Threat Response with SOAR

Security Orchestration and Automation Response (SOAR) replaces slow, manual threat response processes with lightning-fast automated decision making.

Despite having the most skilled security team, speed is one cybersecurity aspect that always needs improvement. However, achieving this is no easy feat due to repetitive tasks that hamper efficiently identifying and responding to threats. Consequently, it slows the security team down, allowing threats to enter the cracks in the system undetected. More organizations are enhancing their processes using SOAR, achieving the required speed to be effective in their jobs. According to Gartner, it is projected that 15% of organizations with large security teams will leverage SOAR by end of 2020 to improve the efficacy, efficiency, and consistency of security operations.

Although “orchestration” and “automation” are used interchangeably, they are different concepts. Let’s take a closer look at the two components that SOAR encompasses:

Orchestration – The ability to coordinate informed decision making, and formalize and automate responsive actions based on measurement of the risk posture and the state of an environment
Automation – Automated handling of a task in a machine-based security application that would otherwise be done manually by cybersecurity professional to improve accuracy and time to action.

SOAR automates workflows and expedites threat detection, prioritizing, and responding to harmful threats.

Consider SOAR for Threat Detection

SOAR enhances an organization’s ability to detect and swiftly respond to threats. While those with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions can “say” something, an organization who use SOAR can “do” something

Work smarter, not harder. Here’s how SOAR can help:

Better Quality Intelligence

With a deep knowledge of the threat’s tactics, technique, and procedures (TTP), SOAR can consolidate all the data from different sources such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, SIEM and UEBA technologies, and threat intelligence platforms. This would result in better decision making and faster threat detection and response.

Improved Operational Efficiency

SOAR automates daily mundane tasks conducted by security personnel. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, SOAR minimizes the need for “context switching.” In turn, this efficiency increases productivity without needing additional personnel.

Faster Incident Response

SOAR allows organizations reduce mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR). This can be done by remediating quality alerts in a matter of minutes compared to traditional means where it can take days or months. It also helps automate playbooks or incident response procedures, which includes blocking IP addresses, suspending user accounts, and quarantining infected endpoints.

4 Common SOAR Use Cases

Representative SOAR Vendors

Anomali
Ayehu
CyberSponse
Demisto
DFLabs
EclecticIQ
IBM (Resilient Systems)
Microsoft (Hexadite)
Phantom
Resolve Systems
ServiceNow Security Operations
Siemplify
Swimlane
Syncurity
ThreatConnect
ThreatQuotient

About IBSS
Since 1992, IBSS has provided specialized professional and technical, cybersecurity, IT, and software engineering solutions to the Federal sector. Our clients include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Justice (DOJ). We are committed to serving our clients and employees by delivering service excellence, creating value through technology, and continually improving our skills, services, and processes. Moreover, we maintain an ISO 9001:2015 certification which allows us to optimize current industry best practices to enhance delivery outcomes for our clients.