Sophie Bovy
Automation has transformed how security teams handle incidents, especially as the volume and complexity of threats continue to rise. Tools like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), SOAR platforms, and custom scripts are now staples in many organizations’ arsenals. According to the recent SANS 2024 Detection and Response Survey, EDR leads the charge, used by 82% of respondents, followed by SOAR platforms at 61%, custom scripts at 46%, and manual interventions at 50%.
Yet, incident response isn’t a singular action—it’s a process. It begins with initial response actions, like isolating affected systems or blocking malicious traffic, and extends into the full incident response lifecycle, encompassing investigation, root cause analysis, and lessons learned. Each of the widely used tools plays a distinct role within this process, but how well they work depends on what stage of the response they are applied. To understand their value, it’s essential to examine their strengths and limitations.
The Tools Driving Modern Incident Response
For many organizations, EDR has become the go-to solution for rapid response. It excels in isolating endpoints, halting malicious processes, and gathering rich telemetry for immediate containment. SOAR platforms, on the other hand, bring orchestration to the mix, automating workflows that would otherwise bog down analysts and responders. Then there are custom scripts, beloved by resourceful engineers and hunters who need flexibility for highly specific scenarios. Finally, manual intervention remains a necessity in certain complex or ambiguous cases where human judgment is irreplaceable.
Each of these approaches offers significant benefits but also presents challenges.
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EDR systems, while incredibly effective at capturing endpoint-level activity, can overwhelm teams with alerts, making it easy to miss critical signs of a larger attack
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SOAR platforms simplify operations with pre-designed playbooks but demand upfront investment and skilled expertise for setup and ongoing management.
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Custom scripts provide unparalleled adaptability but can be fragile, with high maintenance requirements.
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Manual, human-led intervention is irreplaceable for nuanced decision-making but slow, resource-intensive, and prone to human error.
The key to a resilient security program isn’t just picking the best tool but understanding how these tools integrate into both the initial response phase and the deeper investigation process.
Initial Response vs. Full Investigation
The initial response phase of incident management is all about speed. The goal here is containment: halting the attack before it spreads, minimizing immediate damage, and buying time for deeper analysis. Tools like EDR are ideal in this scenario, offering real-time visibility and automated responses that isolate threats in seconds. Similarly, SOAR platforms or orchestration and response capabilities enabled by playbooks can trigger predefined workflows, streamlining actions such as blocking traffic or quarantining infected systems.
But once the immediate threat is contained, the focus shifts. The investigation phase is where the root cause is identified, the scope of the breach is uncovered, and steps are taken to prevent recurrence. This is where traditional tools often falter.
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EDR, while strong in the early stages, can lack the cross-environment, historical and effective visibility needed for comprehensive investigations.
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SOAR platforms might automate parts of the investigative workflow but can’t replace the expertise of an analyst or responders connecting dots between disparate systems, particularly when defending against evasive adversaries who learn quickly and are seeking to bypass existing detection and response solutions.
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Custom scripts are leveraged by more advanced analysts and responders to fill some gaps, but their ad hoc nature makes them hard to scale across large or hybrid infrastructures.
This is where newer approaches, like Cloud Investigation and Response Automation (CIRA) solutions, shine. By focusing on the forensic-level details often overlooked in existing monitoring and real-time response tools, CIRA enables deeper insights while maintaining the speed modern organizations demand.
Closing the Gap with Investigation and Response Automation
The incident response process is increasingly defined by its ability to bridge initial containment with thorough investigation - delivering better response outcomes and enabling lessons learned from incidents to boost security posture. CIRA, a category created by Gartner, addresses this gap by automating the collection and analysis of forensic data across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. Automated Investigation and Response solutions bridge the gap between detection and response investigation, offering deep forensic visibility, automated workflows, and seamless integration with existing security investments like EDR and SOAR, enabling cyber resilience security operations through improved response outcomes.
Binalyze Automated Investigation and Response (AIR) accelerates the entire investigation workflow—from evidence collection to actionable insights to reporting—without sacrificing precision to deliver conclusive answers and response. AIR’s ability to unify visibility across environments ensures no stone is left unturned, while smart automated analysis removes time lost through guess-work. This powerful combination supercharges the SOC with elevated investigation and response capabilities that gives security teams confidence in their findings and the ability to recover faster.
The Path Forward
Modern incident response requires more than just speed—it demands precision and insights for true resilience. Security teams must adopt solutions that not only address immediate threats but also uncover the larger picture. While playbooks and automated workflows streamline containment, automation is also evolving to simplify complex forensic tasks, accelerating investigation without sacrificing accuracy. By combining tools that excel at containment with platforms like Binalyze AIR that prioritize forensic-level investigation, organizations can ensure resilience in the face of ever-evolving threats.
Learn more about how Binalyze AIR can transform your incident response workflow by visiting binalyze.com.
