Auto Parser Generator Now Available for Customers

Exabeam recently released a new and improved Auto Parser Generator. This post will learn about parsers, common problems, and how Auto Parser Generator from Exabeam can help.

Automating your SOC is not an ingest-based problem; parsing out every possible log promotes a “garbage in/garbage out approach.”   This will not work.

Security is an outcome-based problem driven by use cases essential to the business.  Security analysts need the most help ingesting the appropriate logs and data to help detect threats and enable the expected security outcomes.

What are parsers?

Analysts may find the journey to harnessing their SIEM for threat detection to be a challenging one. Log feeds come in many shapes and sizes, and parsers serve to ingest and normalize these different data sources. Specifically, parsers take a specific log format and convert it to a normalized structured data, often called a common information model (CIM). SIEMs can include hundreds or thousands of parsers written to process logs for common systems.

Why do we need parsers?

Analysts may find the journey to harnessing their SIEM for threat detection to be a challenging one. The steps to engaging SIEM data include:  Ingest, store, triage, investigate, and respond.  A majority of the organizations spend most of their time in data collection as log feeds are pretty disparate. 

SIEMs can include hundreds or thousands of parsers written to process logs for standard systems.  Unfortunately, the “Log feeds” come in many shapes and sizes and often require professional services to derive the parsers needed to ingest and normalize these distinct data sources. Typically, building or modifying existing parsers can take days or even weeks.  Automation is critical with the sheer volume of parsers needed to inform your SIEM detection accurately.

Parsing with Exabeam

Parsers are particularly important to Exabeam. Unlike traditional SIEMs, we have parsers to index data and parsers specifically designed to unlock key functionality within Exabeam Advanced Analytics.  Parses take raw data from logs, networks, endpoints, etc. They normalize it into a security information model and format records based on their types, highlighting the most relevant fields for security teams.

Exabeam provides thousands of out-of-the-box parsers to ingest log feeds from data sources spanning firewalls, web security, EDR platforms, identity tools, network traffic, and IoT systems. We even have developed parsers for physical access like badge readers and printers. 

Introducing the Latest Auto Parser Generator

Exabeam’s Auto Parser Generator provides security engineers an easy operation for creating, customizing, modifying Out-Of-The-Box, and validating parsers. Rapid deployment of new parsers empowers analysts with greater visibility, broader use case coverage, and improved threat detection.  This latest iteration is enhanced by:

An entirely new, more straightforward Overview Page, with a complete listing and searchable listing of all parsers.  Your parsers are at your fingertips without the need for professional services.

Improved parser matching, which is searchable across Data Lake and Advanced Analytics, enables your analysts to ingest the data they need.

Unified Parser Creation Workflow integrates a single process for creating new parsers for Exabeam Data Lake, Advanced Analytics, or any other application benefiting from Exabeam augmentation.  This makes it easy for your security analysts to quickly find the information they’re after instead of spending their time visually parsing through lines of dense event logs. 

What’s next?

Existing customers can access our documentation to learn more about using Auto Parser Generator or check out our community resources to learn how to access Auto Parser Generator.