Question

Difficulty: MediumSecurity Automation and Orchestration (SOAR)

An automated Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) workflow is triggered upon detecting malicious code execution on a workstation. In what order should the playbook execute the following response actions to ensure effective containment while preventing unauthorized operational disruption?

  1. 1Query Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and threat intelligence APIs to enrich the alert with host details and file hash reputation.
  2. 2Evaluate the enriched incident data against playbook conditional logic to assess asset criticality and threat severity.
  3. 3Issue an automated API call to the EDR agent to isolate the compromised workstation from the local network.
  4. 4Submit a human-in-the-loop (HITL) approval request to a Tier 2 analyst prior to revoking the associated user's domain credentials.
  5. 5Update the IT Service Management (ITSM) ticket with execution logs and automatically close the alert upon analyst sign-off.

Answer

The correct sequence of actions for the SOAR playbook is: 1) Query EDR and threat intelligence APIs to enrich the alert, 2) Evaluate enriched incident data against conditional logic, 3) Issue an automated API call to isolate the workstation, 4) Submit a human-in-the-loop approval request for credential revocation, and 5) Update the ITSM ticket and close the alert.
Effective SOAR playbooks follow a structured lifecycle: enrichment, evaluation, containment, human-in-the-loop approval for high-risk actions, and final ticketing/closure. Gathering threat intelligence and endpoint details first provides the necessary telemetry. Evaluating conditional logic determines response severity. Performing automated endpoint isolation halts lateral movement immediately. Requesting analyst approval before identity credential revocation avoids unnecessary business downtime. Finally, updating and closing the ITSM ticket documents the full audit trail.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Enrich alert context
Host criticality metrics and file reputation data are attached to the incident record.
SOAR workflows must gather requisite context from integrated security tools before executing decision logic.
2
Evaluate conditional rules
The playbook determines the containment pathway appropriate for the asset type and severity.
Contextual evaluation ensures low-risk automated actions are performed while high-impact steps are flagged for review.
3
Execute automated network containment
The host is isolated at the endpoint layer to prevent lateral movement.
Containment of compromised endpoints must happen immediately to halt threat spread.
4
Request human-in-the-loop authorization
Tier 2 analyst receives notification to review credential revocation details.
High-impact identity changes carry operational risk and require explicit human verification.
5
Record workflow metrics and close case
Execution logs are written to the ITSM ticketing platform and the case is closed.
Audit records and system metrics must be recorded post-remediation to finalize incident response operations.

Key Concept

SOAR Playbook Incident Response Execution Order
Rate this question