Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) refers to a set of solutions and tools that automate cyberattack prevention and response. This automation is accomplished by unifying your integrations, defining how tasks should be run, and developing an incident response plan that suits your organization’s needs.
With the help of SOAR technology, security operation center (SOC) teams that were previously inundated with repetitive and time-consuming tasks are now able to resolve incidents more efficiently. This, in turn, reduces costs, fills coverage gaps, and boosts productivity.
Security Orchestration
Security orchestration connects and integrates disparate internal and external tools via built-in or custom integrations and application programming interfaces. Connected systems may include vulnerability scanners, endpoint protection products, user and entity behavior analytics, firewalls, intrusion detection and intrusion prevention systems (IDSes/IPSes).
It also includes security information and event management (SIEM) platforms, endpoint security software, external threat intelligence feeds, and other third-party sources.
The more data gathered through these sources, the better the chance of detecting threats, along with assembling more complete context and improving collaboration. The tradeoffs, however, are more alerts and more data to ingest and analyze. Where security orchestration collects and consolidates data to initiate response functions, security automation takes action.
Security Automation
Security automation ingests and analyzes data and creates repeated, automated processes to replace manual processes. Tasks previously performed by analysts, such as vulnerability scanning, log analysis, ticket checking and auditing capabilities, can be standardized and automatically executed by SOAR platforms.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to decipher and adapt insights from analysts, SOAR automation can prioritize threats, make recommendations and automate future responses.
Alternatively, automation can elevate threats if human intervention is needed.
Playbooks are essential to the success of SOAR in cybersecurity. Prebuilt or customized playbooks are predefined automated actions. Multiple SOAR playbooks can be connected to complete complex actions.
The automation features of SOAR set it apart from other security systems because they help eliminate the need for manual steps, which can be time-consuming and tedious. Security automation can accomplish a wide range of tasks, including managing user access and query logs. Automation can also be used as a tool for orchestration. As an orchestration solution, SOAR can automate tasks that would normally necessitate multiple security tools.
Security Response
Security Response offers a single view for analysts into the planning, managing, monitoring and reporting of actions carried out after a threat is detected. This single view enables collaboration and threat intelligence sharing across security, network and systems teams.
It also includes post-incident response activities, such as case management and reporting.
Both orchestration and automation provide the foundation for the response feature of a SOAR system. With SOAR, an organization can manage, plan, and coordinate how they react to a security threat.
The automation feature of SOAR in cybersecurity eliminates the risk of human error. This makes responses more accurate and cuts down on the amount of time it takes for security issues to be remedied.
A SOAR system enables cybersecurity and IT teams to combine efforts as they address the overall network environment in a more unified manner. The tools and solutions that SOAR uses can combine internal data and external information about threats. Teams can then use this information to ascertain the issues at the root of each security situation.
SOAR tools & solutions
Security, Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) tools are software products that enable IT teams to define, standardize and automate the organization’s incident response activities. Most organizations use these tools to automate security operations and processes, respond to incidents, and manage vulnerabilities and threats.
Generally, SOAR solutions enable teams to collect valuable security data, and identify, analyze, and address existing and potential threats and vulnerabilities from different sources. Consequently, the tools provide more visibility that allows organizations to respond to security incidents faster, efficiently, and consistently.
An ideal SOAR tool should;
- Ingest and analyze information and alerts from various security systems.
- Have the ability to define, build and automate workflows that the teams require to identify, prioritize, investigate and respond to security alerts.
- Orchestrate and integrate with a broad range of tools to improve operations.
- Have forensic capabilities to perform post-incident analysis and enable teams to improve their processes and prevent similar issues.
- Automates most of the security operations hence eliminating repetitive tasks and allowing teams to save time and concentrate on more complex tasks that require human input
The tools rely on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technologies to automate repetitive tasks such as gathering information, enriching and correlating data, and more. Such an approach helps the teams to respond to a wide range of security issues faster and at scale.
Below is BusinessYield’s pick of top SOAR tools & solutions:
ServiceNow Security Incident Response (SIR)
ServiceNow is a digital workflow, IT, and business management leader. Its Security Incident Response (SIR) is a powerful cloud-based SOAR solution that is included as part of the Security Operations (SecOps) platform. It allows SOC teams to seamlessly manage and respond to incidents, simplify collaboration, and streamline workflows.
The SecOps platform includes vulnerability management and response, threat intelligence, and configuration compliance tools.
Key features
- Automate workflow and coordinate incident response
- Extensive playbook and orchestration library for a range of scenarios
- Additional applications available from the ServiceNow store
- Artificial intelligence tools for incident investigation
- MITRE ATT&CK mapping to add context
- Virtual war room for enhanced collaboration
- Granular, real-time reporting capabilities
Chronicle SOAR
Originally Siemplify, Chronicle SOAR is part of the Google Cloud umbrella, designed to allow enterprises and MSPs to accumulate data and security alerts through orchestration, automation, threat intelligence, and incident response. The solution integrates with Chronicle SIEM to ensure both solutions are working effectively and can utilize the latest data.
Key features
- Efficient case management that can ingest, group, prioritize, assign, and investigate alerts
- Zero-code-based playbook creation
- Effective investigation capabilities – focus on the root cause of threats, rather than alerts
- Threat intelligence is integrated across the detection and response lifecycle
- Easy collaboration – you can maximize effectiveness through incident collaboration and transparency
- Raw log scan – ability to search unprocessed data to gain new insights
Splunk Phantom
Splunk Phantom is a SOAR solution that integrates with a broad range of security tools to give teams better insights and the ability to detect and respond to external and internal threats. It comes with a visual playbook editor (VPE) that enables security and development teams to use the inbuilt drag-and-drop feature to construct comprehensive playbooks.
Key features
- Design custom automation processes for specific workflows.
- Filter data and define custom security actions
- Enables teams to collaborate and make critical security decisions in real-time.
- A fast SOAR solution for enhancing security within your organization and quickly addressing incidents
- Centralized visualization
- Event per day (EPD) feature that shows the security events the tool has managed.
UnderDefense MAXI
UnderDefense MAXI is a comprehensive Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS) platform designed to provide round-the-clock protection for businesses of all sizes. This platform offers continuous monitoring of your environment, detects suspicious activities, and helps prevent breaches through security automation.
With seamless integration into existing digital ecosystems and over 45 native integrations, this solution requires no coding or redevelopment.
Key features
- 24/7 MDR service with automated response playbooks, comprehensive analytics, and round-the-clock support
- Enhanced cyber threat intelligence and threat detection with comprehensive dashboards, dark web monitoring, and on-demand threat hunting
- Detailed metrics and reporting dashboard include security insights and intelligent in-depth views
- Automated threat response and remediation with custom triaging and alerting that delivers minimal false positives
- Intuitive automation builder for building response capabilities including custom and pre-built playbooks
- Threats auto-enrichment with integrated threat intelligence
- Integrations with leading EDR solutions and other SOAR/SIEM providers
Insightconnect
Rapid7 Insightconnect is a SOAR solution that integrates, streamlines and accelerates the security processes with little or no coding. The platform connects the security tools and teams to provide complete integration and clear communication across different technologies.
Key features
- Detect, block, and respond to attacks, malware, phishing attacks, compromised user accounts, vulnerable network ports, etc.
- Automate the threat hunting and other processes to quickly identify malware, compromised URLs and domains, and suspicious activities.
- Automate the detection, blocking, and investigation of viruses, malware email phishing attacks, and other malicious programs
- Provides real-time visibility and ability to respond faster and smarter to security incidences
- Execute automated playbooks, hence speeding up the incidence response processes.
IBM Resilient
The IBM Resilient is a machine learning-based SOAR platform with enhanced threat detection and incident response capabilities. The SOAR solution is available for on-premise installation, as an MSSP service, or as a Security as a Service (SaaS) deployment model.
It provides teams with a single platform and the ability to automate operations, add intelligence, enhance collaboration and address threats faster and more efficiently.
Key features
- Enables teams to access detailed threat intelligence and actionable security alerts, hence quickly responding and managing any incident.
- Flexible deployment, automation, and orchestration options to meet unique business needs
- Gain visibility into security incidents, understand and prioritize them, then take the appropriate remedial actions.
- Built-in cyberattacks simulation feature to test the security systems and validity of the playbooks. The feature helps the teams to perform compliance audits and address any issues.
- Dynamic and additive playbooks to empower teams with the relevant knowledge and guidance to resolve security incidents effectively.
Devo SOAR
Devo (formerly a part of LogicHub) is a SOAR tool and solution founded in 2011 that focuses on intelligence-driven threat detection and response products. It provides end-to-end automation and allows security teams to improve efficiency, collaboration, and effectiveness.
The solution can reliably prioritize and triage alerts, ensuring that you can cut through the noise and focus on the most important issues.
Key features
- The entire threat lifecycle can be automated
- Over 300 of out of the box integrations allow quick and easy integration
- Pre-built and customizable playbooks that can be edited without coding
- Robust triaging and the ability to eliminate noisy alerts
- Intuitive case management capabilities that adapt to your workflow
Cortex XSOAR
Headquartered in California, Palo Alto Networks is a global leader in enterprise security. Cortex XSOAR utilizes Demisto’s SOAR platform (acquired by Palo Alto in 2019), with Cortex threat prevention, response capabilities, and intelligence management.
These elements together make Cortex XSOAR one of the most powerful and sophisticated SOAR tools and solutions.
Key features
- 750+ integrations and 680+ content packs
- Ability to operate completely automated, or with SOC oversight
- Correlates data points in a dedicated “war room” which allows real-time human investigation
- Ingest data from all major SIEM solutions
- The Threat Intelligence Management (TIM) module adds context to alerts
- Integrations can be customized, or downloaded from the Cortex XSOAR marketplace
RespondX
LogRhythm RespondX is one of the simplest SOAR tools and solutions that provides reliable real-time advanced threat detection that enables organizations to improve their security. The SmartResponse feature helps to automate the workflows and accelerate the threat investigation and response processes.
Key features
- A comprehensive tool that supports end-to-end security incident response processes from collecting data and quarantine endpoints to blocking compromised network assets and ports.
- Automate incident response processes to efficiently mitigate all risks, identify and address the vulnerabilities to prevent similar attacks in the future.
- Track the mitigation and recovery when investigating an incident
- A user interface that can update cases to include log data, alerts, and other information.
- Automatically suspend risky or compromised user accounts, processes, and network access.
DFLabs IncMan
DFLabs IncMac is a feature-rich, flexible, and scalable SOAR platform that helps organizations improve their security and automation efforts. The web-based or SaaS platform is suitable for MSSPs, CSIRTs, SOCs, and others to automate, measure, and orchestrate their incident response processes and other security operations.
The single intuitive AI-powered tool eases the detection and management of a broad range of security incidents.
Key features
- Integrates with other security tools hence supporting seamless workflows and sharing of useful information among different teams.
- Detailed reports such as timelines, customized KPIs, and corrective action performed. The information allows different stakeholders to measure the effectiveness of their efforts.
- Full end-to-end incident management powered by machine learning and advanced threat-hunting technologies. This includes Investigation management, incident reporting, audit trail, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), disaster recovery, and more.
- Provides a fast incident detection, response, remediation, and ability to prioritize responses based on various triggers.
- It automates security investigations, threat hunting, intelligence gathering, and containment processes.
Fortinet FortiSOAR
Fortinet is a California-based market-leading cybersecurity company with a range of firewall, intrusion prevention, and endpoint solutions on offer. FortiSOAR is the company’s SOAR solution.
It works by gathering data from a range of sources and collating it into manageable, actionable intelligence.
Key features
- Over 350 integrations and 3,000 automated workflow actions
- 160 out-of-the-box customizable playbooks
- Advanced threat intelligence management – thanks to its integration with FortiGuard
- Mobile application that enables analysts to respond to alerts and execute crucial actions
- Role-based dashboard, reporting capabilities, and incident management – this allows you to track metrics, analyze performance, create data models, generate weekly reports
How SOAR tools and solutions can help your organization
Organizations today face many challenges when it comes to getting ahead of their security goals. For one, finding talent is time-consuming, and once you do find the right fit you want them to be able to focus on the most impactful work—not get bogged down in manual, recurring, time-intensive tasks.
Additionally, chances are high that your organization uses technology that multiple teams need to touch and collaborate on, yet the various pieces don’t always integrate.
While adding a 25th hour into the day will remain a pipe dream, it is possible to get some time back and achieve your security goals. That’s where the SOAR tools and solutions come in.
With an effective security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) solution, it’s possible to achieve more, in less time, while still allowing for human decision-making when it’s most critical. Move beyond relying on point-to-point integrations for your technology stack; instead, rely on a solution that empowers you to build out your various processes and connects you with the right people and technology to achieve your goals.
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