Final answer:
A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system correlates log entries to identify potential security threats. Effectiveness can be impacted by operator cognitive load, as increased decision-making can lead to more errors. The Target 2013 data breach case highlights the importance of accurate threat detection within SIEM systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system correlates log entries from multiple sources and attempts to identify potential security threats or incidents. The purpose of SIEM is to provide a comprehensive and consolidated view of security events across an organization's IT infrastructure, thereby aiding in early detection of unauthorized activities, policy violations, and cyber attacks. By analyzing and interpreting a vast amount of data, SIEMs can alert security professionals to potential issues that require investigation.
The effectiveness of a SIEM system can be influenced by the cognitive load on operators monitoring security events. Research, such as a study conducted within an information security center at a Brazilian banking institution, has shown that an increased volume of decisions can lead to a higher rate of errors, specifically in falsely identifying incidents as real security breaches. This highlights the importance of combining attention, perception, teamwork, and human-computer interactions to enhance the performance of security operations centers.
The case of the massive data breach at Target in 2013 exemplifies the consequences of failing to properly interpret signals of a security breach. It underscores the critical need for accurate and efficient threat detection and response mechanisms within SIEM systems to prevent substantial losses and damage.