What is SOAR?

Today, cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. Hackers are employing increasingly sophisticated techniques, and even the most dynamic organisations are struggling to keep up. To maintain security, organisations rely on capable tools that can detect threats, respond quickly, and facilitate recovery in the event of a cyberattack. One of the most effective types of tools a company can deploy is a SOAR, or Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response, tool. SOAR tools have additional features that help Security teams respond faster and more accurately. In this blog, you will explore SOAR in detail.

Table of Contents:

• What is SOAR?
• How Does SOAR Work?
• Key Features and Capabilities of SOAR
• Data Enrichment in SOAR
• Top SOAR Tools
• Benefits of Implementing SOAR
• Challenges of Implementing SOAR
• Common Applications of SOAR
• Key Roles in SOAR Operations
• Common SOAR Automation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Best Practices for Optimizing SOAR Performance
• SOAR vs SIEM vs XDR
• Conclusion

What is SOAR?

SOAR stands for Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response. 

SOAR refers to a landscape of software/tools that provide security teams with the following capabilities:

• Collecting data from many diverse security tools (like firewalls or antivirus).
• Automating manual tasks.
• Responding to cyber threats efficiently and intelligently.
• SOAR tools have the objective of accelerating the operational work of security teams. 

Many tasks may be accomplished automatically by the SOAR system, instead of being done manually.

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How Does SOAR Work?

SOAR brings all your security tools together in a single system to allow it to collect data from:

• Firewalls
• Antivirus software
• Email security tools
• Cloud platforms
• All other security devices, etc.

SOAR also automates:

• Analyzing data to detect threats.
• Deciding what to do based on a set of rules or playbooks.
• Taking actions to mitigate threats, which include blocking an IP address, issuing a team alert, or removing a device from the network to stop the propagation of the attack.

Key Features and Capabilities of SOAR

• Automation: Automation lets you bypass tedious and repetitive steps, like sending alerts or blocking malicious files, so you don’t waste effort doing the same thing over and over again. 
• Playbooks: Playbook features in SOAR products are designed to give you perfectly crafted workflows to take during different types of attacks, and ensure that each incident is dealt with in the right way.
• Case Management: SOAR keeps a record of every incident (or “case”) so your security team doesn’t lose sight of what’s been done and what still needs to be completed to handle the incident.
• Threat Intelligence: SOAR brings in relevant information from outside sources (for example, known attack patterns or risky IP addresses) to empower the security teams’ detection of threats and make them smarter.
• Reports and Dashboards: Each SOAR product will allow easy-to-understand real-time visualisation to see what is happening in your security operation, enabling a visual and efficient way to act on and manage incidents.

Data Enrichment in SOAR

Data enrichment is the process of adding more information to raw data, so it becomes more actionable and comprehensible. Upon receiving a security alert, you may only have limited information, such as an IP address or file name. SOAR adds value to this data by gathering additional information from internal and external sources. 

To explain this process, here is how it works in simple steps:  

If a SOAR system is alerted to a suspicious IP address, it could automatically look this up in a threat intelligence database to learn:  

• Where the IP is advertised from (geolocation)  
• If it has appeared in previous cyberattacks  
• What type of potential threat it may be (malware, phishing, etc.)  
• The risk or reputation score of that IP.

If a file hash has been captured in the alert, SOAR could also look this up in antivirus engines or sandbox reports to find out:  

• If the file is malicious.  
• If the file has been seen in previous attacks.  
• What type of behavior it exhibited when called/executed.  

If an email address was tagged in the alert, SOAR would look up:  

• If the email address belongs to an identified phishing campaign.  
• If other users in the organization had similar email messages.  
• If domain blacklists are associating the email address.

Top SOAR Tools

Below are some of the most common SOAR tools in the industry: 

• Splunk SOAR (previously Phantom): Splunk SOAR uses visual playbooks to automate tasks associated with responding to incidents and threats, and it has a wide range of integrations with other security tools. 
• IBM Security QRadar SOAR: IBM QRadar SOAR is one of IBM’s broader security offerings. This product provides a strong focus on incident response and cases. It has playbooks, automated workflows, and integrations with IBM QRadar SIEM. The product assists analysts in looking through incidents in the investigation pipeline.
• Swimlane: Swimlane is a very flexible and highly customizable platform. It emphasizes low-code automation, which allows users to quickly design processes. Big companies share resources to automate tough tasks and fix problems faster.
• Siemplify (now part of Google Cloud): Siemplify has an intuitive UI with strong case management features. It assists security operation teams in managing alerts, building automated responses, and collaborating effectively. Now owned by Google Cloud, it integrates well with other cloud-based infrastructure that you may be using.

The main features of these tools include:

• Easy integration with several types of tools (SIEM/speciality, firewall, endpoint)
• Pre-built playbooks and templates
• Custom dashboards and real-time reporting
• Case management capabilities to promote collaboration within and among teams
• Scalable platforms that allow for growth, changes to your products/settings, or information seeking capabilities.

 Benefits of Implementing SOAR

• Saves Time: SOAR handles multiple routine and repetitive functions, like checking alerts, obtaining details on threats, and sometimes communicating. This means security teams can respond quickly and not feel rushed on high-severity issues.
• Fewer Mistakes: Manual processes bring the opportunity for human error at pressure points. SOAR’s response to alerts automates many functions based on criteria that were preset. Automating the response with improved context makes the security operations more reliable.
• Faster Response: SOAR tools can identify threats, analyze them, and take action, either automatically or with help from analysts, sometimes within seconds. The simple act of blocking an IP address or isolating a machine can stop a threat from spreading and intensifying.
• Improved Productivity: With many tasks handled by SOAR tools, security analysts do not have to perform everything manually. Consequently, security teams are able to respond to more incidents per team member in less time, without burnout.
• Better Decisions: SOAR has data enrichment, dashboards, and threat intelligence, but more data does not guarantee better decision-making. However, the context that SOAR provides around each incident of interest allows analysts to make better and faster decisions with the correct data.

Challenges of Implementing SOAR

• Can Be Difficult to Implement: SOAR can be difficult to implement. Setting up your integrations, configurations, and workflows can take considerable time. 
• It Takes Time to Create Effective Playbooks: Playbooks provide guidelines for dealing with various threats. It takes time to develop proper playbooks as you need to think through how they will be used, properly test them, and update them.
• May Require Some Training for the Team: Security teams may need additional training on how to leverage the features included in the SOAR tooling. Without the proper training and knowledge, they may not be able to fully leverage SOAR capabilities. 
• Must Incorporate Workflows Into Existing Tools: SOAR requires integration with existing tools: firewalls, AV tools, SIEM, etc. If the integration is not built properly or takes a long time to cycle, it could result in lost time or alerts being retried.

Common Applications of SOAR

• Incident Response: SOAR streamlines how teams respond to security incidents, from detecting a potential threat to acting on an impact like blocking access or triggering alerts.
• Threat Hunting: SOAR helps security teams search for threats that are hiding within the network by collecting data from multiple sources.
• Vulnerability Management: If known vulnerabilities exist in a system, SOAR can facilitate immediate actions such as applying patches or notifying related teams.
• Compliance Reporting: SOAR creates a record of every action taken during incidents. Logs help in audits and show that cybersecurity teams are following legal or industry rules.

Key Roles in SOAR Operations

• Security Analysts: Will review alerts, investigate incidents, and determine the appropriate action.
• SOAR Engineers: Authenticate, build, modify, and manage the automation workflows (playbooks) in the SOAR platform.
• Threat Intelligence Analysts: Research and provide additional information about threats, for example, how they operate, who is responsible, etc.
• Incident Responders: Act when a serious threat is confirmed by taking immediate action to mitigate or eliminate the effects.

Common SOAR Automation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Too Much Automation Too Quickly: Trying to automate everything at the same time can be complicated and overwhelming. Instead, start small with simple tasks and grow from there.
• Not Updating Playbooks: Threats change, so your playbooks should always be reviewed and updated to remain effective.
• Poor Integration: If SOAR does not connect well or properly with other tools, it can miss/out on key data. Always ensure all systems work well together.
• Ignoring Human Review: Not all alerts should be automated, as some alerts still require a human expert to review and determine the best course of action.

Best Practices for Optimizing SOAR Performance

• Start with High-Value Use Cases: Start by automating the tasks that are the most time-consuming or that are repeated most often.
• Keep Your Playbooks Simple and Clear: Use easy-to-follow steps that make the workflows comprehensible and easier to maintain.
• Review and Refresh Playbooks Often: Make it a habit to refresh your playbooks based on emerging threats or feedback from your team.
• Onboard and Train Your Team to Use SOAR: Make sure everyone understands how SOAR works and how to use it correctly.
• Use Dashboards to View Key Performance Indicators: Dashboards give a quick overview of what is occurring in an organization, providing visibility into performance, response times, and opportunities for improvements.

SOAR vs SIEM vs XDR

Conclusion

SOAR is a useful tool that allows today’s security teams to manage risk and respond faster and more efficiently than before. SOAR helps automate repetitive processes, improve response times to incidents, and make security operations more efficient. With incidents and cyber threats continuing to grow, organizations are increasingly turning to SOAR for help and support in their cybersecurity operations. To get the most out of SOAR, it’s important to set it up properly, connect it with other security tools, and avoid mistakes like over-automation or using outdated playbooks. Consistent updates of playbooks and staff training are essential to the overall strategy and success when implemented with SOAR.

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