Knowing how files are being accessed within a network, and by whom, is an important part of a security team’s global security program. But finding the right file integrity monitoring software can be a challenge, particularly when you’re managing a hybrid of cloud and on-premises infrastructure across macOS, Linux, and Windows.
Dealing with network complexity is only one facet of an effective file integrity monitoring solution. You also need context: a way to connect file activity to a constant stream of other system events. (Tweet this!)
Then there’s the puzzle of finding an efficient way to filter meaningful security incidents from the routine data you can safely disregard.
Finding a file integrity monitoring solution that will stand up to this tough reality check is no easy task. Stand alone file integrity monitoring software may fulfill some of these requirements, but fall short of offering a complete solution.
Watch the short video above to see how you'd use Uptycs FIM in a simulated scenario where suspicious file change activity has been uncovered targeting a web server used for credit card payment processing.
Uptycs is an osquery-powered security analytics platform that helps security engineers, site reliability engineers, incident response teams and IT professionals better secure and monitor their endpoint fleet and server workloads. Uptycs FIM, a module within this platform, offers a highly scalable way to simplify complex network file monitoring, bring greater visibility to how files are being accessed, and help teams focus on the file changes that matter.
1. It simplifies file integrity monitoring in complex networks.
By pairing osquery with its security analytics platform, Uptycs allows you to manage file integrity across complex networks. Instead of relying on several platforms to monitor Windows, Mac, Linux, VMs, and cloud instances, you can monitor all file activity in one unified environment.
This makes the management process simpler, but it also means you can do more with the data. With network infrastructure becoming increasingly complex, a comprehensive vantage point on all system activity means a team is more likely to notice incidents that involve more than a single host.
The solution can also be deployed at scale. Using osquery as a means to securely extract and stream telemetry, Uptycs then aggregates, analyzes, and reports on large volumes of endpoint data. File activity across many thousands of machines can be monitored, both in real time and through a time machine archive of historical activity.
2. It makes it easier to see how and why files are being accessed.
Our file integrity monitoring solution leverages the versatility of the open source agent osquery. Using over 200 system tables, Uptycs can provide detailed insight into user login activity, open sockets, processes triggered, and other context-rich data.
So when a file-related incident occurs in your environment, you can easily analyze it against other activity to identify whether it’s a routine event, or something requiring further investigation. Moreover, this integrated process of threat investigation can all happen within the Uptycs platform.
An incident investigator can query data across thousands of endpoints in real time, gaining instant insight on suspicious activity. The Uptycs file integrity monitoring solution also provides the ability to analyze historical data, recreating an asset at a given point in time to reveal exactly what happened to critical files, and how the incident occurred.
3. It helps you focus on what matters.
File integrity monitoring best practices will vary significantly across different environments. In one environment, real-time file changes initiated from outside a local network may require rapid investigation. In another, external access may be unimportant, but file status changes from unapproved software may warrant an immediate red flag.
Using Uptycs, you can specify which file instances you need to monitor. You may, for example, decide to choose from existing file management alerts built around Mac, Linux and Windows operating systems. Alternatively, you can create customized rules to manage hybrid environments.
These rules also allow you to report against historical file activity, and to provide evidence of routine file security monitoring, an important part of ensuring compliance with the Payment Card Industry Security Standard (PCI), and other industry data regulations.
You may, for example, maintain a time-based log of “file events per day” and “top files generating events.” Alongside these reports, you could also keep track of the total instances in which a set of customized file integrity monitoring alerts were triggered in your environment within a given time period. All these variables combined form a reporting body of proof your team can provide to demonstrate compliance with file integrity monitoring best practices.
Tame The Complexity With Uptycs File Integrity Monitoring
If you’d like to learn more about how Uptycs can help you monitor file integrity, take a look at this 451 Research Market Impact Report. The report offers a detailed third-party analysis of osquery, Uptycs differentiators, and a breakdown of how the Uptycs platform can enhance your security analytics.
