Failure Pattern
SIEM correlation engines assume logs and telemetry are accurate. If identity is wrong, correlations are misleading or dangerous.
What We See in the Field
A SIEM correlates actions across systems using metadata like IP, hostname, or user ID. Attackers exploit identity weaknesses, causing miscorrelations and false investigations.
Underlying Causes
Logs inheriting wrong identities
Duplicate hostnames or IPs
Stolen credentials reused across systems
Metadata drift in dynamic environments
No identity verification layer feeding the SIEM
Trust-Native Network Resolution
DTL ensures all logs carry verified, immutable identity. SIEM correlation becomes reliable because the identity layer cannot be faked or drifted.
Broken Trust Assumption
The attacks that exposed this failure pattern were not stealthy break-ins. They were trusted operations.
During incidents such as SolarWinds, Capital One, and Okta, malicious activity was carried out using valid identities and approved execution paths. Certificates were valid. Tokens were accepted. Sessions were authenticated. From the system’s point of view, nothing appeared wrong.
This is the risk of trust inferred from credentials, location, or prior authentication.