Behaviour-based security is a proactive approach to security in which
all relevant activity is monitored so that deviations from normal behaviour
patterns can be identified and dealt with quickly. As machine learning
continues to improve, this approach to security management is expected to play
an important role in securing computing at the edge of the network.
Traditional security software is signature-oriented: the software
monitors data streams and compares data in transit to signatures in an
anti-virus vendor's library of known threats. Behaviour-based security programs
work a little differently -- they monitor data streams too, but then they
compare data stream activity to a baseline of normal behaviour and look for
anomalies. Behaviour-based security products use applied mathematics and
machine learning to flag events that are statistically significant.
While there may still be instances where an organization needs to choose
between signature-based and anomaly-based security software, there is a broad
range of intrusion detection and prevention products that combine both
approaches.
In general, signature-based tools are best at identifying and repelling
known threats, while behaviour-based are best for fighting zero-day exploits
that have not yet made it onto a list of known threat signatures. Most behaviour-based
security programs come with a standard set of policies for which behaviours should
be allowed and which should be considered suspicious, but also allow
administrators to customize policies and create new policies.
Depending upon its capabilities, a behaviour-based security software
product may be marketed as a network behaviour anomaly detection (NBAD)
product, a behaviour-based intrusion detection product, a behaviour threat
analysis (BTA) product or a user behaviour analytics (UBA) product. Some behaviour-security
products are sophisticated enough to apply machine learning algorithms to data
streams so that security analysts don't need to identify what comprises normal behaviour.
Other products include behavioural biometrics features that are capable of
mapping specific behaviour, such as typing patterns, to specific user behaviour.
Most products have sophisticated correlation engines to minimize the
number of alerts and false positives.
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