Security Operation Centers (SOCs) face a talent shortage – a scarcity of skilled cybersecurity professionals that has resulted in many understaffed teams with an overwhelming volume of security alerts.
SOC teams struggle with alert fatigue as they sift through countless false positives, leading to missed critical threats and delayed responses. Outsourcing this problem to Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services often results in significant costs (e.g., $700k a year for an average 10,000 endpoint company), superficial investigations of alerts, and inconsistent service levels due to turnover and human errors.
What are the three biggest operational challenges for your security team?
When asked to identify their top three operational challenges, 52% of respondents cited difficulty in prioritizing alerts as a primary concern. Given the huge volume of alerts, distinguishing between critical and low-risk incidents can be a major hurdle.
Source: 2024 Network Threat Detection Report produced by Cybersecurity Insiders
Addressing this complexity necessitates a new approach to cybersecurity operations to significantly alleviate these pain points. Intezer’s innovative Autonomous SOC Platform stands out as a cutting-edge solution designed to streamline and enhance security operations for organizations of all sizes. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence and threat analysis technologies, Intezer automates the triage and investigation of security alerts, significantly reducing the burden on security teams and improving overall operational efficiency.
In this review, we examine the Intezer Autonomous SOC Platform in detail to provide cybersecurity professionals with a comprehensive understanding of how this platform can enhance the security team – using AI to eliminate alert fatigue, address skill gaps, and ease challenges from resource shortages.
THE AI-DRIVEN SOC: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO AUTOMATION
Intezer’s Autonomous SOC Platform offers a distinct approach compared to existing playbook-based automation tools, using AI-native workflows that offer immediate out-of-the-box benefits.
Intezer delivers comprehensive, 24/7 monitoring and analysis of every single security alert from various sources in the security tech stack, including EDR, SIEM, and user-reported phishing tools. The platform’s advanced memory analysis and forensics capabilities allow for deep threat investigations, identifying and classifying threats with high accuracy. Its ability to auto-resolve false positives, achieving a resolution rate of up to 97%, minimizes alert fatigue and allows security teams to focus on genuine threats. On average, just 4% of alerts investigated by Intezer require escalation to a SOC analyst for urgent action and remediation.
With its unique approach to collecting and analyzing evidence like an experienced SOC analyst, the AIdriven platform can be used by managed service providers to expand their offerings or even compete with some MDR services. Compared to manual or playbook-based enrichment and alert triage processes, Intezer has proven it can save hundreds of hours for SOC teams.
KEY FEATURES AND CAPABILITIES
Intezer’s platform offers a robust suite of features designed to enhance and streamline security operations:
1. Seamless Integrations: The Intezer platform integrates effortlessly with existing cybersecurity infrastructures through simple API connections and plugins. Organizations can quickly connect their endpoint security tools, SIEM, and SOAR systems to Intezer. The platform’s configuartions options allow users to tailor the investigation and escalation processes to meet their specific operational needs, ensuring the solution fits seamlessly into any security ecosystem and enhances the effectiveness of existing tools.
2. AI-Driven Decision Making: At the core of Intezer’s capabilities is advanced AI and machine learning technology. The platform utilizes an AI Framework that uses proprietary genetic code analysis, custom-built machine learning, and large language models. The AI Framework is based on years of research and development, which enables it to examine and correlate threats, providing highly accurate and actionable insights for analysts. This AI-driven approach automates a decision-making process typically handled by human analysts, ensuring rapid and precise threat classification and response. This significantly reduces the burden on human analysts, ensuring they are focused on escalated threats and strategic decisions.
3. Scalability and Cost-Effectiveness: Intezer’s platform is designed to scale with the needs of any organization, from mid-sized organizations to large enterprises. By automating repetitive tasks and reducing manual effort, the platform allows security teams to operate more efficiently without the need for additional personnel. Organizations typically start by integrating Intezer with the security tool that produces the highest volume of alerts, which alleviates the workload on their team and achieves a fast time-to-value. Teams see the full return on investment once all their security tools are integrated and configured according to the SOC team’s needs.
FROM ALERT TO ACTION: INSIDE INTEZER’S 6-STEP AUTONOMOUS SOC PROCESS
Intezer’s AI-powered solution offers a comprehensive way to automate triage and incident response, significantly enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of security teams. Here’s a detailed look at the six stages of the autonomous SOC process:
STEP 1 – 24/7 Alert Monitoring
Intezer integrates seamlessly with existing security tools, including endpoint security products like SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, and Microsoft Defender; SIEM tools such as Splunk and Microsoft Sentinel; user-reported phishing pipelines and email security providers like Proofpoint or Mimecast; and SOAR tools like Tines, Torq, and Cortex XSOAR. By connecting via API or plugins, Intezer starts monitoring and ingesting alerts immediately, ensuring continuous and comprehensive surveillance of all security events.
Monitor: Intezer automatically ingests alerts from your connected sources 24/7 and collects evidence.
STEP 2 – Automatic Collection of Evidence
Upon receiving an alert, Intezer collects all relevant data and evidence associated with the alert. This mirrors the thoroughness of a human analyst who collects as much evidence as possible for a comprehensive view and understanding of the potential threat. This includes files, processes, command lines, URLs, IPs, memory images, and more. For example, in a fileless PowerShell-based ransomware attack, Intezer can gather memory forensics from live endpoints to provide a deep understanding of the potential threat, enabling the most comprehensive and accurate analysis of the alert.
STEP 3 – Investigating Incidents with AI
In the investigation stage, Intezer analyzes each piece of collected evidence using genetic analysis, sandboxing, static analysis, OSINT, memory analysis, reverse engineering, and other relevant methods. Each artifact is thoroughly examined to assign a verdict (true/false positive), risk classification (malware family, threat actor), and recommended next steps – complete with all information needed to respond effectively. The results are then synthesized into an overall incident assessment for the alert using AI, which can be accessed in detailed reports that show the evidence backing up the platform’s conclusions.
Investigate: Intezer investigates evidence related to each alert to determine a clear classification, assessment, and recommended next steps.
STEP 4 – Automating Triage Decisions for Incident Response
Intezer’s AI Framework correlates results from all the analyzed evidence to make a determination about how the alert should be handled. Since Intezer’s average triage time for alerts is two minutes, SOC analysts have immediate answers about whether a new alert is a false positive or an escalated threat that should take priority. Alerts that require human intervention are escalated, while false positives are automatically resolved to reduce noise.
Intezer’s fast triage decisions make SOC analysts more effective, giving them prioritized alerts with detailed investigation results and recommended remediation actions. This decision-making process can also integrate with SOAR playbooks to trigger additional custom actions based on Intezer’s findings or ServiceNow workflows for seamless escalation notifications to SOC analysts.
Triage: Intezer auto-resolves false positives, escalating only the important incidents to your team with a complete analysis report.
STEP 5 – Responding to Confirmed Threats
For confirmed threats, Intezer provides actionable recommendations and correlation to other alerts, devices, or users. Responses can vary based on the nature of the threat and recommended next steps, including applying hunting rules based on Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) or conducting deeper forensics on suspicious endpoints. Intezer also provides SOC analysts with interactive sandboxing and secure website browsing tools, so they can quickly get answers about unusual or escalated alerts.
Intezer’s endpoint scanner can be launched automatically or remotely by investigators across multiple endpoints to detect fileless attacks and gather more information for an effective response. For alerts that require follow up or response, these tools allow analysts to enhance investigations and remediation efforts.
Respond & Hunt: Intezer auto-remediates confirmed threats and provides ready-to-use rules for response and hunting.
STEP 6 – Reporting on Automated Incident Response
Finally, Intezer generates reports to keep your team informed and provide tuning suggestions. These reports summarize detected threats and actions taken, allowing your team to track progress and continuously improve security operations. This ensures that security teams get visibility into the top devices or users at risk, threat clusters, and other key insights.
Report: Intezer generates weekly reports to provide suggestions and give you full visibility over your security operations and alert pipelines.
KEY USE CASES
Intezer’s platform is designed to address various critical security needs, offering versatile solutions for different aspects of security operations:
Automated Phishing Investigations
Intezer automates user-reported phishing investigations, saving organizations significant time and resources. Integrating seamlessly with existing phishing workflows, such as dedicated mailboxes, Office 365, Mimecast, and Proofpoint’s PhishAlarm, Intezer collects and analyzes data from suspicious emails, including f ile attachments, URLs, and QR codes. This process provides clear verdicts and actionable insights, enabling security teams to quickly respond with answers about possible phishing emails.
Automated Triage for Endpoint Alerts
Intezer’s AI-powered platform offers quick and effortless setup with no engineering required. By connecting via an API key, it immediately starts triaging endpoint alerts from tools like CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and Microsoft Defender. For every alert, Intezer autonomously collects and analyzes evidence, providing detailed assessments and recommended actions to the console. Alert escalations can be configured to ensure your team is notified of serious threats. In just a few days, you’ll see a marked reduction in alert noise, automatic alert investigations, and significant cost savings compared to traditional outsourced SOC providers.
24/7 SIEM Alert Monitoring and Incident Resolution
Intezer uses AI to automatically triage SIEM alerts, functioning as a virtual Tier 1 SOC team. For every alert, Intezer collects evidence, performs deep analysis and correlation, and validates actions with end users to ensure accurate decisions about identity alerts. Only serious incidents are escalated as true threats with clear context and recommendations. Easy integrations allow quick connection to SIEM tools like Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, IBM QRadar, Elastic, Devo, and Stellar Cyber. Within days, expect reduced noise, with only 4% of alerts escalated, thorough investigations of alerts, and high accuracy, as 92% of escalations are actual incidents.
Supercharge Your SOAR Playbooks
Intezer enhances SOAR solutions by automating analysis and decision-making, allowing SOAR to drive response actions and case management. With automated alert investigation technology and simple webhook integration, Intezer enhances playbooks without any complex engineering. This integration consolidates multiple third-party tools into one component, making true Tier 1 automation possible. Teams can connect Intezer to create robust playbooks, simplifying setup and maintenance for alert triage and enrichment workflows. Intezer provides human-like decision-making information, including verdicts, risk levels, threat actors, IOCs, and recommended next steps, seamlessly integrating with SOAR through webhooks or marketplace apps.
BENEFITS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS
Intezer’s Autonomous SOC Platform offers tailored benefits for various types of organizations, addressing their unique challenges and enhancing security operations:
Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs)
MSSPs benefit significantly from Intezer’s ability to handle high volumes of alerts without increasing headcount or causing analyst burnout. The platform’s automation capabilities help MSSPs maintain profit margins by reducing the need for additional analysts, while providing high-quality, efficient security services. Many MSSPs promote Intezer as a cornerstone of their AI strategy, showcasing its role in enhancing their competitive edge.
Mid-Level Enterprises
For mid-level enterprises, Intezer can completely automate alert triage 24/7, allowing teams to focus only on real incidents. This helps avoid the high costs of outsourced SOC services, which often deliver slow and inconsistent results. By integrating seamlessly with existing security tools, the platform enhances internal capabilities and bridges skill gaps while reducing analyst burnout. This allows mid-sized companies to significantly improve their security posture and respond more effectively to threats, even with limited resources.
Large Fortune 500 Enterprises
Large Fortune 500 enterprises such as Equifax, ABInBev, MGM Resorts, and YAGEO Group benefit from Intezer’s advanced AI-driven capabilities and comprehensive threat detection. These organizations benefit from the platform’s scalability, which automates Tier 1 alert triage to investigate a high volume of incoming alerts and prioritize the real incidents for analysts. Intezer integrates with existing systems to provide a unified view of security alerts, reducing the time and effort required to manage and respond to threats. This offers a truly automated approach for triage that frees up time for threat hunting and other important tasks, reducing time wasted on “chasing ghosts.”
WHAT SETS INTEZER APART FROM SOAR, SANDBOX, AND MDR SOLUTIONS?
Intezer’s AI-driven technology uniquely enhances security operations by automating critical processes typically handled by human analysts:
• Unlike SOAR platforms that use custom playbooks to handle case management and repetitive tasks, Intezer uses AI to automate the decision-making and investigation processes typically managed by human analysts.
• Unlike malware sandboxes that manually detonate individual files, Intezer connects directly with your security tools to automatically investigate alerts and multiple types of evidence, including fileless threats, while using AI to correlate results.
• In contrast to outsourced SOC services that rely on costly human operators for delivering traditional MDR services (potentially incurring costs of $700K per year for a 10K endpoint company), Intezer leverages AI and advanced automation for alert monitoring and triage, minimizing human error while maximizing accuracy and efficiency.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
Implementing Intezer’s platform is designed to be straightforward and efficient. The initial setup involves connecting security tools via API key or plugin, which can be completed in minutes. Intezer quickly ingests alerts, analyzing all relevant artifacts (files, URLs, memory images), and delivers fast, actionable results using AI for decision-making and correlation.
A phased integration approach is available, starting with key pain points such as autonomous triage for endpoint alerts or reported phishing emails. A team could then expand to integrate other alert sources, triaging more detections from SIEM and SOAR tools. This strategy allows teams to test and adjust the platform as needed, ensuring a smooth and more effective deployment.
CONCLUSION
Intezer’s Autonomous SOC platform is an innovative solution for modern security operations, addressing critical pain points such as alert fatigue, skill gaps, the complexity of threats, and resource shortages. Its advanced AI and machine learning capabilities automate the detection, triage, and investigation of security alerts, significantly reducing the burden on security teams and enhancing operational efficiency.
The platform’s seamless integration with existing tools, high accuracy in threat detection, and ability to auto-resolve false positives make it an indispensable tool for SOCs. Intezer’s scalability ensures it can meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, from mid-level enterprises to large Fortune 500 companies, offering tailored benefits and improving overall security posture.
In summary, Intezer’s Autonomous SOC Platform stands out as a cost-effective, efficient, and highly accurate solution for enhancing security operations, making it a valuable asset for any organization seeking to improve its cybersecurity capabilities.
For detailed information and to explore case studies, visit Intezer’s website to learn more about the Autonomous SOC Platform.
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ABOUT INTEZER
Intezer monitors, investigates and triages security alerts for your team 24/7. Using automated analysis, smart recommendations, and auto remediation, Intezer saves your team from time wasted on false positives, repetitive analysis tasks, and too many escalated alerts.
We recognize the need for a transformation in Security Operations, moving away from manual, people-based processes and towards leveraging technology. This shift allows security teams to avoid being overwhelmed and enables them to focus on critical alerts and tasks that truly matter.
