of incidents?

B. Technical Criteria

  • Their ability to provide legal support
  • Capability to provide technical support on a continuous basis.
  • Their capability to scan all website of the Bank for malicious activities and its reporting using online dashboard
  • Ability to provide training to bank's staff
  • Capability to meet SLA as defined in RFP?

C. Tie-up arrangement with Service provider & Technical groups

  • How many Major leading browser developers (minimum 5), it has contact?
  • How many (Internet Service Providers) ISPs (Minimum 500). It has contact?
  • With how many ISPs (foreign countries) they have tie up with. (minimum 20 countries )
  • Is SI / OEM member of Anti Phishing Work Group / Data Security council?
  • Ability to provide training on SOC to at least 30 bank's official every 3 months
  • "Do they have Experience in Anti Phishing, Anti Pharming and anti Trojan services  (minimum 3 years)"

D. Validation of Customer Credentials

  • Provide number of customers using proposed / offered Anti Phishing services (minimum 5)
  • Provide number of phishing, pharming and Trojan incidents closed during last 1 year.
  • Provide number of Banking customers using proposed / offered malware scanning services.
  • Their readiness to adhere to secured flow of data from vendor to the client?
  • Their readiness to  provide undertaking to abide by security policy of the bank?
  • Ability to monitor the performance on a regular basis.

E. Responsiveness

  • How soon an incident can be closed by them?
  • How soon advisory service is provided by them on critical vulnerability?

( Read More: Comprehensive Salary Guide For Cyber Security Professionals: First Time Ever In India )

F. Communication

  • What is the native language spoken in the company? How many international languages, it is  able to communicate ?(minimum 9 languages should be supported)

G. Legal Service

  • Ability to provide legal support in the form of communication with CERT/Cyber Crime (with special permission from the Bank). 

H. Advisory Service

  • Ability to provide advisory service for online threats.
  • Ability to provide advisory service for intelligence alerts.
  • Ability to share article & white paper .
  • Ability to provide regular alerts on critical vulnerabilities.
  • Ability to provide advisory service for tools and other methods used by the fraudster against the Bank

I. DashBoard

  • Ability to provide display of high and low level reports
  • Ability to provide regular update of incidents
  • Ability to customized reports/ option to process adhoc queries
  • Capacity to download extracted data
  • Availability of screen shots of all phishing related incidents
  • Facility of case management with the flexibility to include comments from both the parties.
  • Ability to provide role based authentication to the dashboard .
  • Display of ongoing compliance status

J. Forensic Ability

  • Capability to provide forensics analysis
  • Ability to provide data for investigation purposes
  • Ability of extracting critical data
  • Ability to providing  critical information as per the nature of the incident
  • Ability to provide comprehensive analysis of incidents or data

K. Background Checking of Staff

  • Provide background of character & qualification of  proposed staff

L. Legal & Regulatory Compliance

  • Status of  compliance on income tax law and employment regulation
  • Status of complaine on  labour law i.e. minimum monthly pay salary, deduction, etc.

( Read More: Checklist To Evaluate A Cloud Based WAF Vendor )

>> Compare Top SIEM Vendors: Click Here

M. Capabilities of the Threat Intelligence Solution

  • Tapping Geo-location hopping vis-à-vis time zone
  • Ability to do device mapping (Screen resolution, Version of OS, Base Lining SDK)
  • Device identification vis-à-vis device mapping
  • Fraudlent devices to have an increased risk level
  • Global Information harvesting i.e. IP Reputaton, Web Reputation, Detail with respect to Drop zones, infection point, C & C servers controlling end points
  • Frequency of updation of rule in EFN (e-fraud network)
  • Services (Manuals or automated through scripts)
  • Blacklist feeds (General & specific to institution) & its frequency
  • Ability to check for web & mobile (SDK kit- Rogue mobile apps & ability to bring them down and Anti Rogue Apps
  • Checking of market campaign

N. Application Interface (API) Challenge

  • Issue / ability with API & its upgradation with SIEM dashboard
  • Ability to create a unified view

O. Solution Evaluation

  • To verify the working of offered solution at a live site (Cross check with the limited countries)
  • To validate technical adequacy of the offered configuration through a benchmark test. (Each  shortlisted vendor at his cost)
  • To get a bench marking test conducted, research/testing finding & report evaluated

How do you evaluate SIEM Vendors? Share with us in the comments below or write your own article here 

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