Secured.22: XDR, SOC-as-a-Service, and the Log4J vulnerability

In December 2021, a vulnerability was discovered in Log4J, a Java-based logging framework used in Apache and other web servers — including those used by 88% of organizations worldwide.

Because of how easily the vulnerability could be exploited to penetrate targeted networks without any credentials or malware, it immediately led to huge numbers of attempted attacks. Even now, well over a year later, there is still a steady cadence of cybercriminals attempting to use it to launch DDoS attacks, infiltrate ransomware, deploy crypto-miners, and many other types of attacks.

Here at Barracuda, our Security Operations Center (SOC) flew into action as soon as the vulnerability was exposed. And thanks to the Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform that powers it, the SOC was able to effectively monitor customer systems around the world, detecting attempts to exploit vulnerable Log4J instances, deploying patches to eliminate the vulnerability, and remediating damage to impacted systems.

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At last September’s Barracuda virtual customer conference, Secured.22, attendees were able to attend a session entitled “Alert to Alarm – 24 Hours of Log4J within Barracuda’s SOC.” Presented by Merium Khalid, Barracuda’s Senior SOC Manager for Offensive Security, the session delivered in-depth explanations of:

• What Log4J is and does, and how the vulnerability enables criminals to very easily launch a wide variety of attack types
• What elements and capabilities make up an XDR platform, and how XDR simplifies and accelerates the response to zero-day security incidents such as Log4J attacks
• How Barracuda XDR — a SOC-as-a-Service offered to Barracuda customers — responded during the first 24 hours following the announcement of the new vulnerability

Here’s a brief clip from the presentation in which Merium goes into detail about what XDR is and what benefits a managed XDR solution such as Barracuda XDR can deliver for organizations like yours.

Why managed XDR?

Very large organizations with plenty of resources are able to set up their own SOCs and implement XDR in-house, but for most organizations that’s simply not a cost-effective option. That’s one reason why managed XDR services like Barracuda XDR are growing in popularity.

Another reason is that cyber insurance providers are increasingly requiring XDR capabilities as a condition of coverage—and the simplest way to comply with such requirements is to subscribe to a managed XDR service.

As Merium explains, Log4J is a reminder to all of us about the importance of having XDR as a key component of your security infrastructure. Because one thing’s for sure: More critical vulnerabilities will be discovered with extremely widespread impact. And when they do, managed XDR can dramatically reduce your risk by providing:

• A dedicated SOC that optimizes your time to detect, respond, and recover
• Automated threat detection and incident response
• Single-pane-of-glass visibility
• Proactive threat hunting
• Threat advisories to alert you of critical exploits
• Continuous monitoring and tuning
• A 911 number for cyber emergencies

The information that Merium provides in this eye-opening session is vitally important for anyone responsible for managing cyber risk. Take a half hour to watch the recording now.