Arizona Department of Homeland Security enhances cybersecurity with Elastic's AI-driven security analytics

The Arizona Department of Homeland Security (AZDOHS) operates in an environment that requires a robust cybersecurity strategy to protect against ever-evolving threats. With a mission to safeguard state and local infrastructures, the team at AZDOHS faced the daunting task of monitoring an expansive array of data points and potential vulnerabilities.

Striving for efficiency amid a sea of over 12 terabytes of daily logs from various data sources, the AZDOHS team found themselves dealing with an overwhelming amount of information. Traditional methods were no longer sufficient; they needed a way to sift through massive data volumes to identify high-fidelity threats quickly.

The AZDOHS turned to Elastic's AI-driven security analytics capabilities to enhance its cyber defense. Elastic's data analytics engine allowed the team to automate the detection of anomalies and malicious activities amid billions of data events.

"At the outset, adapting to Elastic's AI capabilities was a significant shift from our norm. But as we got more accustomed to the platform, it became clear that the AI-driven insights were instrumental in elevating our cybersecurity posture," said Austin Eakin, Senior Information Technology Engineer at AZDOHS.

While the onboarding process was daunting for the smaller team, the persistent collaboration between the AZDOHS and Elastic's dedicated Engineering team allowed them to carve a path through the challenges — such as assimilating CrowdStrike endpoint detection and response (EDR) logs into Elastic.

One of the department's critical strategies was leveraging Elastic's pre-built alerts and customizing them to fit its unique security context. By doing so, the team could distill relevant threat information, reducing false positives and alert fatigue for their analysts.

Eakin recalled a pivotal moment that underscored Elastic's impact: "I remember working through a consulting call when an alert for a possible breach surfaced. The enrichment and correlation Elastic provided enabled us to leap into action immediately, shifting from mainly reactive measures to a more proactive stance."

The burgeoning partnership with Elastic has paved the way for a future where AZDOHS can expect to delve even deeper into proactive threat hunting and security automation. The department anticipates utilizing Elastic’s continuing advancements in AI and machine learning, which will bolster its capabilities in preempting cyber threats.

"Our journey is far from over," Eakin reflected, "We are eager to explore further integrations such as Elastic's AI Assistant for Security to augment our analysts' efforts. While we are mindful of regulatory guidelines, we stay poised to capitalize on these AI advancements, ensuring AZDOHS can maintain a fortified barrier against cyber adversaries."

The integration of Elastic's AI-driven security analytics within AZDOHS exemplifies the transformative potential of embracing innovative solutions to enhance cybersecurity operations. As Elastic continues to evolve its platform, organizations like AZDOHS can look forward to even greater strides in the protection and resilience of their critical infrastructures.

Want to learn more? Check out the Elastic and AZDOHS webinar.

The release and timing of any features or functionality described in this post remain at Elastic's sole discretion. Any features or functionality not currently available may not be delivered on time or at all.