What is SOAR (security orchestration, automation, and response)?

SOAR platforms typically combine threat detection, incident response, and process automation to deliver all-around protection. SOAR allows organizations to combine separate tools and ensure comprehensive defenses against security threats.

How does SOAR work?

SOAR has three main elements: threat and vulnerability management, responding to security incidents, and automating security operations.

Threat and vulnerability management

SOAR platforms integrate (or "orchestrate") tools to detect, assess, and mitigate threats. Platforms leverage data from endpoint protection tools, SIEM, and threat intelligence feeds to triage alerts according to risk levels.

Risk-scoring separates low-urgency alerts and false positives from urgent vulnerabilities requiring immediate action. Security teams also gain instant visibility of network weak spots and potential threats before attackers launch damaging attacks.

Security incident response

High risk scores automatically trigger pre-defined playbooks to fix vulnerabilities, launch further investigations, or neutralize active threats. Playbooks lead security teams through mitigation procedures via step-by-step instructions. SOAR enables both automation and guided manual response based on various pre-defined scenarios. For example, when securing compromised accounts or blocking suspicious IP addresses.

SOAR tools also generate evidence trails for use in compliance audits and security improvement processes. Companies can determine the root cause of security incidents and understand how to avoid similar problems in the future.

Security operations automation

SOAR platforms automate simple cybersecurity tasks to reduce the workload on security teams. For example, security tools might automatically disconnect unauthorized endpoints or quarantine applications displaying suspicious behavior.

Organizations can customize SOAR platforms to change the degree of automation and human input. Analysts can take a more interventionist stance and assess alerts individually or automate large portions of security workflows. That way, analysts must only deal with high-risk alerts.

Benefits of SOAR

Implementing SOAR has many potential benefits. Common advantages of switching to SOAR platforms include:

Enterprise-wide security orchestration

The most important benefit of SOAR is that it brings together disparate security tools under a centralized umbrella. Security data from SIEM software, firewalls, EDR, and external intelligence providers feeds into central consoles to inform analysis and incident response.

Companies can use existing security tools, which cuts costs and ensures familiarity. SOAR makes these existing tools more productive by orchestrating them efficiently.

Streamlined incident response

SOAR platforms also allow organizations to respond to security incidents more consistently and rapidly. Automated detection catches threats at an early stage and determines risk ratings. SOAR playbooks then utilize security tools to contain and neutralize threats.

Orchestration extends to cross-departmental collaboration. Security team members and other stakeholders can access security tools and coordinate responses. Automation extends across departmental boundaries, ensuring consistent processes.

Streamlined incident response also drives down metrics like mean time to respond (MTTR). SOAR tools contain threats quickly, preventing escalation and spread across network assets. This cuts the risk of data breaches and advanced persistent threats.

Making analysts more productive

SOAR platforms help security teams to work smarter and more efficiently. Analysts can delegate routine detection and containment tasks to security tools. There is less need to switch between different tools, while automatic analysis enriches alerts with minimal human involvement.

Thanks to SOAR, analysts can redirect their energy and expertise to assessing strategic security operations. For example, analysts can dedicate time to proactive threat hunting and counter advanced threats before they damage networks or steal critical data.

Data derived from endpoints and threat intelligence platforms also aids decision-making. Analysts have enough information to make informed decisions and take action as quickly as possible.

SOAR scales smoothly as organizations evolve

Properly-implemented SOAR platforms are designed to expand with your organizational needs. SOAR can process high volumes of emails or web traffic without compromising performance or requiring new security hires.

Moreover, companies can add new cloud services or geographic locations. SOAR will adapt to these changes and provide them with security coverage.

Improved compliance documentation and security audits

SOAR creates a detailed record of security data and mitigation actions. Centralized logging records alerts and incident responses, making it easier to generate compliance reports under HIPAA or PCI-DSS regulations. Regulators can follow a standardized audit trail to approve security operations, streamlining the compliance process.

Aside from documentation, SOAR platforms generally improve cybersecurity outcomes by blocking threat actors before they succeed. This cuts the risk of compliance penalties and the reputational harm resulting from data loss or DDoS attacks.

Practical SOAR use cases

SOAR is a powerful suite of technologies, but its benefits may seem unclear without practical context. Let's discuss a few real-world use cases that highlight how SOAR improves security operations and improves on legacy approaches.

Dealing with high volumes of phishing alerts

Companies face a daunting task when assessing and blocking phishers. Every day, cybercriminals send around 3.4 billion phishing emails and Google blocks over 100 million suspicious messages. In that context, businesses need ways to assess every threat according to risk and severity.

SOAR platforms provide a solution. SOAR integrates with email clients and services, assessing every email and attached files. SOAR tools can scan links for known attack sites, assess sender reputations, and use threat intelligence platforms to detect suspicious sender addresses.

Without automated security operations, security teams would face high workloads and - inevitably - miss many risky phishing emails. Automation removes human error from the equation.

Dynamic endpoint protection

In complex network environments, endpoints constantly change. Users add new devices and apps, while cloud services come online unpredictably. All of these endpoints require security protection, and SOAR provides an ideal solution.

SOAR integrates endpoint detection and response tools and antivirus scanners, allowing security teams to monitor traffic across all connected devices. SIEM integrations deliver information about suspicious network events, providing complete visibility over the network's most vulnerable locations.

Handling zero-day threats

Zero-day exploits and malware agents target unpatched software vulnerabilities to compromise network assets. Signature-based antimalware tools often fail to identify zero-day attacks, as the agents or vulnerabilities are unknown.

SOAR solutions tackle this issue by leveraging threat intelligence. Threat intelligence platforms monitor emerging exploits and malware techniques. SOAR tools draw on global databases and indicators of compromise (IoCs) to analyze potential threats and identify the root cause. Security teams can catch new attack types that older cybersecurity tools would most likely miss.

Case study: How SOAR solutions can benefit a financial company

Let's consider a typical small to medium-sized company offering wealth management and accounting services. The company needs to protect customer data rigorously and to safeguard both transactions and sensitive documentation.

SOAR platforms contribute to this goal in many ways. Phishing filters handle thousands of emails from fake customers or regulatory sources. SIEM systems detect suspicious data transfers, including unusual transactions. EDR searches for active ransomware threats, preventing encryption and data theft. And behavior monitoring tools track user activity, guarding against insider threats.

For companies like this, the great benefit of SOAR platforms is orchestration. SOAR combines essential security functions that ensure compliance and protect data, leaving few gaps for security threats to exploit.

What is SIEM?

Security information and event management (SIEM) and Security orchestration, automation and response are often confused. However, the two technologies perform different roles in cybersecurity settings.

SIEM collects logs from multiple sources, including endpoints, firewalls, and network servers. SIEM tools apply pre-defined rules to this log data, comparing incoming traffic with malware signatures and suspicious patterns of user behavior.

If scanning tools discover a match, SIEM consoles generate a security alert. However, unlike SOAR, human intervention is needed at this point. Analysts receive alerts and use log information to determine the nature and severity of potential threats.

SIEM is a useful tool in threat detection and compliance reporting. It enables security teams to document adverse events and incident responses, and provides real-time data to block threats before attacks occur.

The difference between SIEM and SOAR

SIEM is often used as a critical component of SOAR deployments. However, relying on SIEM alone can lead to gaps in your security posture.

The event management features of SIEM document events and allow security teams to take informed actions. SOAR platforms are far more comprehensive.

SOAR implementations include automated playbooks to respond to threats. Alerts proceed directly from threat detection tools to mitigation measures. There is no need for human intervention, which speeds up the process and cuts the risk of human error.

SOAR solutions also orchestrate multiple tools. SOAR allows users to combine SIEM with threat intelligence tools, endpoint detection and response, next-generation firewalls, and threat protection solutions (such as email scanning and DNS filtering).

Companies can also treat individual alerts in-depth, using intelligence and locally gathered security information to dive deep into attack methods and mitigation processes. Unlike pure SIEM solutions, SOAR lets analysts choose whether to intervene.

In general, SOAR is more flexible and powerful, although SIEM can provide a wealth of security information to supplement analysis and aid compliance.

Coordinate security tasks with SOAR solutions

SOAR combines many different security tools under a single solution. SOAR "orchestrates" detection tools, intelligence feeds, firewalls, and behavioral analysis software, allowing components to work in harmony. Harmonization usually results in more efficient threat detection, fewer false positives, and streamlined incident responses.