What approach should a security administrator take to integrate logs from network devices that lack direct SIEM support?

The most effective approach for integrating logs from network devices that do not have direct support for Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems is to implement Syslog Protocol. This protocol is widely used for sending event messages to a centralized server, allowing for efficient aggregation and analysis of log data from multiple devices.

Utilizing Syslog enables network devices—such as routers, switches, and firewalls—to send logs in a standardized format to a Syslog server. This centralizes log management, providing improved visibility into network activities and facilitating the identification of security incidents. By relying on Syslog, security administrators can gather vital log information without needing individual integrations or specific support for each network device within the SIEM.

In contrast, while configuring devices to push log changes can help, it may still leave gaps in log data collection if the method of "push" is not standardized or if devices do not support it adequately. Additionally, using a centralized logging server is certainly beneficial for log management; however, it often relies on the devices' ability to send logs via protocols like Syslog. Network flow analysis itself is more focused on understanding traffic patterns rather than capturing detailed log information about events, making it less effective for this purpose.