How does UEBA transform digital security?

Cyberattacks are increasingly sophisticated and targeting people with different jobs and lifestyles, after all, criminals only need a loophole to commit their crimes.

In addition to this sophistication, we see a high volume of these attacks, representing a major challenge for organizations around the world that need to protect their assets and keep their employees safe.

The great risk of these attacks is that they compromise access and extract data without even being noticed. However, a common point among the various forms of cybercrime are the vulnerabilities created by people's behavior.

That is why UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics) is essential to protect organizations, as it identifies possible changes in people, performing behavior analysis.

Want to know more about this term and how it can help your organization mitigate risks? Keep reading this article.

What is UEBA anyway?

This is a relatively new term, it was first presented by Gartner in 2015, it is an evolution of user behavior analysis.

In other words, although the concept of behavior analysis is used in several contexts, UEBA tools are nevertheless relatively recent.

We define UEBA as analysis of user and entity behavior, being a type of security software that uses:

• Behavioral analysis;

• Learning algorithms;

• Machine and automation.

Its goal is to identify abnormal and potentially dangerous behaviors of people and their devices.

Unlike traditional systems, which are based on fixed rules and lists of known threats, UEBA uses advanced Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms to learn the behavior of users and their devices and accounts.

From this learning, UEBA is able to detect significant changes that may indicate a potential risk, whether it is an attempt at unauthorized access, misuse of credentials, or even an insider attack.

With this, it becomes an ally for organizations, because detecting these behaviors prevents cyber attacks and threats from happening. Having greater control and mitigating risks.

How does UEBA work?

The analysis involving UEBA takes place through a combination of Machine Learning algorithms, Artificial Intelligence and statistical analysis.

With these technologies, this tool monitors and identifies people's behavior patterns beyond the devices that are used, as well as servers and their accounts.

Rather than relying solely on rules or signatures of known threats, UEBA analyzes people's normal behavior over time, creating a detailed profile of what is considered standard activity for each user.

In this way, he knows exactly the sites that a certain person uses in his work routine and, anything that deviates from this pattern is identified and reported, after all it can be a threat.

See below how UEBA identifies these patterns.

Data collection

To identify the pattern of each person, the system collects detailed information about activities and behaviors at different points in the network, such as:

• Login attempts;

• Access times;

• Devices used;

• Connection locations;

• File movement and interactions between systems.

This data comes from a variety of sources, such as activity logs, network applications, and authentication systems.

This is because the applications used by people also generate relevant data about how they interact with these tools, while authentication systems offer information about who accesses, as well as records of successful logins and failures.

This network monitoring allows you to capture data about traffic, helping you analyze behavior in real-time and detect patterns that may indicate suspicious activity.

Creating a base

With the collection of data, UEBA works on this information, after all, all people's behavior has already been tracked, now it has everything it needs to create a baseline.

This base represents each person's typical behavior, reflecting normal patterns such as the most frequent login times, the amount of data accessed, trusted devices, and usual access locations.

The most interesting thing about this tool is that this reference point is continuously adjusted to accurately capture normal activities over time.

This dynamic adaptation is essential, as people's behavior can change due to various factors, such as changes in responsibilities, new projects, or even changes in daily routine.

Thus, UEBA not only identifies behaviors that deviate from the normal, but also adjusts to reflect new emerging trends and patterns.

This action is very important for behavioral analysis, after all, when a behavior deviates from an established pattern, the system can generate an alert indicating possible suspicious activities.

Generating alerts

Alert generation and corrective actions are a key step in the functioning of UEBA, as it allows for a quick and effective response to suspicious activity on the network.

It works like this when the system detects an activity that exceeds the previously established risk thresholds, whether by access at unusual times, the use of unrecognized devices or an atypical data transfer,

An automatic alert is issued to the security team, with this notification the teams can act more effectively.

This alert is configured to notify security officers in real time, allowing them to immediately analyze activity and make informed decisions about next actions.

From these alerts, the security team can take several corrective actions to contain the possible incident.

One of the most common responses is the temporary blocking of access by the suspicious user or device, preventing the continuation of activities that could compromise the security of the systems.

In addition, the UEBA system may request additional authentication, such as multi-factor verification, to ensure that access is actually authorized.

PeopleX is your ally

PeopleX is a Digital Employee Experience (DEX) solution designed to strengthen security, governance, privacy, and compliance within organizations. But how can it help your company reduce risk?

This tool analyzes data generated by employees, transforming them into insights shared with the organization and returned as knowledge to the users themselves.

By monitoring digital behavior, PeopleX provides in-depth analysis, which helps identify areas for improvement and strengthen security.

The information collected includes:

• Navigation;

• Downloads;

• Extensions;

• Favorite;

• Browser.

In addition to monitoring these activities, PeopleX prevents suspicious access and downloads and alerts employees of any security breach detected.

The system goes beyond traditional solutions, as it offers protection directly in the users' browser, integrating frequently ignored elements, such as histories and favorites, and creating a safer and more efficient digital environment.

PeopleX protects wider areas of digital navigation and promotes constant employee awareness of security best practices.

Want to know more? Get in touch with our experts and find out how PeopleX can protect your organization.

UEBA transforms your organization's digital security