SOAR: A Comprehensive Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response Platform

SOAR is a security orchestration and response automation solution that helps SOCs integrate tools, process alerts rapidly, and minimize manual tasks to optimize security.

Modern Security Operations Centers (SOCs) at large organizations must process thousands of security alerts daily from dozens of different tools within the cybersecurity ecosystem. Firewalls detect unusual access patterns, IDS/IPS systems warn of suspicious activities, and EDR sends notifications about endpoints showing signs of compromise. All of these arrive at the SOC simultaneously, creating an enormous workload. 

A more critical challenge lies in the fact that most incident investigation and response processes remain manual. Security experts must move between multiple tool interfaces, collect data, perform correlation analysis, and make intervention decisions. This not only extends response time but also creates gaps that allow threat actors time to perform lateral movement and escalate privileges within the system. 

To solve this problem, SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) technology emerged as a software solution that allows security teams to integrate and coordinate disparate security tools, automate repetitive tasks, and streamline incident response processes. 

What is SOAR? Three Pillars of Automation Power 

SOAR is a software platform that enables security teams to integrate and orchestrate independent security tools, automate repetitive tasks, and optimize incident and threat response processes.

According to Gartner, which first coined the term "SOAR" in 2015, this platform combines the functions of security incident response, security orchestration and automation, and threat intelligence into a single solution. To understand how SOAR operates, we must analyze its three core capabilities: security orchestration, security automation, and incident response. 

Security Orchestration: Integrating the Tool Ecosystem 

Security orchestration refers to the ability to connect and coordinate hardware and software components within an organization's security architecture.  

SOCs typically deploy multiple parallel solutions for monitoring and response: firewalls, threat intelligence feeds, endpoint protection, SIEM systems, sandboxes, and other specialized tools.Even a basic security process can require coordination across multiple systems. For example, when analyzing a phishing email, an expert needs a secure email gateway for detection, a threat intelligence platform to look up indicators of compromise, and antivirus software to check for malware.  

The challenge is that these tools often come from different vendors and lack built-in integration, forcing experts to switch constantly between separate dashboards. 

SOAR addresses this by creating a unified orchestration layer. The SOAR platform uses Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), pre-built connectors, and custom integrations to connect security tools (and some non-security tools). Once integrated, the SOC can coordinate activities through playbooks; predefined automated workflows. 

Security Automation: Reducing Manual Tasks 

SOAR automates low-level, time-consuming, and repetitive tasks such as ticket management, event enrichment, and alert prioritization. More importantly, SOAR can trigger automated actions from integrated security tools, allowing for the coordination of complex security processes across multiple systems. 

Typical Scenario: Automated Handling of a Compromised Endpoint. An EDR solution detects suspicious activity on a laptop and sends an alert to the SOAR platform. The SOAR platform immediately executes a predefined playbook: it creates an incident ticket, enriches the alert with data from threat intelligence sources and other security tools, and performs automated response actions; such as triggering network detection and response tools to isolate the endpoint or running antivirus software to neutralize the malware. Finally, SOAR transfers the ticket to a security expert to determine if the incident is resolved or requires manual intervention. 

Some SOAR platforms integrate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (advanced features, not standard in every SOAR) to analyze patterns from security tools and recommend optimal response strategies for similar future situations. 

Incident Response: Command and Control Center 

SOAR's orchestration and automation capabilities transform it into a central dashboard for security incident response. According to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach report, organizations with both an incident response team and regular response plan testing identify breaches 54 days faster than those without. 

Security experts leverage SOAR to investigate and resolve incidents without switching between multiple tools. Similar to threat intelligence platforms, SOAR aggregates metrics and alerts from external data feeds and integrated security tools into a unified dashboard. Experts can correlate data from different sources, filter out false positives, prioritize alerts by severity, and accurately identify active threats. 

The SOC also uses SOAR for post-incident analysis and proactive security processes. The SOAR dashboard provides deep insights into attack vectors, attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and the effectiveness of defensive measures. Data from SOAR also supports threat hunting initiatives by highlighting ongoing, undetected threats. 

Why Manual Processes Limit Organizational Response?

Alert Fatigue in the SOC Environment 

When a SOC must process thousands of alerts daily, experts easily fall into "alert fatigue", a state of being overwhelmed by an enormous volume of information. This increases the risk of missing critical alerts amidst the "noise" and adds high costs to the alert triage process.  

Constant context switching between non-integrated tools creates fragmented workflows. Each tool has its own proprietary interface and operating logic, requiring experts to maintain proficiency in multiple systems and perform manual operations on each platform. 

High Mean Time to Respond Impacts Business Continuity 

Manual processes lead to high Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Respond (MTTR). When detecting a threat, an expert must: 

• Access multiple tools to gather comprehensive intelligence.
• Manually correlate and analyze data from different sources.
• Make decisions based on experience and judgment.
• Perform manual response actions across different systems. 

Every minute of delay is an opportunity for attackers to establish persistence, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy ransomware. Dwell time - the period from the initial compromise to detection; correlates directly with the severity of the damage. 

Benefits of SOAR 

By integrating security tools and automating tasks, SOAR platforms streamline daily security processes like case management, vulnerability management, and incident response. This optimization brings specific benefits: 

• Process More Alerts in Less Time: SOCs can handle larger alert volumes while shortening response times by centralizing security data, enriching event information, and automating responses.
• More Consistent Incident Response Plans: SOCs use SOAR Playbooks to establish standardized and scalable response procedures for common threats, ensuring efficient and uniform resolution.
• Enhanced SOC Decision-Making: Through SOAR Dashboards, SOCs gain deep insights into the network and facing threats, helping them identify false positives, prioritize alerts, and select the most accurate response workflows.
• Improved SOC Collaboration: SOAR centralizes security data and response processes, facilitating collaboration during investigations and allowing the SOC to share key security metrics with external stakeholders like HR, Legal, and law enforcement.  

SOAR, SIEM, and XDR: Positioning in the Security Architecture  

In a modern security ecosystem, SOAR is one component of a broader defensive architecture. Understanding the differences between SOAR, SIEM, and XDR allows for effective technology selection and integration strategies.

SIEM vs. SOAR: Detection vs. Orchestration 

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) focuses on aggregating, storing, and analyzing logs from various sources across the infrastructure. It enables threat detection through event correlation and behavioral analysis.  

SOAR complements SIEM by adding orchestration and automated response capabilities. While SIEM provides visibility and detection, SOAR provides coordinated automated actions to resolve identified threats. 

Functional Comparison: 

• SIEM: Data aggregation and analysis, alert generation, compliance reporting, forensic investigation.
• SOAR: Tool integration, response automation, incident workflow management, playbook orchestration.

Many organizations deploy both SIEM and SOAR within an integrated architecture: SIEM provides threat visibility and detection, while SOAR complements these with orchestration and response automation capabilities. This integration creates a synergistic effect between detection and response capabilities.

XDR: Extended Detection and Response 

XDR integrates data across multiple security layers (endpoint, network, cloud, email, etc.) to provide comprehensive threat visibility and detection across the entire infrastructure. 

Key Differences:

• XDR: Tập trung vào phát hiện và điều tra mối đe dọa xuyên lớp, tận dụng trí tuệ nhân tạo cho tương quan và phân tích nâng cao
• SOAR: Tập trung vào điều phối công cụ và tự động hóa quy trình phản ứng 

XDR and SOAR provide complementary value: XDR offers advanced threat detection, while SOAR automates the response process and orchestrates the broader security tool ecosystem. 

NetGuardX: SOAR - Powered Managed Security Service 

NetGuardX is a comprehensive 24/7 cybersecurity monitoring service operated by NetNam, integrating modern technologies such as SIEM, SOAR, XDR, TIP, EDR, and UEBA. 

Core Values of NetGuardX: 

• Intelligent Automated Response: NetGuardX deploys field-proven playbooks developed from extensive incident response experience. Upon detection, the platform automatically executes initial containment actions like endpoint isolation and blocking malicious connections.
• Continuous 24/7 Monitoring: NetNam's security operations team provides constant monitoring, enhanced by SOAR automation to ensure consistent detection and response regardless of the time zone.
• Expert Team: NetNam's "core asset" consists of experts with international certifications (CISSP, CEH, OSCP, CHFI...) and combat experience from thousands of incidents, ranging from simple phishing to complex APTs. They understand the specific operational characteristics of various industries (finance, industry, hospitality, logistics...).
• Advanced Analysis and Reporting: The SOAR-supported platform provides detailed incident reports, threat trend analysis, and response effectiveness metrics to continuously improve the security posture.
• Compliance and Audit Support: Comprehensive logging of all response actions supports regulatory compliance and provides a clear audit trail. 
• Value for Businesses:  
  • Saves costs on building an in-house SOC (recruitment, training, operations).
  • Provides immediate access to world-class experts; "Rent experts like you rent electricity".
  • Ensures 24/7/365 availability without interruption from leave or personnel changes.
  • Consults on response scenarios and Playbooks tailored to the organization's unique environment. 
    

Strategic Requirement: Modernizing Security Operations 

In the context of modern threats and increasingly sophisticated attack vectors, delayed response times lead directly to significant financial and reputational damage. SOAR technology has evolved from an optional enhancement to a critical requirement for organizations maintaining an effective cybersecurity program. 

Contact NetNam to experience NetGuardX - a comprehensive 24/7 security monitoring service utilizing international-standard SOAR technology to provide automated incident response and total threat management for enterprise environments. NetNam's security consultants are ready to assess your requirements and design a solution that fits your organization's security goals. 

Contact NetNam: 

• Hotline: 1900 1586
• Email: netguardx@netnam.vn
• Website: www.netnam.com
• Comprehensive Managed Security Service: www.netguardx.netnam.com