What does MEAS do?
MEAS is a software product designed to forward z/OS events to Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems. It captures events occurring on the z/OS platform and transmits them to other platforms for centralized security monitoring and analysis. This allows organizations to gain visibility into z/OS security events within their broader security landscape.
Is this a system, application, or tool?
MEAS is best described as middleware. It acts as an intermediary, collecting data from the z/OS system and forwarding it to other systems, specifically SIEM solutions. It is not an end-user application or a development framework, but rather a component that facilitates communication between systems.
What types of organizations use this?
Organizations that rely on the z/OS platform for critical applications and data, and that also use a SIEM solution for security monitoring, are the best fit for MEAS. This includes large enterprises in industries such as banking, finance, insurance, and government. Any organization needing to integrate z/OS security events into a centralized security monitoring platform should consider MEAS.
When should we consider MEAS?
A company should consider using MEAS when they need to integrate z/OS security events into their existing SIEM infrastructure. If an organization wants to gain a comprehensive view of its security posture, including events occurring on the mainframe, MEAS provides a solution for forwarding those events to a centralized SIEM platform.
What are the alternatives to MEAS?
Alternatives to MEAS include other z/OS event forwarding solutions, such as IBM Z Operational Log and Data Analytics, Type80 Syslog, Ironstream, and potentially custom-built solutions. The key difference often lies in the specific features, ease of integration with particular SIEM platforms, and the level of support provided.