What is the main function of ingestion in cybersecurity?

Ingestion in cybersecurity primarily refers to the process of taking raw data from various sources, such as logs, network traffic, or endpoint data, and converting that information into a format that can be easily analyzed and used by security tools and systems. This function is essential because the vast amounts of data generated in a network must be standardized and structured for further processing, analysis, and decision-making.

By converting extracted information into a usable format, ingestion enables security teams to effectively identify threats, detect anomalies, and respond to incidents. This process often involves filtering, transforming, and enriching data to enhance its quality and relevance, making it easier to correlate with other data sets or apply analytical processes.

The other options, while related to cyber operations, do not capture the specific role of ingestion. Monitoring network traffic focuses more on observing and analyzing data flows without necessarily converting that information. Storing data securely pertains to data storage best practices rather than the initial handling and transformation of data. Performing network diagnostics relates to troubleshooting and assessing network health rather than the process of data ingestion itself.