The term SOAR which stands for Security Orchestration, automation and response was coined by Gartner. Any SOAR solution provides three software capabilities – threat and vulnerability management, security incident response and security operations automation. SOAR plays a crucial role in allowing companies to collect threat-related data from a diverse range of sources and automate the responses to the threats.

SOAR solutions encompass an integrated system of technologies and tools crafted to assist security teams in automating data collection, threat analysis, and incident response processes. Given that SOAR typically comprises a synergy of multiple cybersecurity solutions, its applications are broad based. However, SOAR solutions primarily excel in the proactive coordination, automation, and prioritization of threat detection and remediation. Harnessing SOAR enables personnel to concentrate on addressing intricate issues and mitigating sophisticated threats, all while ensuring that Security Operations Centers (SOCs) receive advanced warnings of potential incidents.

SIEM vs SOAR:

SIEM furnishes incident data to Security Operations Centers (SOCs), playing a crucial role in threat monitoring and response. It achieves this by amalgamating log data from Security Event Management (SEM) and conducting data analysis through Security Information Management (SIM). The primary function of SIEM is to generate incident alerts and dispatch them to security teams for investigation and remediation. While SIEM solutions permit the management and categorization of alerts, security staff generally handle these tasks manually.

In many respects, SOAR represents a direct evolution of SIEM technology. Both collect and aggregate threat intelligence from diverse sources, aiming to streamline an organization's response to security incidents. Some vendors even use the terms interchangeably, although they are not interchangeable.

SOAR solutions go beyond SIEM by collecting more data, integrating real-time information, and drawing from various external and third-party sources. They also enhance the utilization of collected data by providing contextualized alerts and predefined investigation paths for security teams. SOAR platforms can further leverage playbooks to incorporate advanced automation, utilizing machine learning. In summary, while SIEM generates security alerts, SOAR intelligently manages and prioritizes these alerts, offering a more comprehensive and automated approach to incident response.

Benefits of SOAR:

Security operations teams face challenges in managing the overwhelming data flow from disparate systems, leading to numerous error-prone manual processes and a shortage of skilled talent. Manual processes increase the likelihood of missing critical alerts, wasting time on manual tasks, and slow response time due to the absence of standardized response capabilities. Implementing SOAR methodology results in mitigated impacts of security incidents, optimized utilization of existing security investments, and an overall reduction in the risk of legal liability and business downtime.

SOAR solutions are increasingly adopted to:

• Enhance security operations efficiency
• Establish greater consistency in security processes
• Consolidating process management, technology, and expertise
• Improve threat prevention, detection, and response
• Enhance prioritization
• Automating responses and implementing inline blocking
• Operationalize threat intelligence

Evolution of SOAR:

SOAR solutions represent a fusion of three traditionally separate technologies, sharing common attributes and users. Historically distinct, these technologies now provide security operations teams with a product designed to alleviate substantial manual labor across various security operations functions.

Products that have been developing as this market continues to mature into SOAR are:

• Security incident response platforms (SIRPs)
• Security orchestration and automation (SOA)
• Threat intelligence platforms (TIPs)