Top 5 Log Management Challenges for Financial Institutions and How to Overcome Them with Observe

By Grant SwansonJuly 23, 2024

In the highly regulated and fast-paced world of financial institutions, effective log management is crucial. Logs are not only essential for tracking transactions and ensuring security but also for achieving compliance with stringent regulatory standards. However, managing vast amounts of log data can present several challenges. This blog post will explore the top five log management challenges faced by financial institutions and how Observe can help overcome them.

1. High Cost of Log Data Storage

Problem: Storing large volumes of log data can be financially burdensome, especially with traditional log management solutions like Splunk, which come with high licensing and storage costs.

Result: Observe offers a cost-effective alternative by utilizing commodity cloud storage and compressing data by an average of 10x. This drastically reduces storage costs and provides a scalable solution for managing log data. With Observe, customers can reduce overall expenses by up to 70%.

2. Ensuring Compliance with Data Retention Mandates

Problem: Financial institutions must adhere to various compliance standards that require specific data retention periods. Managing and retaining this data can be complex and resource-intensive.

Result: Observe simplifies compliance by automatically aligning with data retention mandates. You don’t need to replace your existing Splunk setup; simply transfer your compliance-related log data to Observe. This seamless integration ensures you meet regulatory requirements efficiently and without disruption.

3. Performance Issues with Log Data Ingestion and Analysis

Problem: Ingesting and analyzing log data at scale often leads to performance bottlenecks, making it difficult to derive insights in a timely manner.

Result: Observe is designed to handle large volumes of data effortlessly. It scales from tens of terabytes of hourly ingestion to a petabytes per day, ensuring optimal performance and quick access to critical insights. This means you can analyze log data at scale without compromising on performance.

4. Slow Query Response Times

Problem: Slow query response times can cause operational delays and hinder the ability to respond to compliance checks or security incidents promptly.

Result: With Observe, all log data remains “hot” at all times, meaning it is always readily available for querying. This eliminates the need for time-consuming data rehydration from cold storage and ensures that you can access and analyze data instantly, enhancing operational efficiency.

5. Scalability Concerns

Problem: As financial institutions grow, their log data volumes increase exponentially. Scaling traditional log management solutions often requires capacity planning that is challenging and expensive.

Result: Observe offers an architecture that scales elastically and supports seamless expansion, allowing you to manage log data from terabytes to petabytes with ease. This ensures that your log management solution grows with your organization, providing continuous and efficient data handling capabilities.

Case Study Highlight: Real-World Impact

A leading global bank faced significant challenges with their previous log management solution, Splunk. They struggled with rapidly growing licensing costs and suboptimal performance when ingesting and analyzing log data at scale. By switching to Observe, the bank addressed these challenges effectively and realized $20M in savings. They now enjoy instant availability of log data, seamless scalability, and significant cost reductions, making their operations more efficient and compliant.

About the Bank:

  • Revenue: $32.95B
  • Employees: 49,454
  • Previous Log Management Solution: Splunk

Challenges:

  • Rapidly growing Splunk licensing costs
  • Data retention
  • Suboptimal performance while ingesting and analyzing log data at scale

Use Cases:

  • Log Analytics
  • Achieving Compliance Requirements

Operational Highlights:

  • Availability of log data for instant analysis
  • Tens of terabytes of daily ingestion, with effortless scalability to tens of petabytes per year
  • Achieving compliance requirements with default data retention of thirteen months
  • Improved productivity by eliminating data tiering to warm and cold storage
  • Massive cost reduction

Conclusion

For financial institutions, achieving zero-compromise compliance while managing costs and ensuring rapid data access is a balancing act. Observe offers a robust solution that addresses all these needs. By moving your log data to Observe, you can achieve compliance effortlessly, reduce costs significantly, and enjoy the benefits of always hot data for instant querying.

Ready to transform your log management? Start a free trial or book a demo by clicking the button at the top of the page to see how Observe can modernize your log data management and drive your compliance success.

Resources