SOAR (Security, Orchestration, Automation, And Response)

Both SOAR and SIEM detect security issues and collect data regarding the nature of the problem. They also deal with notifications that security personnel can use to address concerns. However, there are significant differences between them.

What is SOAR? SOAR collects data and alerts security teams using a centralized platform similar to SIEM, but SIEM only sends alerts to security analysts. SOAR security, on the other hand, takes it a step further by automating the responses. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to learn pattern behaviors, which enable it to predict similar threats before they happen. This makes it easier for IT security staff to detect and address threats.

While a SIEM solution merely sends an alert to the IT team when suspicious activity is detected, SOAR does more. With SOAR, the investigation path is automated. This reduces the amount of time it takes to handle alerts. With SIEM, even though alerts can be organized and categorized, the investigation has to happen manually. SOAR’s automation eliminates that step

While both SIEM and SOAR aggregate data, SOAR reaches farther and to a more diverse set of data sources. For example, SIEM can collect data from logs or events coming from the usual components in your IT infrastructure. SOAR can absorb that data, as well as information from external sources and endpoint security software. 

This makes SOAR a more comprehensive aggregation solution because it gathers information from more sources, helping to unify your security response across the network.

Manual security workflows delay threat response, increasing risks. Automate and neutralize threats faster. Stay Ahead in Cyber Defense with Fortinet’s SOAR solutions.

SIEM stands for security information and event management. It is an arrangement of services and tools that help a security team collect and analyze security data, as well as create policies and design notifications.

SIEM tools enable IT teams to:

1. Use event log management to consolidate data from several sources
2. Attain organization wide visibility in real time
3. Correlate security events collected from logs using if-then rules to effectively add actionable intelligence to data
4. Use automatic event notifications that can be managed via dashboards

SIEM combines the management of security information and security events. This is accomplished using real-time monitoring and the notification of system administrators.

To manage security information and events, a SIEM system uses the following:

1. Data collection, consolidation, and correlation: Data across the system is collected into a central storehouse. This includes information from servers, firewalls, antivirus software, operating systems, and intrusion prevention systems. These are all set up to feed data into the SIEM system. Data is consolidated and correlated using log files of security events. Rules are set up to organize these issues, which aid the IT team in deciding which problems are the most legitimate.
2. Notifications: Once a single event or an arrangement of events triggers a SIEM rule, the system issues a notification so security personnel can take action.
3. Policies: The SIEM administrator creates a profile defining how enterprise systems behave. In the creation process, the organization’s system is analyzed when things are normal and during security incidents. The SIEM can then be used to set up rules, reports, alerts, and dashboards according to the organization’s specific security concerns.

Here are a few real-world use cases depicting the SOAR benefits.

The automated playbooks in SOAR security help IT and operations security teams manage cyber threats, including malware, phishing, unauthorized VPN access, etc. Besides, SOAR helps automate tasks like Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate management, endpoint diagnostics, and vulnerability management. For instance, it tracks and monitors expiry status, verifies network connectivity, reviews common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) data, etc. This reduces manual workload for security teams and ensures smooth operations.

SOAR helps automate Indicators of Compromise (IOC) hunting, malware detection and analysis, and cloud-aware incident response. SOAR security collects indicators, checks, and correlates data from multiple sources, checks suspicious files, updates databases, etc. This makes threat hunting seamless across hybrid environments.

SOAR helps extract threat data, IOCs, URLs, IPs, and hashes, and checks for maliciousness, thus automating data enrichment. Besides, it evaluates and assigns incident severity by scoring vulnerabilities, analyzing usernames and endpoints, flagging crucial assets, and closing incidents. This approach helps security teams and analysts prioritize threats and respond more effectively.

Understanding “what SOAR is,” its benefits, and use cases is not enough. Organizations must also know how to evaluate the right SOAR platform that meets their needs. The following are the key aspects to consider when choosing an SOAR security platform.

The SOAR security tool must be easy to use and add value to the existing cybersecurity system. It should enable security and IT teams to detect and respond to threats in real-time.

Check if the SOAR platform has features like an internal SDK to build custom integrations. Moreover, assess whether the onboarding time includes custom integration support from the team. This is crucial to ensure the seamless implementation of the SOAR security system.

SOAR platforms with threat intelligence can help the security operations team make informed decisions and understand the impact of internal and external threats. So, choosing an SOAR security system with threat intelligence is important.

Choose a platform that offers capabilities like case management or integrates with relevant case management systems and tools. It should enable teams to understand incident timelines, support post-incident documentation and review,  create audit trails to reflect data flow, and ensure accountability. This can help teams maintain a strong cybersecurity posture.

The platform should offer workflow capabilities, such as drag-and-drop visual playbook builders. This can help streamline response design. Besides, the SOAR platform must offer real-time playbook execution monitoring for incidents. This improves visibility and helps the team make informed decisions.

Organizations need deployment flexibility to keep their data secure while conducting operations smoothly. So, choose a platform that provides flexible deployment options that fit well with existing security tools and systems. This approach helps the organization stay agile and scalable.

Consider the total cost of ownership of the SOAR, including implementation, licensing, and long-term maintenance. Look for a pricing model that aligns with the organization’s size, use cases, and growth plans. The SOAR security platform should deliver value and meet security budget requirements.

A security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) platform helps organizations coordinate, execute, and automate security tasks between multiple employees and tools all within a single platform. It allows teams to quickly respond to cybersecurity attacks and monitor, understand, and prevent future threat incidents, improving overall security posture.

Fortinet FortiSOAR can help security teams manage incidents by centralizing operations and automating the crucial tasks that analysts need to investigate and respond to threats. 

With its broad integrations, a wide range of use-case functions, multiple pre-built workflows, and easy and simple playbook creation, FortiSOAR supports the efficient execution of tailored security procedures. It enables security teams to standardize workflows, enforce best practices, and focus on the most important tasks to maintain end-to-end cybersecurity.