Exabeam
by Exabeam
Covered
9
controls
Partial
3
controls
Gaps
3
controls
Overview
Exabeam by Exabeam is a siem & logging solution that covers 9 NIST 800-171 controls (8% total coverage). It addresses key requirements in the siem & logging domain for defense contractors pursuing CMMC compliance.
Implementation Notes
Deploy Exabeam with FIPS-validated configurations. Integrate with your SIEM for centralized audit logging. Review partial controls quarterly to identify supplementary tooling needs.
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Implementation Guidance for Exabeam
Configure Exabeam for NIST 800-171 compliance by focusing on these key control families: For AU (Audit and Accountability) controls, enable comprehensive log collection from all CUI systems, configure retention policies for 90+ days, and set up automated alerting for audit failures. In the Security Console, define custom rules for detecting unauthorized access attempts and privilege escalations. For AC (Access Control) monitoring, implement User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to detect anomalous login patterns and privilege abuse. Configure session monitoring rules to track administrative access and flag concurrent sessions from different locations. For SI (System and Information Integrity) requirements, deploy the Advanced Analytics engine to correlate security events across your environment and identify potential threats to CUI systems. Set up automated incident response playbooks that trigger when high-risk activities are detected. To generate assessment evidence, use Exabeam's compliance reporting module to create audit trails showing log collection coverage, retention compliance, and incident response metrics. Export detailed forensic timelines for C3PAO reviews. Integrate Exabeam with your SIEM feeds, Active Directory for user context, and endpoint detection tools via REST APIs. Common misconfigurations include insufficient log source coverage (missing CUI system logs), inadequate retention settings, and poorly tuned analytics rules that generate excessive false positives, leading to C3PAO findings about ineffective monitoring.
Gap Analysis & Compensating Controls
Exabeam's 8% coverage leaves significant gaps in 3 critical NIST 800-171 control families that require additional tools for full compliance. The largest gap exists in SC (System and Communications Protection) controls, which require network segmentation, boundary protection, and cryptographic implementations that Exabeam cannot provide. Implement a next-generation firewall with micro-segmentation capabilities and network access control (NAC) solutions to address these requirements. CM (Configuration Management) controls represent another major gap, requiring dedicated configuration management tools like Nessus or Rapid7 for vulnerability scanning, and solutions like Ansible or Puppet for baseline configuration enforcement. The third gap covers portions of IA (Identification and Authentication) that need multi-factor authentication and privileged access management beyond Exabeam's monitoring capabilities. Document these gaps in your System Security Plan (SSP) by clearly stating Exabeam's role as a monitoring and analytics tool, not a comprehensive security platform. In your Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M), prioritize closing SC gaps first due to their high CMMC assessment weight, followed by CM controls for vulnerability management, then remaining IA controls. Clearly map compensating controls and explain how the combination of tools provides complete coverage.
Compliance Cost Estimate
Exabeam licensing typically ranges from $15-25 per user per month for the Advanced Analytics platform, with enterprise deployments often requiring $100K-300K annually for mid-sized defense contractors (500-2000 users). Implementation costs range from $50K-150K including professional services, rule customization, and integration work. Ongoing maintenance requires 0.5-1 FTE for rule tuning, report generation, and incident investigation, adding $75K-150K annually in personnel costs. Additional costs include log storage scaling ($5K-15K/month) and third-party integrations. Compared to competitors like Splunk Enterprise Security ($2K-5K per GB/day) or IBM QRadar ($20K-40K per flow), Exabeam offers competitive user-based pricing that's more predictable for defense contractors with high log volumes but moderate user counts.
Compliance Cross-References
Exabeam directly supports DFARS 252.204-7012 requirements for safeguarding CUI through its audit logging and incident detection capabilities, particularly addressing the 'audit and accountability' and 'incident response' clauses. For CMMC Level 2 domains, Exabeam provides strong coverage in AU.L2 (audit log management), AC.L2 (access control monitoring), and portions of IR.L2 (incident response). The platform's UEBA capabilities satisfy CMMC assessment objectives for detecting insider threats and advanced persistent threats targeting CUI systems. However, additional tools are required for AM.L2 (asset management), CM.L2 (configuration management), and SC.L2 (system and communications protection) domains. For FedRAMP alignment, Exabeam addresses AU-2, AU-3, AU-6, AU-12 (audit controls), SI-4 (information system monitoring), and IR-4, IR-5 (incident response controls). C3PAO assessors will verify that Exabeam generates compliant audit records, maintains appropriate retention, and provides evidence of security monitoring effectiveness across all CUI systems in scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NIST 800-171 controls does Exabeam cover?
Exabeam covers 9 of 110 NIST 800-171 controls (8%), with 3 partially covered and 3 gaps.
Can Exabeam alone satisfy CMMC Level 2?
No single tool covers all 110 NIST 800-171 controls. Exabeam covers 8% and should be part of a layered security stack addressing the remaining controls.
What controls does Exabeam not cover?
Exabeam does not cover controls mp-3-8-1, ia-3-5-1, pe-3-10-1. These require supplementary solutions such as physical security controls, additional access management, or media protection tools.
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