Security Orchestration, Automation and Response is a system that collects data about security threats using integrated software solutions to analyze and respond to security threats using automated machine learning to provide assistance to human analysts.
The 3 Factors of SOAR are –
Security Orchestration – It is the process of incorporating various technological solutions, both security-related and non-security-related, in order for them to work together in a way that facilitates collaboration. These different tools gather information from multiple sources into a centralized system, which increases the accuracy and makes system more secure.
Automation – This concept empowers technical tools with the help of machine learning to perform security operations task without assistance of human beings. It saves the security analyst’s time by reducing the amount of time they spend on basic, routine tasks by automating them. Security analysts can utilize their time for more creative and challenging tasks. Automation is not an option for replacement of human analysts.
Response – Once a threat is identified, ‘Security Response’ offers security analysts a single centralized overview for tracking, planning, handling, and reporting measures taken. SOAR tools cover post-incident events including case management modules. These modules aid in the communication of lessons learned and the delivery of faster proactive response time to potential attacks.
SOAR vs. SIEM – SOAR and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) are not the same, even though they gather data from different sources, spot anomalies, and generate alerts. SOAR systems give an additional option of automation to provide automated responses to attacks, while SIEM systems only have functionality of generating alerts to security analysts of a potential incident.
Benefits of SOAR for Organizations
1) Security Teams – Staffing shortages are a frequent occurrence in an Enterprise’s Security Operations Center. It’s a delicate balancing act to ensure an organization has the requisite personnel and it is making optimum use of human resource. SOAR solves this problem by enhancing the process, applying required degree of automation and orchestration by ensuring reliable, defensive response to threats so as to protect organization’s sensitive information. This includes automating repetitive tasks and provides structured incident handling responses. It also gives company the access to industry-leading machine learning algorithms, allowing them to react even faster to security incidents as they occur.
2) SOAR’s scalability and customization – There are default integrations available with every SOAR solution, but some companies’ security applications will not support them. As a result, the SOAR solution is made customizable enough to build integrations from both sides as per customer’s needs. An effective SOAR solution is flexible and customizable enough to work on top of various security tools.
3) Vendors – Normally, companies have a single vendor solution or software to manage the security operation center. Even if company uses more vendors there are complexities involved in it. But SOAR integrates a variety of security solutions into a centralized orchestration system that can be implemented in any cloud-based system. A SOAR solution is efficient enough to implement responses of various teams like SOC (Security Operations center) and CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team). Soar gives a centralized overview and control across the enterprise. This integration reduces security operations procedures by using case management, incident lifecycle and extends life of existing resources, maximizing the return on investment.
4) Data Enrichment – Data collected from a software is useful, but it is limited. SOAR tools overcome this limitation by collaborating multiple software solutions. This is a huge advantage, since data collected about security is rich and makes security system of an enterprise firm updated and robust.
Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) is introduced by one of the leading research firm is in initial phase of development in the market. With innovation and evolving market SOAR Solutions will be adapted by many organizations.
