SOAR vs SIEM is a common comparison in cyber security conversations, but while they work closely together, they are distinct tools serving different purposes within a security operations centre (SOC). This article describes both in detail.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
SIEM is designed to detect threats. It collects, aggregates and analyses logs from across your digital environment, identifying suspicious activity and generating alerts
Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
SOAR takes those alerts and acts on them, automating repetitive tasks, orchestrating workflows, and enabling rapid, consistent incident response.
Together, these technologies can transform the speed, effectiveness and scale of a modern SOC.
Understanding SIEM: Data, Detection and Compliance
A SIEM solution gives you the visibility you need to understand what’s happening across your systems. It ingests event data from firewalls, servers, applications and other devices, then applies analytics and correlation rules to highlight suspicious behaviour.
Key capabilities include:
- Real-time threat detection
- Log aggregation and normalisation
- Behavioural analysis and anomaly detection
- Custom dashboards and compliance reporting
- Alerts triggered based on defined or learned patterns
At Amicis Group, we provide managed SIEM services that offer deep insight and enhanced detection without the burden of managing complex infrastructure or tuning rules internally.
What SOAR Adds: Action, Automation and Efficiency
While SIEM detects issues, SOAR is what enables you to respond. SOAR systems integrate with your security tools and automate the entire incident response workflow, from triage and investigation to remediation and reporting.
Core SOAR functions include:
- Centralised case management for alerts
- Automated playbooks to guide or execute responses
- Integration across EDR, XDR, firewalls, email gateways and more
- Context enrichment using threat intelligence
- Clear audit trails and performance metrics
SOAR reduces alert fatigue, improves analyst productivity and ensures faster, more accurate responses, especially when time is critical.
SOAR vs SIEM: Key Differences
| Capability | SIEM | SOAR |
| Primary Function | Detect threats through log collection and correlation | Automate and orchestrate incident response across security tools |
| Data Handling | Aggregates and analyses logs from across the network | Gathers alerts and enriches them with context |
| Response Capabilities | Generates alerts based on anomalies and patterns | Executes automated or guided responses via playbooks |
| User Experience | Offers visibility but often requires manual investigation | Reduces manual work by handling routine incidents automatically |
| Challenges | High alert volume, regular tuning needed, limited by manual processes | Requires planning and documentation of response procedures to implement effectively |
Why MSSPs Need Both SIEM and SOAR
Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) play a vital role in delivering both SIEM and SOAR capabilities for their clients. While SIEM provides the eyes and ears of a SOC, SOAR provides the hands and feet, enabling rapid, scalable, and intelligent action.
At Amicis Group, we help organisations deploy and manage both systems in harmony, ensuring they are:
- Integrated with existing security tooling
- Tailored to each client’s risk profile and regulatory landscape
- Backed by 24/7 expert monitoring and support
Whether you manage cyber security internally or through a partner, combining SIEM and SOAR delivers more value than either tool alone.
Benefits of Using SIEM
- Stronger Threat Visibility: Gain a comprehensive, real-time view of your network and application activity.
- Faster Detection: Identify malicious activity quickly using rules-based and behavioural analytics.
- Compliance Support: Generate reports aligned with ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, GDPR and other standards.
- Integrated Security View: Connect your tools into a central platform to make decisions with confidence.
Benefits of Using SOAR
- Automated Response: Act on threats immediately using predefined workflows and integrations.
- Improved SOC Performance: Free your analysts to focus on complex threats instead of repetitive triage.
- Scalable Incident Handling: Tackle high alert volumes without sacrificing quality or speed.
- Data-Driven Security Operations: Monitor performance, dwell time, and mitigation effectiveness across cases.
SOAR and SIEM: Better Together
For many organisations, SIEM alone cannot keep pace with the volume of alerts and the need for rapid response. SOAR fills that gap, enabling security teams to:
- Reduce mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR)
- Prioritise real threats over false positives
- Handle incidents consistently across shifts and teams
- Build resilience through repeatable processes and evidence-based reporting
Amicis Group offers both SIEM and SOAR services within our CyberGuard platform, giving you the tools, insight and support to run an effective security operation without building everything from scratch.
Why Choose Amicis Group for your Cyber Security Solutions
We are a UK-based MSSP focused on delivering high-performance, cost-effective security solutions to businesses in legal, construction, financial services and beyond. Our clients benefit from:
- UK-based SOC and security engineers
- Flexible, scalable solutions tailored to need
- A single partner for managed detection, response and compliance
- Clear pricing, clear communication and clear outcomes
Whether you are planning to modernise your SOC or improve your incident response maturity, we can help you build a strategy that works.
Ready to Improve Your Security Posture?
Contact us or call on 0333 305 5348 to discuss your needs and see how Amicis Group can deliver the power of SIEM and SOAR together. Please see our SOAR Service page and our SIEM page for more details.
