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In the world of cybersecurity, there are many acronyms that can cause confusion. Three of the most commonly used terms are SOC, SIEM, and SOAR.
In this article, we will clarify the similarities and differences between these three concepts so that you can better understand how they can help your organization combat cyber threats.
1. SOC
A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a centralized team of security professionals who leverage various technologies to continuously monitor network activity, system logs, and user behavior for potential online threats. Operating 24/7, they analyze IT infrastructure and activities to identify and respond appropriately to these threats.
Managing the complex security technologies and processes required for an in-house SOC is often out of reach for many organizations. These SOC analysts are scarce and expensive.
Recognizing the complexity and expertise required, many organizations leverage outsourced Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) like AXS Guard's Observe & Protectservice to handle these critical SOC functions.
2. SIEM
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is a technology that plays a vital role in a Security Operations Center (SOC).
A SIEM solution enables the collection, aggregation, and analysis of logs from multiple security tools. These logs are centralized on a SIEM platform for security analysis, where events are compared against predefined rules to detect potential threats or anomalies. SIEM can detect a wide range of threats, including DDoS attacks, suspicious login attempts phishing, code injection, ransomware, and other malicious events. However, while SIEM is a powerful tool, it requires skilled SOC analysts to interpret the data, investigate findings, and take appropriate action. Without this expertise, SIEM's value is significantly diminished.
3. SOAR
Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) refers to a category of software that streamlines security operations by enabling data collection and analysis from various cybersecurity tools.
This centralized approach empowers organizations to leverage all their security data for a more effective incident response.
The most obvious benefits of SOAR systems are:
- Speed: SOAR helps organizations reduce mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to restore (MTTR).
- Automation of incident response: Playbooks enable automated responses to security incidents.
- Contextual awareness: SOAR provides insight into the context of cyber breaches by analyzing data from multiple sources.
SOAR often leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance data analysis and automate responses. While SIEM excels at centralizing and analyzing security logs, SOAR focuses on automating responses and orchestrating workflows. Some view SOAR as a potential successor to SIEM, but it's more commonly seen as a powerful complement that enhances SIEM's capabilities.
SOAR versus SIEM --> SOC
Both SOAR and SIEM play crucial roles in cybersecurity by enabling a more efficient and effective response to security incidents. However, they differ in their functionalities.
SIEM focuses on aggregating and correlating data from multiple security systems, generating alerts that require investigation by the security team.
SOAR goes a step beyond alerts by leveraging AI to identify unusual events or threats based on learned patterns. This enables SOAR to automatically take action, such as isolating infected systems or blocking malicious traffic.
Cybersecurity experts manage these security solutions and tools from a centralized location known as a Security Operations Center (SOC) to ensure your organization's online security.
AXS Guard offers MDR / MXDR as an integral part of its Observe & Protect service.
» What is MDR/MXDR?
SOC / SIEM / SOAR: Similarities and Differences