Process Documentation

Introduction

In cybersecurity operations, structured process documentation is essential for guiding incident responses and ensuring operational consistency. Threat hunters contribute significantly to this process by collaborating with the Security Operations Center (SOC) to create and refine various types of documentation. Their expertise in identifying emerging threats and attack vectors enhances the overall effectiveness of these materials.

This chapter illustrates the vital contributions threat hunters make to structured process documentation, which strengthens the SOC’s ability to respond effectively to the dynamic nature of cyber threats. Working alongside the SOC, threat hunters help drive the organization forward through their collaborative efforts. However, it is important to note that SOC analysts, engineers, and other security professionals also play key roles in maintaining these documents.

Structured process documentation is one of the critical components of SOC operations, enabling the SOC to adapt and respond to an ever-changing threat landscape.

Examples of structured process documentation mentioned in this chapter

Documentation Entities

Below is a brief explanation of each process document mentioned above.

Playbooks

Playbooks are comprehensive, strategic guides designed to outline workflows and response strategies for various incidents. They cover stages such as detection, analysis, containment, eradication, and recovery. Playbooks often incorporate decision-making frameworks, define roles and responsibilities, and outline communication protocols, ensuring that the entire SOC team operates cohesively during incident responses. Playbooks are flexible and can also apply to proactive activities like threat hunting and security monitoring, in addition to incident response.

Runbooks

Runbooks are operationally focused, providing step-by-step instructions for completing specific tasks within the SOC. They guide analysts through both routine and critical actions, such as incident triage, system reboots, or technical threat analysis. Unlike Playbooks, Runbooks focus on precise, repeatable tasks, often including commands or scripts to automate parts of the process. Automation through Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platforms and other methods is becoming increasingly integral to SOC efficiency. Runbooks ensure consistent execution of tasks by SOC personnel.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

SOPs are formal documents that define standardized processes for various operations within the SOC and across the organization. They ensure consistency and compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements. SOPs cover routine activities like incident response, system monitoring, and report generation, promoting efficiency and accountability. They serve as the foundation upon which Playbooks and Runbooks are built, ensuring alignment with higher-level policies.

Visualization

Playbooks, Runbooks, and SOPs are complementary tools that serve different purposes within the SOC. Playbooks offer high-level, strategic guidance for incident response; Runbooks provide detailed, task-specific instructions; and SOPs ensure that all procedures align with organizational standards and compliance requirements.

Overall, the following graph visually demonstrates how these documentation types interrelate, showing that Playbooks, Runbooks, and SOPs fall under the umbrella of Operational Documentation, while providing distinct yet complementary functions to enhance SOC effectiveness.

graph TD
    A[Operational Documentation] 
    B[Playbooks]
    C[Runbooks]
    D[Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs]

    A --> B
    A --> C
    A --> D

    B --> E[Incident Response Strategies]
    B --> F[Decision-Making Frameworks]
    
    C --> G[Step-by-Step Instructions]
    C --> H[Task Automation]

    D --> I[Routine Operations]
    D --> J[Compliance Protocols]

The graph above introduces several entities that have not been previously discussed:

• Playbooks: These may include decision-making frameworks, which serve as tools to aid in making informed decisions. However, this topic is not the focus of this chapter.

• Runbooks: Runbooks can be fully automated through scripts, SOAR workflows, and other automation methods. This chapter will concentrate on the manual, day-to-day operations within a SOC.

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): SOPs are essential for ensuring compliance and standardization in processes. It is implicit that SOPs guarantee tasks are performed consistently each time.

Hierarchical Relationship Overview

The relationship between Playbooks, Runbooks, and SOPs can be described as follows:

The following graph showcases the relationship between multiple Playbooks and their associated SOPs, as well as their role within the Runbook framework:

flowchart TB
   subgraph Runbook
     subgraph Playbook1[Playbook 1]
        SOP1[SOP 1]
        SOP2[SOP 2] 
     end

     subgraph Playbook2[Playbook 2]
        SOP3[SOP 3]
        SOP4[SOP 4] 
     end
  
     subgraph PlaybookN[Playbook N+1]
        SOP5[SOP N+1] 
     end
   end

   Playbook1-->Runbook
   Playbook2-->Runbook
   PlaybookN-->Runbook

This structure reflects how Playbooks and SOPs integrate within Runbooks, creating an organized and efficient approach to security operations.

Resources

• ATC React
• The RE&CT Framework
• How To Create A Runbook For SOC: Practical Guide
• Runbook vs. Playbook, SOP, User Guide: How Do They Compare?
• What is a Runbook?
• Security Operations Center (SOC): Data Guardians
• Runbooks vs Playbooks: A Guide to Understanding Operational Documentation