For readers in a hurry:

• SIEM and SOAR explained: SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) collects, analyzes and correlates security-relevant data to detect threats, while SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) extends these functions through automation and orchestrated responses to security incidents.

• Differences in automation: SIEM systems mainly support security analysts in manual data analysis, whereas SOAR solutions rely heavily on automation to standardize and accelerate routine tasks and responses to security incidents.

• Integration and collaboration: By combining and integrating different security tools and correlating event data from different sources, SIEM and SOAR solutions enable more comprehensive threat detection and efficient response to security incidents.

• Optimization of cyber security: SIEM and SOAR help companies to manage security processes efficiently, detect threats early and implement automated responses, which improves the overall cyber security strategy and increases resilience to attacks.

Significance and differences between SIEM and SOAR

SIEM vs SOAR: An overview

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) and SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) are two key cyber security technologies that help companies monitor, analyze and improve their security posture.

SIEM: SIEM systems are designed to collect, analyze and correlate security-related data from various sources to provide the analyst with a comprehensive overview. These sources can include network devices, servers, applications, firewalls, IDS/IPS systems and more. A SIEM system processes this data in real time to detect anomalies or suspicious activity that could indicate security incidents.

SOAR: SOAR systems extend the functionality of SIEM by integrating orchestration, automation and response functions. They were developed to increase the efficiency of IT security departments by automating manual processes and standardizing security operations.

Main functions SOAR

Orchestration: Integration and coordination of different security tools and systems to enable uniform and coordinated responses to threats.

Automation: Automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as gathering threat intelligence, performing security analysis and generating reports.

Response: Support in the management and processing of security incidents through defined workflows and playbooks that ensure incidents are handled consistently and efficiently.

Threat intelligence: Integration of threat information from various sources to improve detection and response to security threats.

"SIEM systems focus on security information monitoring and event management, while SOAR solutions are helpful in responding to security incidents. While SIEM is strong in analyzing and detecting potential threats, SOAR ensures that they are effectively countered."

Differences in automation

SIEM systems are primarily designed to help security analysts analyze data, while SOAR solutions automate the response to security issues. SIEM is more manual, while SOAR relies heavily on automation and response playbooks (structured instructions that help organizations respond quickly and efficiently to specific events or emergencies). By automating and orchestrating security processes, security teams can respond more efficiently to threat incidents and contain potential threats faster. SOAR supports this through artificial intelligence and the automation of routine tasks.

The following figure illustrates the flow of security events and the corresponding responses in a SIEM and a SOAR system. It shows how SIEM collects and analyzes events, while SOAR processes these events and coordinates automatic responses.

Comparison of security information and event management

SIEM solutions focus on analyzing security information and event management from various sources to identify patterns and anomalies and send alerts to the Security Operations Center (SOC team). In contrast, SOAR focuses on automating the response to security incidents and the efficient collaboration of security teams. 

Why is XDR relevant for cyber security?

XDR compared to SIEM and SOAR

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is an approach that goes beyond SIEM and SOAR. While SIEM focuses primarily on analyzing security information, XDR expands the view to include data from a variety of sources to enable more holistic security analysis. The advantage of XDR is that it provides advanced threat detection by correlating security data from multiple sources to identify potential attacks early. Compared to SIEM and SOAR, XDR enables a more comprehensive and proactive response to security incidents.

Advantages of XDR in threat detection

XDR provides an integrated view of security data and enables effective correlation of event data to detect complex attacks. This enables security teams to identify potential threats faster and respond appropriately. By combining analytical capabilities and automation, XDR helps security teams increase efficiency in threat detection and minimize risk. This makes XDR a relevant technology for modern cyber security.

How do SIEM and SOAR support the response to security incidents?

Automating the response to incidents

SIEM and SOAR help security teams automate security incident response by processing alerts, orchestrating security processes and deploying automated response playbooks. This enables a faster and more consistent response to security incidents. Automation allows security teams to respond to threats in a timely manner and identify potential vulnerabilities in real time. SIEM systems provide in-depth analysis of security data, while SOAR solutions automate targeted response to security incidents.

Increased efficiency through security orchestration

Security orchestration in SOAR solutions makes it possible to automate security processes and optimize collaboration between security teams. Orchestrating security measures streamlines processes and significantly increases the efficiency of security incident response. By automating and coordinating breach response processes, SOAR enables security teams to save time and respond to threats in a more targeted manner. The combination of automation and orchestration helps to strengthen a company's cyber security and minimize the impact of potential security incidents.

Insight into the analysis of security incidents

SIEM and SOAR provide security teams with detailed insights into security incident analysis. SIEM provides comprehensive analysis of security information, while SOAR provides real-time insights and enables response automation. By analyzing security incidents, security teams can identify potential attacks faster and respond appropriately. The combination of both technologies enables companies to optimize their security strategies and improve the effectiveness of their cyber security.

Which tools and technologies are used in SIEM and SOAR solutions?

Integration of various security tools

SIEM and SOAR solutions integrate a variety of security tools to ensure a holistic approach to security, providing a more comprehensive response to threats. These tools enable the collection, analysis and response to security incidents from multiple sources. By integrating different security tools, the systems can gather comprehensive security information and ensure effective threat detection. This enables security teams to detect potential attacks at an early stage and respond proactively.

Correlating event data from different sources

SIEM and SOAR solutions correlate event data from different sources to identify patterns and anomalies. By intelligently linking data, security teams can better understand threats and take preventative action. The correlation of event data from different sources enables SIEM and SOAR systems to detect complex attacks and initiate targeted countermeasures. This helps to optimize a company's security strategies and effectively ensure cyber security.

Use of automation and response playbooks

Both systems use automation and response playbooks to streamline security processes and shorten response times. Predefined workflows allow security teams to respond quickly and efficiently to security incidents. The use of automation and response playbooks enables SIEM and SOAR systems to automate recurring tasks and reduce the workload of security analysts. This allows companies to optimize their security processes and effectively defend against potential threats. 

How can companies optimize their cyber security with SIEM and SOAR?

Efficient management of security processes

SIEM and SOAR support IT security teams in optimizing security processes and increasing efficiency in threat detection. By managing security processes efficiently, companies can strengthen their cyber security and better protect themselves against potential attacks.

Identifying and responding to security issues

When security teams analyze potential threats and take action in response, breaches can be effectively mitigated and further attacks prevented. By detecting and responding to security issues, organizations can continuously improve their security strategies and strengthen their resilience to cyber threats. SIEM and SOAR provide the technological support to proactively combat security incidents and support the Security Operations Center (SOC) in coordinating responses to threats.

Use cases for the automation of routine tasks

The automation of routine tasks in SIEM and SOAR solutions enables companies to optimize their security processes and increase efficiency. By automating recurring tasks, IT staff can focus on strategic tasks and respond quickly to acute security incidents. The use cases for automating routine tasks enable companies to use their security resources efficiently and reduce operating costs. SIEM and SOAR offer the opportunity to automate security processes and sustainably improve cyber security.

Our Workato SecOps Agent revolutionizes cybersecurity by seamlessly integrating SIEM and SOAR, incorporating cloud systems and best practices such as MITRE ATT&CK, and handling incidents autonomously. This enables faster and more efficient threat mitigation and makes the traditional SOC almost redundant. More information on this will follow in the next blog article.

About Business Automatica GmbH:

Business Automatica reduces process costs by automating manual activities, increases the quality of data exchange in complex system architectures and connects on-premise systems with modern cloud and SaaS architectures. Applied artificial intelligence in the company is an integral part of this. Business Automatica also offers automation solutions from the cloud that are geared towards cyber security.