How Can SIEM Help in Ransomware Detection & Prevention

Quick Take

If you are pressed for time (or are just popping in between meetings — we’ve been there), here’s the TL;DR:

• SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) solutions detect ransomware by examining the logs of systems and monitoring network traffic for malicious activity while correlating security events in real-time.
• They don’t merely warn you post-damage—a properly facilitated SIEM can catch suspicious activity before ransomware gets a grip.
• SIEM rules and responses must be fine-tuned — as out-of-the-box setups are never enough for businesses.
• I’ve set up SIEM in banks, and it’s working—but it requires the right configurations and constant monitoring.

If you have time, grab a coffee, let’s talk ransomware and SIEM, now.

What is SIEM?

Let’s dial back to when I began in IT—back in ’93, before cybersecurity was topic du jour. We used to do that manually back then (yes, going through logs one entry at a time). Fast forward to today, and doing that manually? Impossible.

SIEM is short for Security Information and Event Management, a framework to gather, analyze, and correlate security information in real-time in order to provide threat detection. It pulls logs from:

• Servers (Windows, Linux, whatever)
• Firewalls (real firewalls, we hope—not just some open-source package tossed into a legacy box)
• Endpoints (laptops, desktops, IoT devices everyone says can’t be vulnerable)
• Applications (including SaaS tools that most people think are “secure by default”—they aren’t)

SIEM provides visibility across your IT landscape. But visibility alone is not enough — you need actionable intelligence. Otherwise, it is just a very costly logging tool collecting dust in some neglected data center.

How SIEM Identifies As Well As Prevents Ransomware

Here’s the thing: most ransomware doesn’t drop out of the sky. It starts small. A misconfigured RDP. A compromised credential. A phishing email the person shouldn’t have clicked on.

A robust SIEM detects these early warnings. Here’s how:

1. Detection of Abnormal Login Activity
   • Logins of someone from a geolocation you have never seen before (Why is someone from Russia accessing your finance server?)
   • Failed login attempt(s) preceding successful authentication — generic brute force attack
   • Logins outside of normal hours (activity on your HR server at 3 AM? Yeah, no.)
2. Detecting Fast File Encryption
   • Ransomware encrypts files rapidly. SIEM can leverage behavioral analytics to catch encryption activity before it has a chance to cause a lot of havoc.
3. Excessive Data Use
   • Most ransomware groups exfiltrate data before encrypting it.
   • An unexplained spike in outbound encrypted traffic? Not an employee backing up files, probably.
4. Stochastic Modeling of Anomalous Process Execution
   • If PowerShell suddenly starts running oddball scripts that nobody in IT called—red flag.
   • Unexplained use of vssadmin.exe delete shadows? That’s ransomware seeking to delete backups.
5. Identifying Patterns to Form a Larger Picture
   • A login from an IP we don’t recognize + PowerShell spawning a process that looks off + some insane spike in encrypted traffic? SIEM connects the dots and triggers the alert.

This sets SIEM apart from mere antivirus or endpoint detection. It’s not looking at threats in a vacuum—it links the dots faster than a human can.

Best Practices on SIEM for Businesses

SIEM doesn’t just plug-and-play. If you believe that simply installing it will prevent ransomware — you’re in for a rough ride.

1. Tune Your Use Cases
   • Default SIEM settings? Not enough.
   • You require custom rules and alerts specific to your environment.
2. Minimize False Positives — And Not Missing Real Threats
   • Alert fatigue — too many alerts goes the other way. (Been there.)
   • Adjust thresholds to protect against being buried in needless noise.
3. Threat Intelligence Feeds Integration
   • Real-time threat feeds make SIEM smarter.
   • Block known ransomware IOCs (Indicators of Compromise) before they become an issue.
4. Automate Responses
   • When SIEM identifies a ransomware signature, automatically isolate — don’t wait for a human to intervene.
   • Hook into an EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) for faster containment.
5. Train Your Staff — Technology Won’t Do It Alone
   • SIEM isn’t magic. Your employees can’t keep clicking phishing links.
   • Actual Protection = Security Awareness Training + SIEM

PJ Networks’ SIEM Solutions

We’ve implemented SIEM in banks, manufacturing companies, and financial institutions — and we see firsthand, when SIEM is configured correctly, how it halts ransomware in its tracks.

1. Data Generation up to 1st Week of October 2023
   • 24/7 log analysis.
   • Custom correlation rules for ransomware activity.
   • Anomaly detection—identifying threats prior to encryption.
2. Integration with Zero-Trust Architecture
   • We help organizations integrate SIEM with zero-trust networks (the old perimeter-solidarity? Dead).
   • SIEM + Zero-Trust stops lateral movement in case a system gets compromised.
3. Active Threat Response
   • More than alerts: automated incident response that shuts down threats in real-time.
   • Integration with firewalls, IPS, and endpoint defenses for rapid containment.

Conclusion

But—I’ve watched ransomware ruin businesses. I worked in IT during Slammer, in which one worm took down entire networks in a matter of minutes. Now malware is faster and smarter. Real-time detection, threat correlation, and automatic responses are the only toolsets that fight back.

If your organization isn’t using SIEM already—now is the time! That’s because by the time you detect the ransomware, it’s already too late.