Designing and Operating Enterprise SIEM and SOAR Architectures for Proactive Security Operations

12.01.26 08:43 AM - By Gerald

Introduction

This case demonstrates how enterprise security architecture, SIEM platforms, and SOAR automation were designed and operated to support large-scale security operations centers. The work highlights advanced threat detection, incident response automation, and integration-driven security monitoring across cloud and on-premise environments.

Context

The security environments supported regulated enterprises across banking, insurance, government, real estate, and critical infrastructure domains. Centralized SOC platforms were responsible for ingesting, correlating, and analyzing security telemetry from servers, network devices, endpoints, cloud services, and third-party applications. SIEM platforms such as ArcSight, Azure Sentinel, and LogRhythm formed the analytical backbone, while SOAR platforms enabled automated response and orchestration. These environments operated under strict compliance, availability, and audit requirements.

Challenge

The primary challenge involved maintaining reliable security visibility across highly heterogeneous infrastructures while reducing alert fatigue and response times. Security platforms needed to onboard and normalize large volumes of log sources, handle intermittent log stoppages, and scale analytics without impacting performance. Incident response required consistent classification, escalation, and remediation across teams and customers. Additional complexity arose from integrating threat intelligence feeds, aligning detection logic with frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, and introducing automation without losing analyst control or audit traceability.

Approach

The approach focused on building resilient SIEM and SOAR architectures supported by disciplined operational processes. SIEM deployments were designed with high availability, data archival, and retention strategies aligned to compliance needs. Detection logic was developed using structured use cases, custom parsers, and fine-tuned correlation rules to improve signal quality. Azure Sentinel analytics leveraged KQL to build scalable detections, workbooks, and operational dashboards. SOAR platforms were introduced to automate repetitive response actions using playbooks and logic workflows, while preserving human oversight for critical decisions.

Solution

Enterprise SIEM solutions were deployed and managed across on-premise and cloud environments, including log collectors, connectors, agent servers, and centralized analytics engines. Custom parsers and data mappings ensured accurate normalization of logs from diverse sources such as network devices, operating systems, security tools, and cloud services. Detection content included correlation rules, active lists, reports, and dashboards tailored to customer risk profiles.

Azure Sentinel implementations delivered cloud-native analytics using KQL, Logic Apps, and automated playbooks to respond to common security events. Threat intelligence integrations incorporated external IOC feeds and intelligence platforms to support proactive threat hunting. SOAR platforms enabled automated triage, enrichment, and response actions such as containment, notification, and remediation workflows. Operational processes covered incident lifecycle management, root cause analysis, escalation handling, and continuous improvement of detection logic.

Outcome

The resulting security platforms improved detection accuracy, reduced mean time to respond, and increased SOC efficiency through automation. Analysts gained clearer visibility into threats and incidents, supported by standardized dashboards and reporting. Automation reduced manual effort for routine tasks while maintaining governance and auditability. From an architectural perspective, the solutions proved scalable and adaptable, supporting onboarding of new customers, log sources, and threat models without redesign.

Technology Stack

The solutions leveraged enterprise SIEM platforms including ArcSight, Azure Sentinel, and LogRhythm, alongside SOAR platforms, cloud analytics, KQL-based querying, REST-based integrations, threat intelligence feeds, endpoint and network security tools, data archival systems, and SOC operational tooling.