What is the main purpose of correlations in Splunk ES?

The main purpose of correlations in Splunk Enterprise Security is to connect disparate events that may indicate a broader security threat. Correlation searches analyze and identify relationships between different incidents and data points across your environment. By linking these events together, security analysts can uncover patterns or trends that might signify a potential security breach or attack. This proactive approach allows organizations to respond more effectively to threats by understanding the context and significance of multiple events rather than examining individual occurrences in isolation.

In contrast, analyzing individual data points is more of a traditional data exploration activity and does not focus on the patterns that correlations unveil. Categorizing alerts based on severity pertains to the management and prioritization of alerts rather than the identification of relationships between them. Compiling reports on historical data is about retrospective analysis, while correlation focuses on real-time data integration to respond to security threats.