How can unifying observability and security strengthen your business?

Businesses today grapple with several pressing issues:

• Tool sprawl: Proliferation of specialized tools makes data sharing complicated.

• System/network centric approach: This hampers collaboration and data correlation.

• Data duplication and retention: Redundant data and authority concerns slow down operations.

• Proprietary software: Data often remains trapped within proprietary systems and multiple function-specific protocols.

These problems contribute to a fragmented view of the IT landscape, making it difficult for teams to respond to threats efficiently. According to Mimecast’s State of Email & Collaboration Security report, a staggering 74% of cyber breaches are caused by human factors, and 41% of organizations have experienced more email-based threats recently. This fragmented approach also poses a challenge to user management and system integration, as organizations struggle to adapt and grow.

Combining observability and security into a single platform offers numerous benefits, particularly when enhanced by AI and ML technologies:

• Unified tools and centralized analysis: By integrating observability and security, teams can share insights and data, leading to more informed decisions.

• Cost savings: Reducing the number of tools and platforms leads to direct cost savings and less administrative overhead.

• Enhanced context and visibility: A unified approach allows for comprehensive monitoring across all data points, from logs and metrics to traces, events, and even business data.

• AI-driven insights: Generative AI and ML provide advanced data analysis, identifying patterns and anomalies that human analysts might miss.

Elastic AI Assistant is a key component in this integrated approach, offering faster detection and response times. Here’s how:

• Generative AI: Elastic AI Assistant harnesses the power of generative AI to create tailored experiences for business, operations, and security teams. This interactive natural language chat interface allows users to zero-in on the most relevant information quickly — breaking down knowledge silos and improving response times.

• Enhanced investigations: The assistant bolsters investigations by leveraging AI to provide contextual insights and actionable recommendations — enhancing the existing knowledge base of SRE and security teams.

• Interactive chat interface: Built on the Elasticsearch Relevance Engine (ESRE) and powered by generative AI, Elastic AI Assistant integrates organization-specific knowledge with retrieval augmented generation (RAG) and transforms traditional search methods into an interactive and intuitive experience.

Attack Discovery is a critical aspect of unifying observability and security. Elastic Security, powered by the Elastic Search AI Platform, introduces innovative features for advanced attack detection and response:

• AI-Driven Security Analytics: Powered by the Elastic Search AI platform, Elastic Security is automating manual processes for configuration, investigation, and response. The platform combines search and retrieval augmented generation (RAG) to deliver highly relevant results. It integrates seamlessly with security workflows, providing prebuilt prompts and the ability to add custom prompts.

• Elastic Attack Discovery: This feature triages hundreds of alerts to identify the few attacks that matter, providing an intuitive interface for security operations teams to understand and quickly act on attacks.

The complexity of software supply chains demands a unified approach to security and observability. Traditional application security measures are insufficient to address the intricate nature of the software supply chain. Elastic's adoption of the Supply Chain Levels for Software Artifacts (SLSA) framework enhances security by preventing tampering, improving integrity, and securing software packages and infrastructure. This proactive stance ensures that potential threats are mitigated and software supply chains remain secure.

Incorporating a unified observability and security platform enhanced by AI and ML is not just a technical upgrade — it's a strategic imperative. As cyber threats become more sophisticated and data environments more complex, the need for integrated solutions that offer both visibility and security becomes paramount. By adopting this approach, organizations can ensure a resilient, secure, and efficient digital landscape, ready to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Read the SANS report, Shining a light in the dark: Observability + security, or watch the webinar to learn more about this emerging strategy and how you can take steps to unify your organization’s observability and security functions.