Tune Security Event Alerting Thresholds
Description
Tune security event alerting thresholds monthly, or more frequently.
Implementation Checklist
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Threats & Vulnerabilities (CIS RAM)
Threat Scenarios
Critical Alert Buried in Excessive False Positives
ConfidentialityA genuine advanced persistent threat alert is lost among thousands of false positive alerts because alerting thresholds have not been tuned, causing analysts to ignore or deprioritize the true positive.
Attacker Evades Detection by Operating Below Static Thresholds
ConfidentialityAn attacker deliberately operates just below default detection thresholds that have never been adjusted, successfully exfiltrating data in small increments that never trigger volume-based alerts.
SOC Analyst Burnout Leading to Missed Incidents
AvailabilityUntuned alerting generates excessive noise that overwhelms security operations staff, causing reduced investigation quality and slower response times when real incidents occur.
Vulnerabilities (When Safeguard Absent)
Static and Unoptimized Alert Thresholds
Without regular threshold tuning, alerting rules remain at default or outdated settings that generate excessive false positives while potentially missing true threats that fall below detection levels.
No Feedback Loop Between Incident Analysis and Detection Rules
Absence of monthly threshold reviews means lessons learned from past incidents and environmental changes are never incorporated into alerting rules, degrading detection effectiveness over time.
Evidence Requirements
| Type | Evidence Item | Collection Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | Detection tool deployment evidence (dashboard screenshots, agent status) | Captured monthly |
| Technical | Sample alert/detection output demonstrating capability | Captured quarterly |
| Document | Governing policy document (current, approved, communicated) | Reviewed annually |