Discover the 3 pillars of observability for information security.

It’s not new that digital environments are becoming more complex, with more extensions and modifications. In this context, having a 360-degree view of systems is an increasingly difficult task. This is where observability becomes a fundamental factor for the security of companies.

The more complex the system, the harder it is to monitor, right? This happens because there is a diversity of tools distributed across increasingly decentralized systems—which is a natural movement of technological evolution. However, with the rise of cyberattacks, this complexity can jeopardize the security of assets, as effective monitoring becomes progressively more challenging for teams, leading to errors.

Observability plays a crucial role in analyzing and understanding the functioning and security of digital environments, considering all their branches. Have you heard about the three pillars of observability for information security? Continue reading this article to learn more!

What is observability in information security? Observability in information security refers to the ability to collect, monitor, measure, and analyze metrics related to the security state of a system or environment in production, whether decentralized or in the cloud, in a holistic and real-time manner.

The goal of this operation is to explore and understand security-related data to identify patterns, anomalies, and potential threats. This encompasses visibility of security events, system and network performance, as well as early detection of suspicious activities.

It’s worth noting that the concept of observability was originally applied only in industrial machinery, but with the increasing complexity and decentralization of technology, this concept is being increasingly utilized to monitor and ensure the security of systems, especially when integrating resources across servers and multicloud environments.

What are the three pillars of observability? For observability to be applied effectively in practice, it is necessary to correlate the three principles that underpin this concept: logs, metrics, and tracing. Let’s understand the role of each pillar in the operations that involve observability:

Logs Logs are the raw records of activities that occur in a system, device, or environment. These data can later be used for cross-referencing to obtain valuable information that facilitates the identification and investigation of possible abnormalities or incidents.

This means that logs record all significant events in the system, providing a detailed history of activities. Therefore, they are essential for tracking changes, identifying problems, and understanding system behavior over time.

Metrics After processing and cross-referencing the logs, metrics are obtained, which are quantifiable measures/information that provide an instantaneous view of system performance, being essential for monitoring the security of assets and identifying behavioral trends over time.

These metrics typically include data such as CPU usage, network transfer rate, types of occurrences, frequency, failures, and performance of the environment, application, endpoint, and other key statistics. Thus, metrics help identify trends, bottlenecks, and anomalies, ensuring the effectiveness of observability and maintaining security.

Tracing In decentralized environments, tracing is fundamental to understanding how a request moves through various services. Tracing is precisely the ability to follow the flow that a transaction or request takes within a system.

Thus, tracing allows for diagnosing performance-related issues and understanding how a request’s journey unfolds across a business's infrastructure.

Advantages of observability for information security Considering that the challenges of cybersecurity are becoming increasingly complex, observability becomes an essential resource for ensuring the protection of contemporary technological environments and the security of operations. Here are the main benefits of observability for maintaining digital security in companies:

1. Increased efficiency in problem resolution Observability allows for faster and more effective problem detection. By providing detailed metrics about system behavior, operations teams can identify and resolve failures more proactively.
2. Constant performance optimization With the broad view of system performance provided by observability, it becomes easier to identify bottlenecks, enabling constant adjustments to optimize operational efficiency across all branches of the system and improve user experience.
3. Agile incident response In security incident situations, observability provides a comprehensive view of system activities. In these cases, this is crucial for a quick and effective response, minimizing risks associated with disruptions or security breaches.
4. Data-driven strategic decisions Analyzing observable data offers actionable insights, supporting informed decisions. In a dynamic environment, this capability is crucial for adjusting strategies and policies as needed to meet business demands.
5. Agile development Observability facilitates continuous integration and delivery of systems by quickly identifying problems in new software versions. This accelerates the development cycle and allows for faster interactions.
6. Compliance and information security Access to detailed logs aids in ensuring regulatory compliance, as well as strengthening corporate security practices. The ability to identify suspicious patterns and malicious activities is essential for proactive defense against threats and maintaining compliance with data protection laws.
7. Flexibility for new technologies In an ever-evolving technological landscape, observability is key to simplifying the complexities associated with integrating new technologies into company systems. Thus, adapting company systems to technological trends becomes more dynamic and efficient.

In conclusion, observability in information security plays a fundamental role in building a comprehensive and continuous view of the security environment, strengthening an organization’s ability to defend against evolving threats.

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