SIEM & Log Monitoring

24/7 SIEM & Log Monitoring for NC Businesses

Attackers who breach NC business networks go undetected for an average of 197 days. Benchmark Network Solutions deploys and co-manages Microsoft Sentinel to collect, correlate, and alert on security events across your entire environment — around the clock.

Get a Free Security Assessment (919) 678-8595

Why Log Monitoring Matters

Threats Your Existing Security Tools Are Missing

Antivirus and firewall block known attacks at the perimeter. SIEM detects the sophisticated threats that get through — and the insider threats that were already inside.

Long Attacker Dwell Time

The average attacker spends 197 days inside a compromised SMB network before being detected — long enough to map your systems, steal credentials, exfiltrate data, and position ransomware for deployment. Most of this activity appears in logs that no one is reviewing.

SIEM correlation detects lateral movement within hours

Insider Threats

Disgruntled employees, compromised credentials, and contractors with excessive access are among the top causes of data breaches at NC businesses. These threats bypass perimeter security because they're already inside — only log analysis catches them.

User behavior analytics flags anomalous access patterns

Compliance Log Requirements

HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and NIST 800-171 all require centralized log management with defined retention periods and evidence of regular review. Without a SIEM, compliance audits fail and breach notification timelines cannot be reconstructed.

SIEM produces audit-ready reports for every compliance framework

SIEM Services

Co-Managed SIEM & Log Monitoring Powered by Microsoft Sentinel

Log Aggregation & Normalization

We connect all your log sources — Windows Event Log, Syslog, Microsoft 365 audit logs, Fortinet firewall, Defender for Endpoint, and Azure/AWS — to Microsoft Sentinel. Logs are normalized to a common schema for cross-source correlation.

Real-Time Threat Alerting

Microsoft Sentinel Analytics Rules fire alerts for known threat patterns: impossible travel, brute force attacks, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and data exfiltration indicators. Custom detection rules tuned to your environment minimize false positives.

Threat Correlation & Investigation

Sentinel's KQL-powered investigation tools correlate events across all data sources. A single suspicious sign-in correlates automatically with endpoint activity, firewall logs, and email events to confirm whether it's an attack or a false positive.

Compliance Reporting

Pre-built compliance workbooks for HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and NIST 800-171. Monthly compliance posture reports document which controls are met, which have exceptions, and what evidence exists to satisfy an auditor or regulator.

Incident Triage & Response

When Sentinel triggers a high-severity alert, our security team investigates within 30 minutes. We document findings, recommend immediate actions, and coordinate remediation with your team. Full incident reports provided after each confirmed event.

Log Retention & Archiving

12-month hot retention in Sentinel for immediate query access. Long-term archive storage for 7 years where required by compliance. Retention policy documented and enforced — no manual tape rotation, no gaps in the log trail.

Compliance Frameworks

SIEM Monitoring That Satisfies Your Compliance Requirements

HIPAA Audit Controls

HIPAA requires audit controls that record and examine activity in systems containing ePHI (45 CFR §164.312(b)). Our SIEM collects and retains all relevant access logs, produces access audit reports on demand, and alerts on anomalous ePHI access — satisfying HIPAA's audit control and information system activity review requirements.

PCI-DSS Log Management

PCI-DSS Requirements 10.3 through 10.7 mandate centralized log collection, 12-month retention, daily review of security events, and alerts on suspicious activity. Our SIEM satisfies all PCI-DSS log management requirements and produces evidence documentation for your QSA.

NIST 800-171 / CMMC

NIST 800-171 Control 3.3 (Audit and Accountability) requires creation, protection, and retention of audit records. CMMC Level 2 inherits all 3.3 requirements. Our SIEM implementation satisfies all 9 of the NIST 800-171 audit and accountability controls and produces the evidence your assessor will request.

What is a SIEM and why does my business need one?

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a system that collects and correlates log data from across your IT environment — firewalls, servers, workstations, cloud services — and analyzes it in real time for threat patterns. Without a SIEM, attackers can move laterally and exfiltrate data for weeks or months undetected. The average attacker dwell time in SMB networks is 197 days. Benchmark Network Solutions provides co-managed SIEM services using Microsoft Sentinel for NC businesses.

What log sources does Benchmark collect and monitor?

We collect logs from Windows and Linux servers, firewalls and network devices (Fortinet, Cisco, Meraki), Microsoft 365 (Azure AD sign-in logs, Exchange audit logs, SharePoint activity), endpoint security tools (Defender, SentinelOne), cloud platforms (Azure, AWS), and line-of-business applications with syslog output. We normalize and correlate events across all sources in a single dashboard.

Does SIEM monitoring help with HIPAA or PCI-DSS compliance?

Yes. HIPAA requires audit controls and activity logging for systems containing electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). PCI-DSS requires centralized log management with 12-month retention and daily review of security events. Our SIEM service produces the audit log reports, access anomaly alerts, and retained evidence that HIPAA auditors and PCI QSAs require.

What happens when the SIEM detects a threat?

When a confirmed threat is detected, our security operations team opens an incident ticket, investigates the alert in the SIEM dashboard, and contacts your designated security point of contact by phone and email within 30 minutes. We provide an initial assessment including the affected systems, the suspected attack vector, and recommended immediate actions. For critical incidents, we initiate incident response procedures immediately.

How is co-managed SIEM different from a fully managed SOC?

A fully managed SOC costs $3,000–$15,000 per month. Co-managed SIEM from Benchmark Network Solutions costs significantly less because we work alongside your team — we handle the infrastructure, alert correlation, and initial triage, but involve your staff in decisions about your environment. This model works well for businesses with 10–150 employees that want visibility without a full SOC budget.

Know What's Happening in Your Network

Free Security Assessment for NC Businesses

We review your current logging coverage, identify gaps, and show you exactly what a co-managed SIEM would catch in your environment. No cost, no obligation.

Request Free Assessment (919) 678-8595