QRadar

QRadar is an IBM security information and event management (SIEM) platform that collects, normalizes, and analyzes security data from across an organization to detect threats, prioritize alerts, and support incident response and compliance reporting. It provides real-time visibility into security events, enabling security operations teams to identify anomalous activity and investigate incidents more efficiently.

Its core components include the QRadar Console for management and analytics, Event and Flow processors for log and network-flow data processing, and Data Nodes that scale storage and processing. App Hosts extend functionality with optional integrations and additional rules, dashboards, and data collectors. Data can be ingested from a broad spectrum of sources, including syslog, Windows event logs, application logs, and cloud services, and it can also receive network flow data via NetFlow, sFlow, and related protocols. Device Support Modules (DSMs) enable parsing and normalization for a wide range of devices.

QRadar uses a correlation engine to normalize events, correlate related activities, and generate offenses that group related alerts for investigation. The platform provides built-in dashboards, search capabilities, and case management to support investigation and remediation. It also supports a library of apps and integrations to extend data sources, analytics, and automation, and can integrate with security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) workflows.

Deployment options include on-premises software and appliance deployments as well as cloud-based offerings under the QRadar on Cloud service. A community edition (QRadar CE) is available for learning and lab use with limited resources.

QRadar is widely used by enterprise security operations centers to detect advanced threats, perform forensic analysis, and support regulatory compliance initiatives such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR through centralized log management and audit-ready reporting.