CyberSecurity — User Behaviour Analytics (UBA)

Shantala K
2 min read1 day ago

--

User Behavior Analytics (UBA) is a cybersecurity technique that involves continuously monitoring and analyzing user activity within a network or system to detect malicious or suspicious behavior.

Here’s how UBA works:

  1. Data Collection: UBA systems collect a wide range of data points from various sources, including:
  • User logins and logouts: Times of day, locations, devices used
  • File access activity: Files accessed, modified, or deleted
  • Network traffic: Source and destination IP addresses, protocols used
  • Application usage: Applications accessed, commands executed
  • System events: Security logs, audit trails

2. Establishing Baselines: UBA systems analyze historical data to establish a baseline of normal user behavior for each individual and entity. This baseline includes typical activity patterns, such as:

  • Time of day for typical logins
  • Frequency of file accesses
  • Applications commonly used
  • Typical data access patterns

3. Anomaly Detection: UBA systems continuously monitor user activity and compare it to the established baselines. Deviations from normal behavior that may indicate malicious activity include:

  • Unusual login times or locations
  • Excessive file access activity
  • Access to sensitive data outside of normal working hours
  • Suspicious network connections
  • Unauthorized commands executed

4. Alerting and Response: When UBA systems detect anomalous behavior, they generate alerts and notifications to security teams. These alerts can be prioritized based on the severity of the threat. Security teams can then investigate the alerts and take appropriate action, such as:

  • Blocking suspicious accounts
  • Resetting compromised passwords
  • Investigating potential security breaches
  • Remediating vulnerabilities

Benefits of UBA:

  • Early threat detection: UBA can detect threats early in the attack lifecycle, before significant damage occurs.
  • Improved security posture: Helps organizations proactively identify and address security vulnerabilities.
  • Reduced risk of data breaches: Minimizes the risk of data theft and loss.
  • Enhanced incident response: Provides valuable insights into the nature and scope of security incidents.
  • Improved compliance: Helps organizations comply with regulatory requirements.

By utilizing UBA, organizations can gain valuable insights into user behavior and proactively defend against a wide range of cyber threats, including insider threats, data breaches, and advanced persistent threats (APTs).

Checkout tutorialsweb.com for more such tutorials and articles on cutting edge technologies.

--

--

Shantala K
Shantala K

Written by Shantala K

Working as software developer in Bengaluru, India.

No responses yet