Implementing SIEM and SOAR platforms

What is SIEM?

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a cybersecurity solution that helps organizations detect, analyze, and respond to security threats in real time. It combines Security Information Management (SIM) and Security Event Management (SEM) to provide a centralized system for monitoring security events across an organization's network2.

SIEM platforms collect and aggregate data from various sources, including servers, applications, and network devices, allowing security teams to:

• Identify potential threats by analyzing patterns and anomalies.
• Respond to incidents quickly with automated alerts and forensic analysis.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards by maintaining detailed security logs.
• Improve visibility into an organization's security posture.
  
  

Modern SIEM solutions integrate AI and machine learning to enhance threat detection and automate security workflows, making them a crucial tool for cybersecurity teams

What is SOAR?

SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) is a cybersecurity solution designed to help organizations streamline and automate their security operations. It integrates various security tools, automates repetitive tasks, and enhances incident response capabilities.

Key features of SOAR include:

• Orchestration: Connecting different security tools to work together efficiently.
• Automation: Reducing manual effort by automating threat detection and response.
• Incident Response: Providing structured workflows to handle security incidents effectively.
• Threat Intelligence Integration: Enriching security data with external intelligence sources.
  
  

SOAR platforms enable security teams to respond to threats faster, improve efficiency, and reduce the burden of manual processes. They are often used alongside SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems to enhance overall cybersecurity posture.

Why implement SIEM and/or SOAR?

SIEM and/or SOAR platforms can be critical to organisations’ cybersecurity strategy by enabling visibility over the ICT environment and the detection of malicious activity. Implemented well, these platforms collect, centralise, and analyse important data that would otherwise be extremely complex and scattered. This helps organisations detect cybersecurity events and incidents to assist defenders intervene early and respond to threats

CISA, in collaboration with the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) and other international and U.S. partners, recently released guidance for organisations seeking to procure Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platforms. 

GUIDANCE

Implementing SIEM and SOAR Platforms – Executive Guidance

 outlines how executives can enhance their organization’s cybersecurity framework by implementing these technologies to improve visibility into network activities, enabling swift detection and response to cyber threats.

Implementing SIEM and SOAR Platforms – Practitioner Guidance 

focuses on how practitioners can quickly identify and respond to potential cybersecurity threats and leverage these technologies to streamline incident response processes by automating predefined actions based on detected anomalies.

Priority Logs for SIEM Ingestion – Practitioner Guidance 

offers insights for prioritizing log ingestion into a SIEM, ensuring that critical data sources are effectively collected and analyzed to enhance threat detection and incident response capabilities tailored for organizations.

This guidance should also be read alongside Best practices for event logging and threat detection, which provides high-level recommendations on developing a logging strategy.

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