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SOAR: Automate with safety
Espionage, sabotage, data theft and much more: the IT security situation in Germany continues to worsen. This is why effective security measures are needed to reliably protect IT systems and sustainably promote the topic of automation. The SOAR (Security Orchestration Automation Response) security concept offers an effective way of doing this. Here, an integrated platform solution combines various security tools and programmes that continuously collect and analyse information on potential threats. If an event occurs that affects a company's IT security, SOAR immediately triggers automated actions to ward off attacks.
You can find out exactly what is behind the concept, how SOAR works and the benefits for companies using the platform here.
Why should security processes be automated?
Maintaining a high level of IT security at all times and closing security gaps immediately requires enormous effort. Daily routine tasks already take up a large part of the time, which is then lacking elsewhere, especially in smaller companies, for example when checking systems for vulnerabilities. It is more efficient to automate such security processes. Especially with regard to increasingly complex IT infrastructures - and in this sense also technologically advanced threats - automation can help to better meet such challenges. The number of clients also plays an important role: the more systems are in use, the easier it is to synchronise and protect them with concepts such as SOAR.
With automated security processes, threats can be
- detect threats faster and initiate defence mechanisms
- Consistently apply security measures to identify and react quickly to close gateways
- Automate repetitive and error-prone tasks
- Scale measures better, as automated processes can usually be adapted more quickly to new situations (or threat situations)
The most important SOAR components at a glance
SOAR combines processes, platforms and security tools to holistically map a company's IT security and create automated workflows. The technologies required within a SOAR strategy vary depending on the system landscape and IT architecture, but the following components are generally used:
- Vulnerability management
Cyber criminals can gain access to protected systems via outdated programmes, incorrect configurations and security gaps. With comprehensive and software-supported vulnerability management, all clients can be automatically updated and unwanted access points closed. Automatic scans via a SOAR platform ensure that vulnerabilities are usually identified more effectively and remedied immediately.
-Desktop automation
IT administrators can use desktop automation to standardise and automate complex processes. Client commands, which can usually be conveniently created using drag-and-drop, are used to manage administrative tasks. The automatic transfer of clients to predefined filters provides further relief. For example, when a system logs on to a different location, the appropriate drives and security settings are loaded.
- Managed software
With the help of software bundles, updates for a wide range of third-party software can be distributed and carried out in a planned manner. For example, if a company employee is on holiday and a new version of a third-party software (e.g. an Internet browser such as Google Chrome) is released during this time, the update is still made available for the corresponding client - and automatically installed as soon as the system is restarted.
- Patch management
A SOAR security concept can also include patch management. This includes the identification, evaluation, prioritisation and provision of software patches. SOAR platforms support patch management as they help to automate and orchestrate workflows and processes. Patches can be automatically identified and prioritised via SOAR.
- Antivirus management
Malware and ransomware continue to be among the biggest threats to companies and the number of attacks continues to grow, even if the resulting ransom payments have decreased significantly in 2022. Once they get into the system, viruses can often spread unnoticed in the company for a long time. However, the risk of becoming a target for cyber criminals can be minimised with a comprehensive SOAR concept. Anti-virus protection can be easily integrated into a SOAR strategy and react automatically to incidents. Regular checks for viruses and the like increase the effectiveness of IT security.
How does a SOAR safety concept work?
If, contrary to expectations, a security incident occurs in a company, the process can be explained in four basic steps using a SOAR strategy:
| Detect | Security tools (including firewall logs, DER information, IDS/IPS alarms or SIEM events) are used to compare data based on defined rules and guidelines. If it is determined that there is an acute threat, a security incident is triggered. |
| Automate | Once the security incident has been triggered, the SOAR platform orchestrates an automated workflow to investigate the event and initiate appropriate responses. The automated options include disconnecting clients infected with malware from the company network and isolating them in order to stop the malware from spreading further. User and access rights can also be adjusted immediately or IP addresses blocked in a targeted manner. |
| Investigate | Security incidents can be investigated in detail via SOAR platforms. The platform provides a transparent overview of all events associated with the incident, as well as integrated analysis tools. |
| Reporting | Meaningful reports can be created via SOAR so that it is possible to understand why a security incident has occurred. The reports provide important insights into whether the security settings made are still effective and where there is a need for action to optimise measures. |
Case and workflow management: early decision-making
Within a SOAR strategy, you can specify whether an incident is to be handled according to a defined procedure or whether it is to be handled by an IT expert. Example: If a threat is identified via the SOAR platform, it can be prioritised (via integrated vulnerability management) based on the risk level it poses. The necessary defence mechanisms can then either be triggered automatically or the IT staff receive a warning via the system and can immediately decide how to proceed.
Safety automation: using the latest technologies
In order to automate processes and accelerate them in this sense, the use of powerful technologies is required. The type of automation differs depending on the use case and purpose. Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) can be used, but in most cases they are more suitable for large companies and corporations. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the previously presented components such as desktop automation, managed software, patch and antivirus management are usually sufficient.
Threat intelligence: understanding threats at their source
In order to gain a comprehensive picture of a threat, threat intelligence either looks at the data associated with a suspected threat or the process behind it. In addition to collecting the data, this also includes processing and analysing it. With this holistic approach, data can be analysed in context in order to better understand problems and trace their origin. Once this is known, specific solutions can be developed and implemented.
Security orchestration: creating optimised workflows
The term orchestration covers the configuration, management and coordination of IT systems, services and applications. In this way, complex tasks and demanding workflows can be better managed. Security orchestration via SOAR refers to the integration of security tools and security processes. The aim is to coordinate and automate both in such a way that they run more effectively and efficiently and contribute to greater IT security.
SIEM - Security Information and Event Management
A SIEM solution is able to analyse large data sets from various sources within a short period of time via a centralised platform. If deviating behaviour or a potential risk is detected, the software solution sends out an alert. However, as the number of alerts increases in the course of digital transformation and increasingly complex software architectures, important messages run the risk of getting lost in the flood of messages and not being processed until it is too late.
SOAR - Security Orchestration Automation Response
In a SOAR strategy, an integrated solution serves as the basis for automating security processes. The task here is to automatically detect and prioritise security incidents. Automated responses are then triggered to rectify them.
In general, it can be said that SIEM solutions focus on analysing event data and subsequent reporting, while SOAR solutions focus on fast and effective responses.
Application examples: SOAR is used here
The SOAR concept can be used wherever security processes need to be improved and, if possible, automated. In addition to the aforementioned vulnerability management and the detection of security incidents, SOAR also offers relief in the area of compliance: for example, adherence to guidelines can be managed more easily using automated processes and standardised procedures. SOAR also offers many advantages in access management, for example in the administration of user access to protected data or systems.
Aagon offers holistic SOAR strategy with ACMP
For a comprehensive security solution, Aagon's ACMP Core has fully automated options for recording hardware and software. In addition, many other administrative functions can be integrated into ACMP as part of a SOAR strategy, including vulnerability management, Complete Aagon Windows Update Management and BitLocker Management. In our free handout "SOAR - Security Orchestration Automation Responses", you will find lots more information and insights into how you can automate your processes with SOAR and ensure greater IT security and protection for your data and systems.
More automation and higher IT security with SOAR
Companies benefit from using a SOAR strategy as the platform effectively helps to significantly reduce response times in the event of critical security incidents thanks to automated processes. Because SOAR integrates various security tools and systems, IT security strategies are much more effective. In addition, orchestrated and automated security processes reduce the error rate, as repetitive tasks are no longer carried out manually. This not only increases IT security but also the quality of the processes.
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