February 27, 2023
AT&T’s powerful SIEM platform provides visibility and control to growing organizations – without unnecessary overhead.
SIEM technology has firmly established itself as a critical component of successful information security policy. The ability to collect and analyze log data from every corner of the organization enables a quick, decisive response to security incidents when they occur.
Deploying a SIEM is not without its challenges and risks, though.
Your SIEM must be properly configured to generate useful alarm and monitoring alerts. It must ingest the right data in the right format and provide analysts with the right tools to detect malicious activities accurately.
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Why Data Ingestion is Critical for SIEM Users
Additionally, it has to achieve this in a scalable, cost-effective way. Today’s information security leaders have to make the most of a limited budget. They don’t have the resources to collect and analyze data that doesn’t directly lead to useful security insights.
Most enterprise SIEM solutions aren’t designed with these constraints in mind. They’re made for large institutions that can afford total coverage for tens of thousands of users or more.
AT&T’s USM Anywhere is an exception to this rule. Instead of focusing on maximizing economies of scale, it provides centralized visibility and control in a package ideal for small and growing organizations.
What Makes USM Anywhere Different?
USM Anywhere is designed for organizations that need to guarantee robust security performance while continuously monitoring and justifying security expenditure. The SIEM platform is streamlined for use cases where performance efficiency and cost-effectiveness are top priorities. Its unique features and optimal pricing structure set it apart from SIEM solutions designed for large enterprises. 
Source: USM Anywhere Product Brief | AT&T
Simplified Asset Discovery and Configuration
USM Anywhere works by deploying sensors to capture data inside the client's environment. Each sensor is pre-configured for the container it operates in, allowing for quick and accurate asset discovery.
For example, an organization whose infrastructure relies heavily on Microsoft Azure can deploy a ready-made Azure sensor that scans that environment automatically. Analysts can immediately find assets deployed in Azure without having to go through a time-consuming manual discovery process.
USM Anywhere takes a similar approach to configuring rules for asset behaviors. It’s easy to create general rules out of specific events. Users can quickly highlight the important factors in a security event and use them to define a rule that applies to all instances of that event.
Third-Party Integrations Expand SIEM Performance
USM Anywhere is not just a standalone SIEM solution. It is a platform that supports third-party integrations from a wide range of top-tier security technology vendors. Support for many of these technologies comes built-in, allowing organizations to quickly deploy robust, multi-tiered security solutions at considerable cost savings.
Castra specializes in building and configuring customized third-party deployments for USM Anywhere. In fact, we’ve implemented over 2,000 SIEM technologies across the globe.
For example, we can expand on USM Anywhere’s basic correlation rules to include curated threat intelligence data from Anomali ThreatStream or implement SentinelOne Singularity XDR capabilities directly into the platform.
Crucially, USM Anywhere supports customized integrations that draw the minimum necessary data to improve security performance. This enables security leaders to deploy enterprise-level protection without demanding an enterprise-level budget.
Easy Tracking of Storage and License Usage Data
When it comes to information security, some large enterprises and public institutions can afford to write a blank check. It makes sense that major SIEM vendors would create solutions designed for these use cases. These customers don’t scrutinize their security budgets the way most organizations do.
Many high-performance SIEM solutions don’t even provide comprehensive storage and usage tracking data in an easy-to-understand format. They don’t have to because the security budget scales to the organization’s needs – not the other way around.
USM Anywhere takes a different approach. It provides detailed storage and usage tracking data to security leaders so they can quickly and accurately report on the value of security investments. This helps security leaders justify security spending and explain how that money reinforces the bottom line.
Find out if USM Anywhere is Right for Your Organization
Castra leverages years of product expertise to configure, deploy, and maintain SIEM solutions that meet its customers' needs. We specialize in building SIEM implementations that cater to strict budgets and usage limitations, helping growing organizations secure their environments efficiently.
One of the ways we do this is by empowering our customers to avoid vendor lock-in. We’ll show you how to disconnect any tool or service – including our own – from your environment from day one. This is just one way Castra’s Glass Box approach ensures optimal SIEM deployment.
Find out how Castra can help you achieve enterprise-level security performance without the risk of paying for data and services you don’t need. Schedule a demo of USM Anywhere and see our solution in action.