What is UEBA and SOAR?

User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) are two critical cybersecurity technologies that enhance an organization's ability to detect, analyze, and respond to threats. While distinct in their primary functions, they often complement each other within a robust security framework.

Understanding UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics)

UEBA, or User and Entity Behavior Analytics, is a cybersecurity system designed to detect insider threats, targeted attacks, and financial fraud by analyzing the behavior of users and entities within an organization's network. It focuses on identifying deviations from normal patterns, which can indicate malicious or risky activities.

How UEBA Works:

• Baseline Creation: UEBA solutions first establish a baseline of "normal" behavior for each user (employees, contractors) and entity (servers, applications, endpoints) over time. This involves collecting and analyzing vast amounts of data, including:
  • Login times and locations
  • Accessed applications and data
  • Network traffic patterns
  • System commands executed
• Anomaly Detection: Once a baseline is established, UEBA continuously monitors activities, identifying anomalies that deviate significantly from the learned normal behavior. This system utilizes behavioral analytics to monitor activities and infrastructure. For instance, an employee suddenly accessing sensitive files outside their usual working hours or from an unusual location would be flagged.
• Risk Scoring: Detected anomalies are often assigned a risk score, helping security teams prioritize investigations. High-risk scores indicate a greater likelihood of a security incident.
• Threat Identification: UEBA is highly effective at identifying subtle, complex threats that might bypass traditional security controls, such as:
  • Compromised accounts (e.g., a hacker using legitimate credentials)
  • Insider threats (e.g., an employee exfiltrating data)
  • Privilege escalation attempts
  • Unauthorized data access

Key Benefits of UEBA:

• Proactive Threat Detection: Identifies threats before they escalate into major breaches.
• Reduces Alert Fatigue: Focuses on high-fidelity alerts by reducing false positives.
• Enhances Incident Response: Provides rich context for investigations.
• Protects Against Evolving Threats: Adapts to new attack techniques by focusing on behavioral changes rather than signature matching.

Understanding SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response)

Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platforms are designed to streamline and automate security operations, making security teams more efficient and effective at handling the growing volume of security alerts and incidents. SOAR focuses on integrating various security tools, automating repetitive tasks, and orchestrating complex incident response workflows. Unlike SIEM systems that offer extensive log repository and analysis capabilities, SOAR platforms generally do not prioritize these functions.

How SOAR Works:

• Orchestration: SOAR platforms integrate with a wide array of existing security tools (e.g., SIEM, firewalls, endpoint detection and response (EDR), threat intelligence platforms). This allows for seamless communication and data exchange between disparate systems.
• Automation: Repetitive and time-consuming security tasks are automated through pre-defined playbooks. These playbooks are automated workflows triggered by specific security alerts. Examples include:
  • Blocking malicious IP addresses
  • Quarantining infected endpoints
  • Enriching alerts with threat intelligence data
  • Opening tickets in IT service management systems
• Response: SOAR facilitates and guides the incident response process. Playbooks can automate initial containment actions, gather forensic data, and provide step-by-step instructions for analysts to follow during more complex incidents.

Key Benefits of SOAR:

• Improved Response Time: Automates initial response actions, significantly reducing the time to contain and resolve incidents.
• Increased Efficiency: Frees up security analysts from manual, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex threat analysis and strategic initiatives.
• Standardized Procedures: Ensures consistent and standardized incident response processes across the security team.
• Enhanced Visibility: Provides a centralized view of security operations and incident status.
• Better Resource Utilization: Optimizes the use of security tools and human capital.

UEBA and SOAR in Practice

While UEBA excels at identifying anomalous and potentially malicious user and entity behavior, SOAR provides the mechanism to act on those insights efficiently.

• Integration Example:
  1. A UEBA system detects an anomalous login attempt from an unusual location, flagging it as high-risk.
  2. This alert is sent to the SOAR platform.
  3. The SOAR platform automatically triggers a playbook that:
     • Checks the user's recent activity logs.
     • Queries threat intelligence for the source IP address.
     • Notifies the security analyst.
     • If the risk score is high enough, it might automatically disable the user's account or initiate a multi-factor authentication challenge.
  4. The analyst then reviews the consolidated information provided by SOAR and takes further action if needed.

In essence, UEBA is about understanding what is happening and who is doing it, especially when it deviates from the norm, while SOAR is about how to react quickly and effectively to such findings and other security incidents.