SIEM Agents are primarily responsible for the initial stages of data processing within a SIEM system. Their duties include:

Collecting data: SIEM Agents collect logs and other data from various devices across the network. This is a crucial step as it ensures that all relevant data is gathered for analysis.

Normalizing data: Once the data is collected, SIEM Agents normalize it, which means they convert different log and data formats into a standardized format. This process is essential for the SIEM’s central engine to analyze and correlate the data effectively.

The responsibilities of SIEM Agents generally do not include correlating data (which is typically done by the central SIEM engine) or visualizing data (which is usually a function of the SIEM’s user interface or reporting tools).

References: The roles and responsibilities of SIEM Agents are outlined in EC-Council’s SOC Analyst course materials and official certification guides. These resources emphasize the importance of data collection and normalization as foundational tasks performed by SIEM Agents in a Security Operations Center (SOC)12.