SEC04: How do you detect and investigate security events?
Capture and analyze events from logs and metrics to gain visibility. Take action on security events and potential threats to help secure your workload. These events include changes to your AWS resources, administrative actions, network traffic, and application behavior. Security operations teams require access to logs and the ability to search and investigate events across workloads and time. When a potential issue is identified, you need to have a process to investigate and respond appropriately.
Best Practices
This question includes the following best practices:
Key Concepts
Security Event Detection Fundamentals
Comprehensive Logging: Capture security-relevant events from all layers of your workload, including infrastructure, applications, and user activities. Logs provide the foundation for security monitoring and incident investigation.
Centralized Analysis: Aggregate logs and security findings in standardized locations to enable efficient analysis, correlation, and response. Centralization improves visibility and reduces the time to detect and respond to threats.
Event Correlation: Combine related security events to identify patterns, reduce noise, and provide context for security analysts. Correlation helps distinguish between isolated events and coordinated attacks.
Automated Response: Implement automated remediation for known security violations and misconfigurations to reduce response time and ensure consistent application of security policies.
Security Operations Components
Detection: Identify potential security threats through log analysis, anomaly detection, and threat intelligence integration.
Investigation: Analyze security events to determine their nature, scope, and potential impact on your workload.
Response: Take appropriate action to contain, mitigate, and remediate security incidents.
Recovery: Restore normal operations and implement improvements to prevent similar incidents.
AWS Services to Consider
Implementation Approach
1. Logging Foundation
- Enable comprehensive logging across all AWS services and applications
- Configure VPC Flow Logs for network traffic analysis
- Set up DNS query logging for threat detection
- Implement application-level security logging
- Establish log retention and lifecycle policies
2. Centralized Security Operations
- Deploy AWS Security Hub as central findings repository
- Configure log aggregation in Amazon CloudWatch Logs
- Set up cross-account log collection and analysis
- Implement standardized log formats and schemas
- Create centralized dashboards and monitoring
3. Threat Detection and Analysis
- Enable Amazon GuardDuty for intelligent threat detection
- Configure custom detection rules and alerts
- Implement log analysis and correlation engines
- Set up threat intelligence feeds integration
- Create automated alert triage and prioritization
4. Incident Response and Remediation
- Develop incident response playbooks and procedures
- Implement automated remediation for common violations
- Set up escalation procedures and communication plans
- Create forensic analysis capabilities
- Establish post-incident review processes
Security Event Detection Architecture
Log Collection Layer
Analysis and Correlation Layer
Response and Remediation Layer
Security Operations Framework
Preventive Monitoring
- Configuration Monitoring: Track resource configurations and detect drift
- Access Monitoring: Monitor authentication and authorization events
- Network Monitoring: Analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies
- Application Monitoring: Track application behavior and security events
Detective Capabilities
- Threat Detection: Identify known attack patterns and indicators of compromise
- Anomaly Detection: Detect unusual behavior that may indicate security issues
- Compliance Monitoring: Ensure adherence to security policies and standards
- Vulnerability Detection: Identify security weaknesses in your environment
Responsive Actions
- Alert Management: Triage, prioritize, and route security alerts
- Incident Investigation: Analyze security events to determine scope and impact
- Automated Remediation: Automatically fix known security violations
- Manual Response: Human-driven investigation and remediation for complex incidents
Common Challenges and Solutions
Challenge: Log Volume and Storage Costs
Solution: Implement intelligent log filtering, use tiered storage strategies, and apply retention policies based on compliance requirements and business needs.
Challenge: Alert Fatigue and False Positives
Solution: Implement alert correlation and enrichment, tune detection rules based on environment, and use machine learning for improved accuracy.
Challenge: Slow Incident Response
Solution: Automate common remediation tasks, implement standardized playbooks, and use centralized dashboards for faster triage and investigation.
Challenge: Cross-Account Visibility
Solution: Implement centralized logging architecture, use AWS Organizations for unified management, and deploy Security Hub across all accounts.
Challenge: Skills and Resource Constraints
Solution: Use managed security services, implement automation for routine tasks, and establish clear escalation procedures for complex incidents.
Security Operations Maturity Levels
Level 1: Basic Detection
- Basic logging enabled for critical services
- Manual log analysis and investigation
- Reactive incident response
- Limited automation and integration
Level 2: Managed Detection
- Comprehensive logging across all services
- Centralized log collection and analysis
- Automated alerting and basic correlation
- Documented incident response procedures
Level 3: Advanced Detection
- Intelligent threat detection with machine learning
- Automated correlation and enrichment
- Proactive threat hunting capabilities
- Automated remediation for common issues
Level 4: Optimized Detection
- Predictive threat analytics
- AI-powered investigation assistance
- Fully automated response workflows
- Continuous improvement based on threat intelligence
Detection and Investigation Best Practices
Logging Strategy:
- Enable Comprehensive Logging: Capture events from all layers of your workload
- Standardize Log Formats: Use consistent schemas for easier analysis
- Centralize Log Storage: Aggregate logs in standardized locations
- Implement Retention Policies: Balance compliance needs with storage costs
- Secure Log Data: Protect log integrity and control access
Threat Detection:
- Use Multiple Detection Methods: Combine signature-based, anomaly-based, and behavioral detection
- Implement Threat Intelligence: Integrate external threat feeds and indicators
- Tune Detection Rules: Reduce false positives while maintaining sensitivity
- Monitor Critical Assets: Focus on high-value resources and sensitive data
- Continuous Monitoring: Implement 24/7 monitoring capabilities
Incident Investigation:
- Standardize Investigation Procedures: Use consistent methodologies and tools
- Preserve Evidence: Maintain chain of custody for forensic analysis
- Document Findings: Record investigation steps and conclusions
- Collaborate Effectively: Enable team collaboration during investigations
- Learn from Incidents: Implement improvements based on lessons learned
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Detection Metrics:
- Mean Time to Detection (MTTD)
- Alert volume and false positive rate
- Coverage of critical assets and services
- Threat detection accuracy
Investigation Metrics:
- Mean Time to Investigation (MTTI)
- Investigation completion rate
- Evidence preservation success rate
- Investigation quality scores
Response Metrics:
- Mean Time to Response (MTTR)
- Automated remediation success rate
- Incident escalation frequency
- Customer impact duration