SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) refers to a collection of software solutions and tools that allow organizations to streamline security operations in three key areas: threat and vulnerability management, incident response, and security operations automation. This article will analyze all three in-depth and help you understand why SOAR should be a part of your organization’s cybersecurity strategy planning in this new year.
SOAR vs. SIEM
There is a lot of confusion surrounding SOAR and SIEM, which is totally normal. Understanding the key differences between the two is unclear since they have many components in common.
Security information and event management (SEIM) tools centralize event data from networks, servers, applications, and databases, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, antivirus software, and secure web content gateways. That data is then analyzed in real-time to identify security vulnerabilities from various sources. The SIEM then ranks events intelligently based on critical threat vulnerability levels.
SIEM tools and products combine security information management systems and security event management system tools to ensure compliance, investigate instances, review network vulnerability management, and provide threat intelligence.
On the other hand, SOAR optimizes processes and allows the orchestration of different technologies into standardized response procedures for each type of attack, called Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It also automates repetitive tasks within these processes and ensures that all analysts follow the same procedures.
Threat and vulnerability management
Threat and vulnerability management is a proactive approach to endpoint security that provides your organization with insights into vulnerabilities and whether your configuration posture is insecure.
In SOAR, threat and vulnerability management is the process of identifying potential threats to an organization's security system and vulnerabilities that may need to be addressed. It involves identifying these threats and vulnerabilities and determining how to respond to them and mitigating any risks.
This is accomplished by monitoring and analyzing network traffic and identifying suspicious behavior. Once identified, appropriate actions can be taken to ensure the system's security. SOAR automates this process, enabling organizations to automate their security orchestration and response processes to identify, investigate, and respond to potential threats more quickly. Additionally, it minimizes the manual labor involved in the process and frees security personnel to focus on other important tasks.
Incident response
The first step in incident response is detection — identifying suspicious activity on your network or systems that could indicate an intrusion. This might include unusual traffic patterns, malicious emails, unauthorized logins, suspicious files being uploaded or downloaded from servers, etc. Once potential threats have been detected, it’s important to investigate them further to determine if there has actually been a security breach.
Once it has been determined that there has been an intrusion into your system(s), you must take immediate action by containing the threat and mitigating its effects as quickly as possible. This may involve temporarily disconnecting affected systems from the network while you investigate further; disabling user accounts associated with the suspicious activity; restoring backups; implementing new security measures; etc., depending on the nature of the attack/breach. The goal is to reduce the risk of further damage to your system(s).
Finally, it’s important to start collecting evidence for later analysis. This could include taking screenshots, making copies of malicious code or files, archiving log data, etc. Such evidence will be critical in helping organizations identify attackers and prosecute them. Additionally, organizations should document their incident response findings and actions taken to help them prepare for future incidents.
Security operations automation
SOAR technology does more than just respond to incidents or serve as a tool for security operations centers to handle increasing alerts. While in the past, many security information systems alert software handled data in numbers. As long as many vulnerabilities had been patched, security leaders and their boards were happy that things were progressing well.
However, that logic is flawed. Certain vulnerabilities are more dangerous than others. SOAR platforms use artificial intelligence to scan and weigh vulnerabilities. SOAR platforms like Rapid7 actually use automation to build intelligent workflows that help your team streamline all its operations.
SOAR platforms also help with increased team flexibility and collaboration. Many platforms come with pre-built workflows to address the most common use cases to save time and money, but most of them can be customized to fit your organization’s tech stack.
Check out this video to learn even more.
Compuquip is happy to work closely with Rapid7’s team to help deliver vulnerability risk management, incident detection and response, application security, and of course, SOAR.
