📡 VISIBILITY & ANALYTICS
You cannot defend what you cannot see. Comprehensive logging, behavioral analytics, and real-time threat intelligence transform raw telemetry into actionable detection — and force the adversary to operate in the light.
// Core Requirements — What Must Be Implemented
- Centralized log collection — all 7 pillars feed a unified SIEM with normalized, correlated telemetry
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) — real-time correlation, alerting, and threat detection
- User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) — behavioral baseline establishment and deviation detection
- Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) / Network Detection and Response (NDR) for east-west visibility
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) telemetry integration across all managed devices
- Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) — external threat feeds (STIX/TAXII) correlated with internal telemetry
- Cloud-native logging — audit trails for all IaaS/PaaS/SaaS resource access and configuration changes
- Log retention aligned to DoD requirements — minimum 12 months hot, 36 months cold, tamper-evident storage
Log everything. Analyze continuously. Alert specifically. Alert fatigue is as dangerous as no logging at all. The goal is not maximum alerts — it is the right alerts at the right time with sufficient context for analysts to act decisively and fast.
// Hardware — Logging Infrastructure
All-flash storage appliance for high-throughput SIEM log ingestion. Handles millions of events per second for large DoD enterprise environments.
Pure StorageHardware network packet broker for full-fidelity traffic capture feeding SIEM and NDR platforms. Provides SSL/TLS decryption for encrypted threat visibility.
GigamonDedicated network monitoring hardware providing DPI, flow analysis, and application-layer visibility to complement SIEM log correlation.
LogRhythm// Software, Platforms & Cloud Services
DoD and IC community standard SIEM/SOAR platform. Processes billions of events daily. Used across USSOCOM, DISA, and major DoD components. DISA APL listed.
SplunkCloud-native SIEM/SOAR with native M365/Azure integration. Cost-effective for DoD components using Microsoft GCC High environments. UEBA included.
MicrosoftAI-driven extended SIEM combining XDR, SIEM, SOAR, and UEBA in a single platform. Reduces alert volume by 98% through AI-based correlation.
Palo Alto NetworksBehavior-analytics-first SIEM providing session-timeline-based threat detection and automated threat response. Strong UEBA for insider threat programs.
ExabeamOpen-source threat intelligence platform used by DoD, CISA, and NATO for sharing and operationalizing structured threat data in STIX/TAXII format.
MISP ProjectCommercial threat intelligence enrichment platform. Real-time intelligence on threat actors, indicators, and vulnerabilities correlated with your specific environment.
Recorded FutureOpen-source-based SIEM/XDR platform used in DoD environments requiring full data control. Combines log management, SIEM, and endpoint security with UEBA capabilities.
Elastic// Standards, Frameworks & Compliance Alignment
DoD Compliance Note: All hardware and software solutions referenced on this page must be evaluated against the DISA Approved Products List (APL) or obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO) through RMF before deployment in DoD environments. FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 validated cryptographic modules are required for any solution handling classified or CUI data. Solutions referencing DoD environments have been noted where DISA APL listings exist as of this publication.
// ZTNSS Assessment for This Pillar
John’s Zero Trust Readiness Assessment evaluates your Visibility & Analytics Pillar maturity against all applicable DoD ZT Target Level activities using structured, evidence-based scoring methodology. The assessment identifies specific capability gaps, maps them to DoD activity numbers, and produces a sequenced remediation roadmap prioritized by risk exposure and operational impact.
John’s 24-year operational background at USSOCOM and SOCCENT means this assessment is grounded in environments where the adversaries are nation-state level, the stakes are operational, and compliance checkboxes are not a substitute for actual security.
GET YOUR ZT READINESS SCORE.
30 minutes. Mission-first guidance from someone who built and defended these architectures at USSOCOM.