{"id":5633,"date":"2021-09-08T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sumologic.com\/blog\/how-to-implement-cyber-security-automation-in-secops-with-soar-7-simple-steps"},"modified":"2025-07-10T05:55:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T13:55:03","slug":"how-to-implement-cyber-security-automation-in-secops-with-soar-7-simple-steps","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.sumologic.com\/blog\/how-to-implement-cyber-security-automation-in-secops-with-soar-7-simple-steps","title":{"rendered":"How to implement cybersecurity automation in SecOps with SOAR (7 simple steps)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When it comes to cybersecurity automation, there is the persistent fear that security automation is here to replace humans. And while those fears are somewhat justified, the reality is that automation in security operations is meant to aid, not hinder security professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with cyber threats evolving at a dazzling rate, cybersecurity automation is slowly becoming a necessity, rather than a luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this blog, we\u2019ll explain how SOCs can seamlessly incorporate security automation (in a completely safe manner) into their SecOps in 7 simple steps. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role of automation in cybersecurity operations?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The role of automation in cybersecurity operations is to ease the burden of cybersecurity organizations by automating repetitive behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security automation allows security teams to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks with the end goal of improving the workflow of SecOps and achieving better efficiency. Security automation, as a capability provided by the revolutionary technology SOAR, gives SOCs a major boost in their SecOps, offering a 10x SOC productivity and over 80% improved incident response time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOAR is a type of technology that allows organizations to replicate their security operational processes into a workflow and orchestrate different existing technologies to better identify, track and remediate cyber incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts have a myriad of tasks and processes that they must perform, and via automation, analysts can choose which repetitive processes they want to automate and which ones they want to process manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the difference between security automation and orchestration in Cloud SOAR?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SOAR is an all-in-one platform that allows users to manage multiple technologies in streamlined processes thanks to playbooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Orchestration, you can activate specific actions of the other tools, and thanks to playbooks, you can connect all the tools that analysts need in specific moments. This allows them to replicate threat response processes and extract all the information an expert needs to make decisions, send notifications, and take containment actions from one convenient location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automation allows for faster process deployment because analysts intervene only where there are decisions to be made. In fact, Cloud SOAR\u2019s<\/a> machine learning capabilities automatically identify the type of attacks, eliminate the false positives, create incidents, and activate the specific playbooks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automation should be focused on assisting teams mainly with low-level tasks, allowing analysts to focus their time and effort on more challenging tasks (such as process governance), understanding situations, and making quick decisions based on SOAR insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automate security operations with SOAR in 7 steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As we mentioned, the degree of automation applied in security operations is completely adjustable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to start automating your security operations, you just need to follow these 7 simple steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Identify Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first thing to do before starting automating security operations is to analyze the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)<\/a> within the conventional processes of the organization. Those are basically the recurring processes that include incident response and investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Analysis of the tools that need to be orchestrated within the processes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The second step is to analyze the tools that need to be orchestrated within the processes to perform investigations, notifications, and corrective actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3: Verify existing API connectors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The third step is to verify that all API connectors identified in step two perform the individual actions and are available or developable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4: Create missing API connectors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Easily create or modify API connectors thanks to the Open Integration Framework (OIF) that allows users to extend the functionality of Cloud SOAR and integrate it into other processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also create Daemons that proactively enhance SecOps. There are no limits on Daemons you can create, like for example, new IoCs in threat intelligent platforms or SIEM<\/a> alerts with higher risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 5: Replicate and enhance processes in graphical mode using playbook logic<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the fifth step, with playbook logic, create graphical workflows that give you control over your process and provide you with the ability to replicate and improve your processes. You can completely customize your playbooks by adding specific actions of the tools you have in your environment, but also tasks, and user choices to enrich, block, notify, escalate and contain threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 6: Progressive Automation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to its machine learning engine, SOAR can learn the characteristics of alerts and use that knowledge to prevent cyber attacks. So, the implementation of progressive automation in SecOps has many perks. And it starts from the moment an alert is received:<\/p>\n\n\n\n