User and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) is a vital computer network security measure that is part of an overall security strategy. While other security measures try to prevent outsiders from breaking in or detect devices that are functioning abnormally, UEBA security focuses on users with access in the network. These tools aim to detect compromised accounts, changes in permissions, creation of super users with administrator privileges, and insider threats. They can also detect breach of protected data and brute-force attacks.
UEBA tools were developed because of the increasing complexity of malicious activities and attack strategies. Preventive measures cannot completely protect the data and the network. After an attacker has slipped in, there must be another way to detect the intrusion. User behavior analytics is an accurate way to identify a compromise because it can detect a sudden change of behavior.
What are UEBA tools and their features?
UEBA utlizes modern technologies such as machine learning, algorithms, and statistical analysis to create a baseline of normal behavior of every user. It continuously learns and analyzes the different behavioral patterns of users and compares it to what is standard or normal. Once it detects a deviation from the normal, it alerts the administrator of the anomaly. For example, a user downloads an average of 10MB of data everyday on a specific workstation. If that user suddenly downloads hundreds or more megabytes or uses another workstation to perform an operation that is not usually done, IT security personnel will be notified.
Aside from user behavior analytics, UEBA tools monitor users and resources rather than devices or security events. It can also aggregate data in reports and logs pertaining to user activities. They analyze files, workflows, and packet information, and can integrate with other security systems such as incident response software.
Best user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) tools
UEBA security is not meant to replace existing IT security measures but rather complement and enhance them for a more comprehensive coverage. Some experts believe that the weakest link of a computer security is the human component. There have been reports showing former or current employees steal company data for financial gains. Some unintentionally install malware or fall victim to targeted phishing attacks. UEBA tools are security components that mitigate threats and prevent security breaches. Below is a list of UEBA security solutions from top vendors with notable reviews, modern features, integration capabilities, good user feedback, and high company ranking.
ActivTrak
ActivTrak implements UEBA security using workforce analytics and employee monitoring software. Using deep
data analytics, it uncovers how employees and teams work to provide users the insight they need to help the workforce and provide the workflow. It analyzes workforce productivity such as productive behaviors to establish a top performing baseline. It also provides visibility for effective
remote workforce management, workforce analytics for tracking and analyzing trends, monitoring of employee and activity analytics.
Teramind
Teramind is a computer monitoring software that provides user activity monitoring, data loss prevention, and user behavior analytics. Users can monitor and control user activity to ensure compliance with policies and regulations. Its user behavior analytics tools identifies behavior anomalies and uncovers potential threats in real time. Admins can customize alerts and get full audit trail with video recording of all user actions. Other features include OCR, fingerprinting, content discovery, automated risk detection, and blocking of unwanted behavior.
Rapid7 InsightIDR
Rapid7’s InsightIDR is a comprehensive security solution that includes user behavior analytics with other features. InsightIDR continuously baselines healthy user activity to reliably detect attackers pretending to be company employees. It automatically correlates network activity to users and entities to easily spot risky behavior. Other features include ML baselining, automatic alerts with user context, visual log search, pre-built compliance cards, attacker behavior analytics, endpoint detection and visibility, and centralized log management.
Varonis
Varonis is a provider of data security and insider threat detection software. The solution includes tools for data protection, compliance, and threat detection and response. UEBA forms a critical part of its threat detection tools. It uses predictive threat models to analyze behaviors across multiple platforms. All these are automatically done, including alerting the admin for a potential attack. It can detect CryptoLocker infections, compromised service accounts, and behavior of disgruntled employees on on-premise and cloud platforms such as AD, Windows, SharePoint, Exchange, Office365, Unix/Linux, Dell EMC, HPE, and Box.
Forcepoint
Forcepoint is a security solutions provider for dynamic data protection, dynamic edge protection, and dynamic user protection. Its products work together and can integrate with a variety of existing environments. Its dynamic user protection has cloud-based user activity monitoring to identify and stop compromised users. The behavioral analytics provides context-rich risk scoring that helps identify and investigate entity risk in near real time. Insider threat tool is a workforce protection and monitoring tool that uses deep data collection and forensics to promote visibility into user actions.
Splunk
Splunk User Behavior Analytics (UBA) is a UEBA tool that makes a distinction between user and entity behavior. It detects unknown threats and anomalous behaviors using machine learning. This enables the UEBA software to discover abnormalities and threats missed by traditional security tools. It automates the stitching of multiple anomalies into a single threat to simplify the tasks of security analysts. Deep investigative capabilities and behavior baselines help accelerate threat hunting. UBA is used in the financial services, public sector, and healthcare industries.
Prisma Cloud
Prisma Cloud is a product of Palo Alto Networks. It is a comprehensive cloud security solution that offers security posture management, workload protection, infrastructure entitlement management, and network security. The system includes different modules that include network anomaly detection and UEBA to help detect and respond to threats. It combines rule and behavior-based analytics and augments data from over 30 unique sources for threat intelligence. Quickly monitor and track user activities then get alerts from any deviations from established normal behavior via an ML-powered UEBA engine.
FortiNet FortiInsight
FortiInsight is a user and entity behavior analytics software for detecting and preventing insider threat. It protects users by continuously monitoring users and endpoints with automated detection and response capabilities. Machine learning and advanced analytics automatically identifies non-compliant, suspicious, or anomalous behaviors. Admins are rapidly alerted by the system about any compromised user accounts. It can protect sensitive and high-value data from loss, theft, and mishandling from intentional or accidental activities.
IBM QRadar
IBM’s QRadar User Behavior Analytics analyzes user activity to detect malicious insiders. The software determines if user credentials have been compromised. It is an integrated component of the QRadar Security Intelligence Platform that lets security analysts see risky users and their anomalous activities with drill down capabilities to log and flow data. Behavioral rules and machine learning models provide additional user context to network, log, vulnerability, and threat data to display and detect attacks quickly.
Microsoft Azure ATP
Azure Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) includes features for monitoring users, entity behavior, and activities with learning-based analytics. It protects user identities and credentials particularly stored in Active Directory. The software identifies and investigates suspicious user activities and advanced attacks, and then provides clear incident information on a timeline for fast triage and remediation. According to Microsoft, names may change in the near future, but ATP is a solution for protecting on-premises identities to prevent, detect, and investigate threats.
