What is a SOAR SOC Solution?
A SOAR SOC solution combines Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response technologies to help security teams automate repetitive tasks, orchestrate workflows across security tools, and accelerate incident response.
Unlike standalone monitoring technologies, SOC automation tools enable organizations to coordinate actions across multiple security products, helping analysts focus on high-priority investigations rather than routine tasks.
Organizations evaluating the best SOAR tools typically look for capabilities such as:
- Automated incident triage
- Workflow orchestration
- Threat intelligence integration
- Case management
- Cross-platform security automation
- Analyst productivity enhancement
Introduction
Security Operations Centers are under constant pressure to manage growing alert volumes, reduce response times, and operate efficiently despite staffing shortages. This is where SOAR SOC solutions have become essential. By combining security orchestration, automation, and response capabilities, organizations can streamline workflows, reduce manual effort, and improve incident response outcomes.
In this interview, industry expert Tari Schreider shares his perspectives on the role of SOC SOAR tools, automation, and security operations strategies in modern enterprises.
Why SOAR Matters in 2026
As cyber threats become more sophisticated and alert volumes continue to increase, organizations are turning to top SOAR platforms to improve operational efficiency.
Key drivers behind SOAR adoption include:
- Security talent shortages
- Increased alert fatigue
- Faster incident response requirements
- Growing security tool complexity
- Need for operational consistency
Modern top SOAR solutions help security teams reduce mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR) while maximizing existing security investments.
The Difference Between SIEM and SOAR
One of the most common questions security leaders ask is: SOC vs SOAR or SIEM versus SOAR?
| SIEM | SOAR |
| Collects and analyzes security logs and events | Automates and orchestrates security workflows |
| Provides detection and visibility | Provides action and response |
| Generates alerts | Investigates and responds to alerts |
| Centralized monitoring | Centralized automation |
Rather than replacing each other, SIEM and SOAR SOC technologies work together. SIEM provides the data and alerts, while SOAR helps automate investigation and response processes.
Why SOAR Solutions are Critical for Modern SOCs
Common Misconceptions About SOAR SOC Solutions
Q. In your opinion, Tari, what is one of the biggest misconceptions that the user community has about SOAR solutions?
Tari Schreider: A common misconception of SOAR I have heard is that SOAR replaces security incidents and event management (SIEM) solutions. SOARs require a repository of IT estate data (logs and alerts) to function. This repository can either be a SIEM or a data lake security, but it must have a repository. Many SIEMs are bound to endpoint and extended detection and response (XDR) platforms that provide SOAR SOC solutions with crucial incident information.
SIEM providers hear the rumblings of disgruntled customers and are quickly moving to acquire SOAR products or develop SOAR-like capabilities in their next-generation platforms. Security operations (SecOps) must architect SIEMs and SOARs to properly work together, as effective SOAR SOC solutions is essential for a robust security posture.
Evaluating the Right SOAR SOC Platform
Q. With that in mind, how should companies go about evaluating different solutions for their own SOCs?
Tari Schreider: SecOps is the factory behind the information security program. It is the assembly line where processes meld with technology to enforce policies. The more seamlessly this happens, the more resiliency is afforded in critical business processes. Automating and orchestrating disparate security technologies through Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) is the Six Sigma of SecOps.
SOAR sits at the center of SecOps like a production supervisor, and without one, a security program becomes unpredictable and unreliable. As a former manager of several SecOps organizations, I could not imagine a world without SOAR SOC solutions in my SOC. Leading SOAR providers are enabling organizations to streamline processes and respond faster.
The Role of Automation in a Modern SOC
Q. NetWitness: What role should automation play for an effective SOAR SOC solution compared to manual activities within an investigation?
Tari Schreider: SecOps can benefit from time and motion studies to understand where the rote and menial tasks exist. Organizations need to understand the performance of security analysts at a deep and meaningful level, not anecdotally. A realistic and achievable goal for SecOps is that a SOAR SOC solution should automatically perform all but customer-facing, level one security analyst job responsibilities.
This enables level one analysts to advance faster in the SecOps organization, where they’ll learn and perform more meaningful and rewarding tasks. Alert, incident, and tool fatigue are real; addressing this through automation is a matter of the utmost importance to SecOps management. It is crucial that organizations select SOAR SOC solutions with proven automation capabilities, such as NetWitness SOAR, to optimize their operations.
Improving Visibility and Response Through SOAR
Q. NetWitness: In terms of visibility, what sort of user experience should SOAR SOC solutions deliver?
Tari Schreider: The ideal state of SOAR within an organization is a material improvement in incident response metrics. Nothing else matters more. If an organization makes an investment in SOAR SOC solutions and does not realize a significant reduction in time containing and eradicating incidents, something is very wrong. Either with the deployment of SOAR or its management.
We live in an assumption of a breached world and must act as if the aggressors are already in the IT estate, find them and stop them. Using SOAR SOC solutions with sophisticated inherent threat intelligence is the “jacks or better to open” to achieving an ideal SOAR state. Leading SOAR solutions are now using advanced technologies to provide better visibility and faster response.
Addressing the Security Talent Gap with SOAR
Q. NetWitness: Finally, as many organizations are dealing with a shortage of talent in the SOC, how can SOAR help fill the gap?
Tari Schreider: Many organizations acquire SOAR SOC solutions in the belief they’ll be able to replace security operations personnel. There is no evidence, primary or secondary, to support this urban legend. SOAR does, however, make existing security operations personnel extremely productive by significantly reducing the amount of time required to triage and dispatch incidents to a successful resolution. SecOps will never be properly staffed, but with SOAR SOC solutions, SecOps can achieve the proper balance of the trifecta of people, processes, and technology. Security orchestration automation and response (SOAR) is a core strategy for SecOps that are chronically understaffed.
Core Components of an Effective SOAR SOC Solution
Organizations evaluating top SOAR platforms should prioritize the following capabilities:
Security Orchestration: Connects multiple security technologies and coordinates workflows across the environment.
Security Automation: Automates repetitive tasks such as alert enrichment, ticket creation, threat intelligence lookups, and incident triage.
Incident Response Management: Provides structured workflows that help security teams investigate and contain threats faster.
Threat Intelligence Integration: Enriches alerts with contextual threat intelligence to improve decision-making.
Case Management: Enables analysts to document, track, and collaborate on investigations efficiently.
Best Practices for SOAR Implementation
To maximize value from SOC SOAR tools, organizations should:
- Start with high-volume, repetitive use cases.
- Define measurable success metrics.
- Prioritize workflow standardization before automation.
- Integrate SOAR with SIEM, XDR, EDR, and ticketing systems.
- Continuously optimize playbooks based on analyst feedback.
- Establish governance for automated actions.
Successful deployment of SOC automation tools requires a balance between automation and human oversight.
Common Challenges and How to Avoid Them
Over-Automating Too Early: Begin with well-defined use cases before expanding automation across the environment.
Poor Tool Integration: Ensure security tools can share data effectively with the SOAR platform.
Lack of Process Maturity: Automation works best when security workflows are already documented and repeatable.
Unrealistic Staffing Expectations: SOAR improves analyst productivity but does not replace security professionals.
Insufficient Metrics: Track MTTR, analyst workload reduction, and automation success rates to demonstrate value.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the top SOAR solutions for SOC teams?
Leading top SOAR solutions typically offer automation, orchestration, incident response, threat intelligence integration, and case management capabilities. Organizations should evaluate solutions based on scalability, integration, automation depth, and operational requirements.
2. What is SOAR and how does it enhance a Security Operations Center?
Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) enhances SOC operations by automating repetitive tasks, streamlining workflows, and accelerating incident response, allowing analysts to focus on higher-value activities.
3. How do SOAR platforms integrate with existing SOC tools?
Most SOAR platforms integrate with SIEM, XDR, EDR, ticketing systems, firewalls, threat intelligence feeds, and cloud security platforms through APIs and pre-built connectors.
4. Compare leading SOAR platforms for enterprise environments.
When comparing top SOAR platforms, organizations should evaluate integration capabilities, automation flexibility, scalability, reporting, analyst experience, and vendor support.
5. Which SOAR providers offer the best automation features?
The best SOAR tools typically provide advanced playbook automation, low-code workflow creation, threat intelligence enrichment, automated investigation capabilities, and extensive third-party integrations.
Make Way for the Intelligent SOC with NetWitness®
-Turn data overload into actionable intelligence.
-Accelerate detection with AI-driven insights.
-Empower analysts with enriched, contextual decision-making.
-Build a smarter, faster, more resilient SOC.
