Annual Blog Round-Up – 2014

Here is my annual "Security Warrior" blog round-up of top 10 popular posts/topics in 2014.

1. “Why No Open Source SIEM, EVER?” contains some of my SIEM thinking from 2009. Is it relevant now? Well, you be the judge.  Current emergence of open sources log search tools (ELK FTW!), BTW, does not break the logic of that post.
2. “Simple Log Review Checklist Released!” is often at the top of this list – the checklist is still a very useful tool for many people. “On Free Log Management Tools” is a companion to the checklist (updated version)
3. “New SIEM Whitepaper on Use Cases In-Depth OUT!” (dated 2010) presents a whitepaper on select SIEM use cases described in depth with rules and reports [using now-defunct SIEM product]; also see this SIEM use case in depth and this for a more current list of popular SIEM use cases.
4. My classic PCI DSS Log Review series is always hot! The series of 18 posts cover a comprehensive log review approach (OK for PCI DSS 3.0 in 2015 as well), useful for building log review processes and procedures , whether regulatory or not. It is also described in more detail in our Log Management book and mentioned in our PCI book (just out in its 4th edition!) 
5. “Top 10 Criteria for a SIEM?” came from one of my last projects I did when running my SIEM consulting firm in 2009-2011 (for my recent work on evaluating SIEM tools, see this document)
6. SANS Top 6 Log Reports Reborn! highlights the re-release of top most popular log reports list.
7. “SIEM Resourcing or How Much the Friggin’ Thing Would REALLY Cost Me?” is a quick framework for assessing the SIEM project (well, a program, really) costs at an organization (much more details on this here in this paper).
8. “My Best PCI DSS Presentation EVER!” is my conference presentation where I make a passionate claim that PCI DSS is actually useful for security (do read the PCI book as well)!
9. “On Choosing SIEM” is about the least wrong way of choosing a SIEM tool – as well as about why the right way is so unpopular.
10. “How to Write an OK SIEM RFP?” (from 2010) contains Anton’s least hated SIEM RFP writing tips (I don’t have the favorite tips since I hate the RFP process)

Disclaimer: all this content was written before I joined Gartner on Aug 1, 2011 and is solely my personal view at the time of writing. For my current security blogging, go here.
Also see my past monthly and annual “Top Posts” – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.

Monthly Blog Round-Up – December 2014

Here is my next monthly "Security Warrior" blog round-up of top 5 popular posts/topics this month:

1. “Why No Open Source SIEM, EVER?” contains some of my SIEM thinking from 2009. Is it relevant now? Well, you be the judge.  Current emergence of open sources log search tools, BTW, does not break the logic of that post.
2. “Simple Log Review Checklist Released!” is often at the top of this list – the checklist is still a very useful tool for many people. “On Free Log Management Tools” is a companion to the checklist (updated version)
3. My classic PCI DSS Log Review series is always popular! The series of 18 posts cover a comprehensive log review approach (OK for PCI DSS 3.0 as well), useful for building log review processes and procedures , whether regulatory or not. It is also described in more detail in our Log Management book and mentioned in our PCI book (just out in its 4th edition!) 
4. “Top 10 Criteria for a SIEM?” came from one of my last projects I did when running my SIEM consulting firm in 2009-2011 (for my recent work on evaluating SIEM, see this document)
5. “New SIEM Whitepaper on Use Cases In-Depth OUT!” (dated 2010) presents a whitepaper on select SIEM use cases described in depth with rules and reports [using now-defunct SIEM product]; also see this SIEM use case in depth and this for a more current list of popular SIEM use cases.

In addition, I’d like to draw your attention to a few recent posts from my Gartner blog:

Current research on MSSP:

• Should I Use “SIEM X” or “MSSP Y”?
• How To Exit an MSSP Relationship?
• MSSP Client Onboarding – A Critical Process!
• MSSP: Integrate, NOT Outsource!
• On MSSP Personnel
• On MSSP SLAs
• Acting on MSSP Alerts
• MSSP Client Responsibilities – What Are They?
• Find Security That Outsources Badly!
• Challenges with MSSPs?
• How To Work With An MSSP Effectively?

Miscellaneous fun posts:

• Why No Security Analytics Market?
• On “Defender’s Advantage”
• Bye-bye, Compliance Thinking. Welcome, Military Thinking!

(see all my published Gartner research here)

Also see my past monthly and annual “Top Popular Blog Posts” – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.

Disclaimer: most content at SecurityWarrior blog was written before I joined Gartner on Aug 1, 2011 and is solely my personal view at the time of writing. For my current security blogging, go here.

Previous post in this endless series:

• Monthly Blog Round-Up – November 2014
• All posts tagged monthly