There are many reasons to use Security Onion, a free and open platform for threat hunting, network security monitoring, and log management. We picked out 7 of the best.
1. Security Onion is Open Source
Security Onion is managed and maintained by Security Onion Solutions. Open Source software users have access to its inner workings and the ability to have a finer understanding of their SIEM solution.
Transparency can bring confidence that you know the system works, that many eyes will have been able to notice errors long before proprietary software has been combed once released.
2. Flexible with Integrating Paid-for Services Such as CrowdStrike
Security Onion’s Open Source nature builds on the idea that with enough digital elbow grease developers can create additional modules and workflows for the system and integrate them cleanly
into your system. Though primarily controlling and parsing information gathered from additional open-source tools, Security Onion can offer a wide array of ‘premium’ tools such as parsing log information generated by programs such as Crowdstrike Agents or Okta’s authorisation logs. If your company works in the cloud, then pulling their metrics such as Gsuite Logs to create a grander, ironclad view of your network is easier than some proprietary system methods.
3. Simplified Installation Process, Easy to Get Its Parts Up and Running
When looking for reasons to use Security Onion, how about the fact it offers an almost refreshing bluntness when it comes to its installation process? Built off of a central node that everything feeds back to. Set up contains questions explained in a simplified manner with in-depth documentation online in case some required jargon begins to go over your head. Though this does not explicitly help with understanding network topology and ‘placing’sensors and services in the correct position in your network, Security Onion allows you to focus on these questions by giving you a hassle-free installation process with support for ‘out the box’ stand-alone productions that just work on small network setups.
4. A Multifaceted Approach to SOC Work, Singular Platform for Both Network and Endpoint Controls
In a lot of cases, customers might find themselves feeling nickel and dimed by proprietary software companies as they focus themselves on one facet of SIEM security. Often the software you buy will only focus on network security OR endpoint security, allowing you to monitor either your systems themselves or the network they’ve created, relying on additional software that is then ‘bodged’ which only collates information, not efficiently working side by side. Security Onion is unlike competitors in this stance, where complete coverage is a default, working with other open-source tools such as Suricata and Wazuh to cover your enterprise in its entirety.
5. Regular Updates with Transparent Roadmapping and Instructional Guides by Its Developers
Security Onion Solutions ’ documentation doesn’t just end there. With hours of free training and information on their youtube channel, new cyber security analysts can begin their journey into this line of work through Security Onion with their help. And for those wishing to stake their SIEM requirements on the software, their ever updating blog will keep you in the loop of what and when new features are going to be added and bugs to be squashed. You are never left in the dark about the state of the lynchpin software of your environment.
6. An Active Community for Q&A and Responses to Issues
Though I could go on talking about the company itself. The open source nature of Security Onion fosters a heavy sense of community. An active github page of questions and answers with solutions coming from both company and users alike means problems aren’t pushed down in favour of good metrics, but as problems for everyone to root out and solve.
7. You Have Access to Your Deployment, Not Relying on the ‘Common Practices’ of Third-party Engineers Where You Don’t Have a Choice and Won’t Suit Your Needs
Becoming more and more relevant as time goes on, companies are becoming more and more bespoke and need the care and attention of their suppliers. Larger services offering proprietary systems might have a ‘tried and trusted’ set-up, but when it’s only 75% effective on everyone at best, it starts to show the traditional cracks of these systems. Where ‘one size fits all’ never truly does and people are left with uncomfortable, but working conditions. Security Onion’s flexibility and willingness to allow it to be crafted for each individual company’s needs put it above its competitors, so long as engineers are willing to put in the work.
If you came hunting for reasons to use Security Onion, we hope our list has proved helpful. If you came to see what we at th4ts3cur1ty.company may suggest for customers new and old … what did you think? Feel free to contact us using the form below.
