TechDogs:-"Analyze It All With User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)"

Business Intelligence

Analyze It All With User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)

By TechDogs Editorial Team

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Overview

Let us know if you’ve heard of these statements:

That guy's behavior and words don't match; that's a big red flag.

This site is asking you to share your personal data, it is waving a red flag and should be avoided.

Red flags are a big sign that a person, situation or place is prone to risk and should be avoided. Do you know such red flags exist even in systems? For instance, if a particular person downloads 20 MB of files every day but suddenly downloads gigabytes, the system would detect it as a red flag. This whole method of analyzing a user’s behavior is termed User And Entity Behavior Analytics. It is a type of cyber security process that takes note of the normal conduct of users. They detect abnormal behavior or instances when there are deviations from these 'normal' patterns.

There's much more to explore about UEBA and everything related to its what, when and how will be decoded in this article. Read on!
TechDogs:-"Analyze It All With User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)"Analyzing User Behavior Is Not An Issue Anymore
User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA), also known as user behavior analytics (UBA), is gathering insight into the network events that users generate daily. Once collected and analyzed, it can detect compromised credentials, lateral movement and other malicious behavior. Does that sound too technical to understand? Well, let's think of this concept as the game of charades.

Just as charades require players to guess what the other person is trying to convey without using words, User And Entity Behavior Analytics combines data signals to determine what a user or entity is attempting to do on a network. Companies can use this analysis method to protect their networks from malicious actors and identify suspicious activity before it can cause severe damage. This analysis method is becoming increasingly important in the modern world as more and more companies rely on digital infrastructure to conduct their business. User And Entity Behavior Analytics can help protect companies from cyber threats and ensure that their networks remain secure.

This article dives deep into User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) – its evolution, working, benefits, future and more.
 

What Is User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)?


TechDogs:-"What Is User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)? "A Self-generated Meme On Working Of UEBA
Let's assume your credit card was stolen (just imagine!). A thief can pickpocket your wallet and start a shopping spree using your credit card. If the thief’s spending pattern on that card differs from yours, the company's fraud detection team will detect the abnormal spending behavior and block the purchases. Later, it will issue an alert to you or ask you to verify the authenticity of a transaction. User And Entity And Behavior Analytics (UEBA) has a substantial role in all this.

UEBA leverages advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to detect abnormal user and entity behavior, identify insider threats and protect against external attacks. It can detect threats across multiple data sources and identify patterns of malicious activity that traditional security tools may need help to see. By monitoring user and entity behavior, organizations can quickly detect suspicious activity and take proactive measures to protect their systems. UEBA provides an additional layer of security to organizations and can help them ensure their data and designs are secure.

With that, it's time to move ahead and take a closer look at how UEBA evolved!
 

How Did User And Entity Behavior Analytics Evolve?


UEBA is an evolved version of UBA (user behavior analytics) technology. UBA was introduced in 2014 by analysts to designate a new IT category that would help in compiling ratings of security software vendors.

In 2015, analysts expanded this category of security technologies to include behavioral analysis of 'entities' (devices, applications, etc.). The term User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) came into existence. The main difference between UEBA and UBA is apparent in the name – UBA systems analyze the user behavior; on the other hand, UEBA consider the user’s entity and their behavior. As the threats from external forces increased, the Gartner Market Guide added 'Entity' to UBA. By doing so, the security was not just bound to individual users. It secured network data and systems along with vulnerable sources such as routers, servers, applications and other network devices that could be compromised.

That was all about the brief history of UEBA. Now, let's head to the next section and figure out how it works!
 

How Do User And Entity Behavior Analytics Work?


TechDogs:-"How Do User And Entity Behavior Analytics Work? "A Self-generated Meme On Working Of UEBA
As we said, UEBA helps you detect the red flags in user behavior and rectify them but how does it do that? Let's understand that through the following sets.
 
  • User And Behavior Analytics allow you to more easily determine whether a potential threat is an outside party pretending to be an employee. It also enables you to verify if an actual employee possesses some risk, whether through negligence or malice.

  • UEBA connects activity on the network to a particular user who possesses an IP address of an asset. It helps you spot red flags, like any unusual change in the user's behavior, that might have gone unnoticed by the traditional perimeter monitoring tools. Eventually, UEBA helps you quickly spot the behavior, ascertain if it's anomalous and kick-start the investigation if required.

  • UEBA collects and organizes data on what it determines to be normal behavior of users and entities. The system creates profiles of how each entity usually acts according to application usage, communication and download activity and network connectivity.

  • UEBA can also integrate with other security products and systems already in place, a must as organizations grows and evolve.


Most businesses have a security stack, including legacy systems that may need to catch up with today's ever-increasing threats and breaches. Because of flawless integration, UEBA systems can compare the data collected from various sources, including logs, packet capture data and other datasets.

Here is probably one of our article's most exciting parts – the benefits of UEBA!
 

What Are The Benefits Of User And Entity Behavior Analytics?


Now it's time to count the benefits of User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA).
 
  • Detecting Breaches

    UEBA can be used to detect malicious activity such as unauthorized access to sensitive data, malicious file uploads and suspicious user activity. By recognizing these activities in real time, UEBA can help organizations protect their data and prevent data breaches. With UEBA, organizations can detect data breaches before they cause significant damage to their reputation or financial losses.

  • Automating Analytics Operations

    UEBA is dependent on automation to prioritize threats. It rejects false positives that can eat up time for security analysts with no positive outcome. Automation of threat chains ensures that UEBA calls on human analysts only after the system arrives at the actionable threats you need to address on priority.

  • Monitoring Use Cases

    UEBA includes many use cases for attack vectors, IT assets and scenarios. Businesses can use it for monitoring the cloud, servers, storage devices, network hardware and endpoints. UEBA detects various attacks, including ransomware, phishing, insider threats and DDoS attacks. It also involves use cases for complex APTs (advanced persistent threats) and fraudulent activity.


That was a brief insight into the past and present of UEBA. Now it's time to raise the curtains from its future.
 

What Are The Future Trends Of User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)?


TechDogs:-"What Are The Future Trends Of User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)?"A Sefl-generated Meme On User And Entity Behavior Analytics
The future of User And Entity Behavior Analytics has been revealed!

A report by GlobalNewsWire predicts the global User And Entity Behavior Analytics market will reach USD 4.2 billion by 2026. It's a generation where targeted, unknown and mysterious attacks will push businesses to develop better solutions. The future would arise with mega attacks such as large-scale, multi-vector and hyper attacks.

User And Entity Behavior Analytics will turn the tables on these attacks. It will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to recognize, monitor and combat such security events and incidents. With the rise of sophisticated technologies such as AI and ML, it will be possible to automate user behavior to detect potential threats and anomalies in real time. In the coming years, UEBA might also integrate with security information and event management platforms to combat attacks that are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, dispersed and frequent.
 

It's Time To Sum It Up!


So, just like in charades, players must interpret the clues they are given and make guesses to understand the meaning of the clues; organizations must interpret the data they are given and make assumptions to determine the purpose of user and entity behavior analytics. By understanding the meaning behind the data, organizations can gain valuable insight into their security posture and make better decisions about their security policies. User And Entity Behavior Analytics plays an essential role in this whole process. It helps track, monitor and detect behavioral changes that signal potential red flags more quickly and easily. That’s UEBA for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)?


User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) is a method of gathering insights into network events generated by users and entities on a daily basis. Essentially, UEBA analyzes data signals to detect compromised credentials, lateral movement, and other potentially malicious behavior within a network. In simpler terms, think of UEBA as a game of charades, where various data signals are combined to understand what a user or entity is attempting to do on a network. This analysis is crucial for companies looking to protect their networks from cyber threats and identify suspicious activities before they escalate into serious security breaches.

How Did User And Entity Behavior Analytics Evolve?


UEBA evolved from user behavior analytics (UBA), which was introduced in 2014 to categorize a new IT classification aimed at evaluating security software vendors. Over time, the concept expanded to include the analysis of behavioral patterns not just of users but also of entities such as devices and applications. Hence, the term User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) emerged. Unlike UBA, which primarily focused on analyzing user behavior, UEBA considers both the behavior of users and the entities they interact with. This evolution became necessary as external threats increased, prompting analysts to incorporate 'Entity' into UBA, thereby expanding security measures beyond individual users to safeguard network data and systems.

How Do User And Entity Behavior Analytics Work?


User And Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) employ advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to detect abnormal user and entity behavior, including insider threats and external attacks. By connecting network activity to specific users and entities, UEBA helps identify potential red flags that traditional security tools might overlook. It accomplishes this by monitoring changes in behavior and activity patterns, which could indicate malicious intent or security risks. UEBA systems collect and organize data on normal behavior patterns, creating profiles to better understand typical actions and interactions within a network. Additionally, UEBA can integrate with existing security products and systems, allowing organizations to streamline threat detection and response processes across multiple data sources and security layers.

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