QRadar to Splunk Migration

SIEM Deployment & Configuration

A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform is the heartbeat of any SOC, powering log ingestion, event correlation, and real-time threat detection. Many organizations today are evaluating QRadar to Splunk Migration as they outgrow the limitations of their legacy SIEMs. IBM QRadar has historically provided strong offense management and out-of the-box correlation; however, its reliance on EPS-based licensing, rigid DSM parsing, and limited flexibility in detection logic has made it difficult for many SOCs to keep pace with growing log volumes, advanced attacks, and cloud-native architectures.

Splunk Enterprise Security (ES), on the other hand, offers unmatched flexibility, scalability, and detection capabilities. Its Search Processing Language (SPL), Common Information Model (CIM), and vast app ecosystem enable SOC teams to normalize data faster, build complex detections, and integrate seamlessly with threat intelligence and SOAR workflows.

QRadar vs Splunk: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature / Capability

QRadar

Splunk (Enterprise Security)

Why Splunk is Better

Licensing Model

EPS (Events per Second) based – costly at high volumes

Volume (GB/day) or IHU (Infrastructure based)

More predictable & scalable pricing

Data Onboarding

DSMs (Device Support Modules) – slow updates, rigid

TAs (Technology Add-ons) + CIM – flexible, fast

Faster log onboarding & normalization

Query Language

AQL – limited flexibility

SPL – powerful, supports complex analytics

Stronger for threat hunting & custom detections

Use Case Development

CRE (Custom Rules Engine)

Correlation Searches + Risk Framework

Easier customization, MITRE-aligned

Dashboards & Reporting

Static, less interactive

Real-time, customizable, interactive

Better analyst experience

Threat Intelligence

IBM X-Force (limited flexibility)

Built-in TI Framework + 3rd party feeds

More open, supports multiple feeds

Scalability

Hardware dependent

Indexer clustering + Cloud-native

Better for large/hybrid environments

Automation / SOAR

IBM Resilient SOAR

Splunk SOAR (playbooks, automation)

Tighter integration with SIEM

Ecosystem & Apps

Limited marketplace

Splunkbase with 2,000+ apps

Rich ecosystem, faster integrations

Community & Support

Smaller global community

Large global community + Splunk Answers

Stronger peer & vendor support

Migration Checklist: QRadar to Splunk Migration

Migrating from QRadar to Splunk is not just a lift-and-shift; it’s a structured transformation of your SOC. A well-planned migration reduces risk, ensures operational continuity, and maximizes Splunk’s long-term value. Below is a step-by-step migration checklist designed for both business leaders and technical teams

Phase 1: QRadar to Splunk Migration Pre-Migration Assessment

Business Actions (CISOs / Managers):

  • Define migration objectives (scalability, cloud-readiness, advanced analytics).
  • Align Splunk licensing (GB/day or IHU) with budget and growth projections.
  • Set success KPIs: reduced MTTD, faster incident response, lower TCO.
  • Ensure security and compliance alignment (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.).
  • Optimize data onboarding and retention policies for cost and performance.
  • Enable observability and automation through ITSM, CI/CD, and SOAR integration.

Technical Actions (SOC / Engineers)

  • Inventory all log sources in QRadar (firewalls, endpoints, O365, cloud).
  • Export existing CRE rules, DSM configurations, and dashboards.
  • Calculate EPS in QRadar → GB/day ingestion for Splunk.
  • Establish a lab/test Splunk environment for validation.
  • Map QRadar use cases and offenses to Splunk correlation searches.
  • Validate data parsing and field extractions against Splunk CIM.
  • Plan a phased migration with a rollback strategy and obtain stakeholder sign-off.
  • Conduct user training and knowledge transfer sessions

Phase 2: Data Onboarding

Business Actions

  • Approve phased onboarding — start with critical security logs (firewall, AD, endpoint).
  • Track migration progress via a governance dashboard.
  • Define success checkpoints and sign-offs at each onboarding stage.
  • Engage stakeholders regularly with status reports and risk updates.
  • Align onboarding priorities with compliance and audit requirements..

Technical Actions

  • Replace QRadar DSMs → Splunk TAs (Technology Add-ons).
  • Normalize data into Splunk CIM (Common Information Model).
  • Validate field extractions with sample queries.
  • Document mappings: QRadar DSM field → Splunk sourcetype + CIM field.
  • Automate onboarding validation with test alerts/dashboards
  • Establish retention and indexing policies for each log source.
  • Implement data quality checks to detect parsing or ingestion errors.
  • Configure role-based access and index-level permissions.
  • Benchmark ingestion performance to validate license and hardware capacity.
  • Integrate onboarding logs with Splunk monitoring console for visibility.

Phase 3: Detection & Use Case Migration

Business Actions

  • Prioritize high-value use cases (brute force, malware, insider threats).
  • Align use cases with MITRE ATT&CK for measurable maturity.
  • Migrate existing QRadar CRE rules into Splunk correlation searches.
  • Validate use cases with red team / simulated attack scenarios.
  • Define KPIs (detection coverage, alert fidelity, false positive rate).
  • Document each migrated use case with logic, data sources, and owners.

Technical Actions

  • Translate QRadar CRE rules → Splunk Correlation Searches.
  • Implement Risk-Based Alerting (RBA) in Splunk ES.
  • Add threat intelligence enrichment to key searches.
  • Test migrated detections against historical logs.
  • Tune correlation searches to reduce false positives and noise.
  • Map detections to incident response workflows in SOAR/ITSM.
  • Document detection logic, dependencies, and validation results.
  • Establish version control for correlation searches and detection content.

Phase 4: Dashboards, Reporting & Workflows

Business Actions

  • Approve SOC visibility requirements (exec dashboards, compliance reports).
  • Align Splunk reporting with audit/regulatory needs.
  • Define role-based dashboards for SOC analysts, managers, and executives.
  • Automate scheduled reporting for compliance and governance reviews.
  • Validate dashboard accuracy with sample incidents and historical data.
  • Establish continuous improvement cycle for reporting and visualization.
  • Integrate reporting with ticketing/ITSM systems for workflow tracking.
  • Incorporate threat intelligence trends into executive reports.
  • Provide drill-down capabilities from summary to raw event data.
  • Benchmark dashboard performance to ensure scalability with data growth.

Technical Actions

  • Rebuild QRadar dashboards → Splunk ES Incident Review & custom dashboards.
  • Enable drill-downs for faster Tier-1/2 investigations.
  • Automate repetitive investigations via Splunk SOAR playbooks.
  • Integrate case management with ITSM or ticketing tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira).
  • Standardize investigation workflows with predefined response templates.
  • Validate automation playbooks against common incident types.

Phase 5: Parallel Run & Cutover

Business Actions

  • Approve dual licensing period (QRadar + Splunk for 4–6 weeks).
  • Track false positive rate, SOC efficiency, and detection coverage.
  • Conduct parallel run to compare QRadar vs Splunk detection accuracy.
  • Gather SOC analyst feedback on usability, speed, and investigation quality.
  • Validate reporting consistency across both platforms during transition.
  • Define formal cutover criteria and rollback triggers.

Technical Actions

  • Run QRadar and Splunk in parallel.
  • Validate log source completeness (100% critical logs migrated).
  • Measure alert parity (ensure Splunk detects what QRadar did — and more).
  • Decommission QRadar gradually once Splunk stabilizes.

Phase 6: Post-Migration Optimization

Business Actions

  • Review ROI: improved SOC productivity, reduced downtime, and lower TCO.
  • Reassess license sizing after 90 days of operations.

Technical Actions

  • Expand Splunk with UEBA, ML, and SOAR.

  • Onboard non-security data (IT ops, business telemetry) for extended use cases.

  • Continuously fine-tune correlation searches and RBA scores.

Why This Checklist Works

  • For Leaders (CISOs): It ties migration to business outcomes: scalability, cost savings, compliance, and reduced risk.
  • For Engineers (SOC): It provides a structured technical roadmap: DSM → TA, CRE → SPL, offenses → notables.
  • For the SOC: It ensures zero blind spots, a smoother cutover, and long-term Splunk adoption success.

Real-World Migration Example: From QRadar Rule to Splunk Detection

Case Study: Migrating a Brute Force Login Detection

One of the most common SOC use cases is brute force detection – multiple failed logins from a single user or IP within a short period. This rule is critical for detecting compromised accounts and insider threats. In QRadar, this was handled through a Custom Rule Engine (CRE) rule. In Splunk, it’s implemented as a Correlation Search using SPL, enriched with risk scoring and MITRE ATT&CK mapping.

Technical Migration

QRadar CRE Rule Example

  • Logic: Trigger an offense if >10 failed login attempts from one IP in 5 minutes.
  • Limitations: Static thresholds, no MITRE mapping, no risk scoring

Splunk Correlation Search Example

Key Takeaways

  • For Engineers: Migration from QRadar CRE → Splunk SPL enables flexible logic, enrichment, and automation.
  • For CISOs: Business outcome = reduced false positives, faster incident response, and stronger compliance mapping.
  • For the SOC: Analysts save time, alerts are smarter, and response is partly automated.

Conclusion

Migrating from QRadar to Splunk represents a strategic upgrade for modern SOCs. QRadar’s EPS-based licensing model and rigid parsing create scalability challenges, whereas Splunk provides flexibility, cloud readiness, advanced analytics, and automation. Through a structured migration approach that encompasses log sources, detections, dashboards, and workflows, organizations benefit from predictable costs, faster threat detection, and stronger alignment with compliance. Splunk ultimately enables SOCs to scale efficiently and operate with greater intelligence. AS13.AI offers comprehensive migration consulting to support a seamless transition. Contact us to begin your journey.