The world of computing technology is constantly upgrading and adapting to meet the high demand of big data used and stored by organizations across the globe. While updates to legacy hardware and installation of the latest software releases are oftentimes meant to increase throughput and stay ahead of the latest security threats, these practices also create a vulnerability that can be exploited.  It remains imperative for IT professionals to monitor changes made within the datacenter infrastructure in order to recognize unusual and unauthorized modifications. 

One method of change monitoring is file integrity monitoring (FIM), which is implemented to improve the chances of identifying possible threats before they are allowed to spread through critical systems and cause widespread complications and data breaches. FIM has become an integral tool as a component of a strong security platform while serving as an essential resource for compliance requirements as well.

With network applications evolving into more complex configurations, the need for the level of infrastructure scrutiny provided by FIM has never been more apparent. 

What is File Integrity Monitoring?

FIM is utilized to examine files, their states of change, and the purposes of their revisions. This is accomplished by first establishing a baseline configuration of a file based system architecture, which includes operating systems, subsystems of the OS, and the stored data files of a business. Additional information such as credentials, access privileges, along with file creation and modification dates are also used to help create a reference point for comparison. After a detailed baseline has been developed, top FIM solutions implement a cryptographic checksum to be used as a comparison of the current state of files in the future. If a monitored file incurs a change, a real-time notification is broadcasted alerting admins to the modification and allowing pre-determined security procedures to intervene based on a rule-based configuration. Employing this preventive action empowers network administrators with an advanced level of threat detection and response time, thereby mitigating the damage created by an unwelcome intrusion. 

Enhanced threat detection & immediate response security practices

If an attacker is able to infiltrate the network of an organization, the intrusion will most likely remain hidden within the system to avoid discovery. The longer the threat remains unnoticed, the more damaged incurred by the company including data breaches, file corruption, and downtime. It’s in these situations where FIM is able to really prove its worth. With its detailed file scrutiny of an entire infrastructure, FIM is able to provide real-time alerts to immediately provide notification of a change in file status or addition of unrecognized files to the system.

Much like stopping a wildfire at its origin before spreading, the attack can be isolated, affected files quarantined, and the threat can be nullified well in advance of laterally extending into additional systems that would potentially wreak havoc for a business. Not only can the damage be reduced, but a strong FIM solution can also point to the last trusted state of the system and revert back to it ensuring continued production of the application. Additionally, the control process will also indicate who modified affected files along with the date and time of the incident. Having this information provided to the appropriate staff will aid in locating the source of the intrusion while helping to prevent future incidents of like nature. After the threat is neutralized, configuration changes can be implemented to strengthen vulnerable points within the infrastructure adding preventive maintenance as another benefit of this control process. 

FIM is a regulatory prerequisite

While it’s obvious that file integrity monitoring provides comprehensive security benefits, some data regulation agencies have cited FIM has a prerequisite of their compliance approvals. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and NERC-CIP (North American Electric Reliability Corporation critical infrastructure protection) all specifically cite FIM as a critical tool in supporting the prevention of unauthorized file access or changes within an organization. Having the support of such credible data security programs and organizations only further evidences the benefits of this control access supplement and its need within datacenter infrastructures. 

A vital tool for maintaining security & compliance

There are many file integrity monitoring solutions available, some of which are more feature-rich than others. Before selecting a security provider for an FIM configuration, it is important to first understand the complete dynamics of the selected infrastructure to minimize any complications. Datacenters today are commonly comprised of varying operating systems along with differing hardware from multiple vendors that include legacy devices to the most recent computing equipment. Having this knowledge will help organizations choose a solution that not only provides the security benefits included with file integrity monitoring, but can also be flexible in supporting the unique environments in which FIM will be monitoring. 

While file integrity monitoring is only one tool to help with threat detection and response time, it is a proven method of increasing data security that should be viewed as an essential resource in all datacenters.