Security Operations & Management

Alert Triage & Runbooks

  • May 9, 2025
  • 0

Sherlocked Security – Alert Triage & Runbooks

Standardize and Accelerate Your SOC Operations with Effective Alert Handling and Response Playbooks

1. Statement of Work (SOW)

Service Name: Alert Triage & Runbook Development
Client Type: Security Operations Centers (SOC), MSSPs, Enterprises with Internal IR Teams
Service Model: Project-Based with Retainer Option for Ongoing Updates
Compliance Alignment: NIST 800-61, MITRE ATT&CK®, ISO/IEC 27035, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS

Alert Triage & Runbook Service Covers:

  • Prioritization and classification of security alerts
  • Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for different incident types
  • Role-based runbooks for Level 1, 2, and 3 SOC analysts
  • MITRE ATT&CK®-mapped alert handling workflows
  • Integration of enrichment tools (threat intel, EDR, SIEM)
  • Documentation for escalation, containment, and recovery actions
  • Analyst training and decision tree logic

2. Our Approach

[Use Case Review] → [Alert Classification] → [Runbook Design] → [Workflow Mapping] → [Tuning & Feedback] → [Final Documentation & Training]

3. Methodology

  • Alert Source Mapping

    • Identify alert-generating systems (SIEM, EDR, IDS, CSPM, etc.) and their common event types.

  • Triage Framework Development

    • Define alert criticality, confidence score thresholds, and enrichment steps.

  • Runbook Structuring

    • Develop detailed, step-by-step guides for responding to high-frequency and high-impact alerts.

  • Role-Based Action Plans

    • Create tailored runbooks for different SOC roles (e.g., L1 triage, L2 investigation, L3 containment).

  • Threat Mapping

    • Align each alert and corresponding runbook with MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques.

  • Escalation & Response Guidelines

    • Include defined escalation paths, SLA expectations, and containment protocols.

  • Analyst Training

    • Provide workshops or walkthroughs to ensure adoption and clarity.

4. Deliverables to the Client

  1. Alert Categorization Matrix: Priority, severity, and classification guidelines for SOC alerts
  2. Runbook Library: Structured, step-by-step guides for incident triage and response
  3. Decision Trees: Logic trees for common detection events (e.g., phishing, lateral movement)
  4. MITRE Mapping Sheet: Cross-reference of alerts with corresponding MITRE techniques
  5. Escalation Matrix: Roles, responsibilities, and time-bound escalation procedures
  6. Analyst Training Material: Slides, videos, or PDFs for knowledge transfer
  7. Version-Controlled Documentation: Editable templates for ongoing updates

5. What We Need from You (Client Requirements)

  • Alert Sources: Access to logs or representative alerts from SIEM, EDR, IDS, cloud tools
  • Incident Types: List of high-volume or high-risk alert categories
  • Escalation Policies: Current response procedures and SLAs
  • SOC Roles Definition: Analyst tiers and their respective responsibilities
  • Communication Channels: Platforms used for escalation (Slack, Teams, PagerDuty, etc.)

6. Tools & Technology Stack

  • SIEM Platforms: Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, QRadar, Elastic
  • EDR/XDR Tools: CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Defender for Endpoint
  • Threat Intel: MISP, VirusTotal, Recorded Future, Anomali
  • Case Management: TheHive, ServiceNow, JIRA
  • Runbook Platforms: Confluence, Notion, Lucidchart, Draw.io

7. Engagement Lifecycle

  1. Kickoff & Use Case Discovery
  2. Alert Source & Pattern Analysis
  3. Runbook & Workflow Design
  4. Stakeholder Review & Feedback
  5. Finalization of Runbooks & SOPs
  6. Training & Knowledge Transfer
  7. Ongoing Update (Optional Retainer)

8. Why Sherlocked Security?

Feature Sherlocked Advantage
Analyst-Friendly Design Clear, actionable steps designed for SOC tiers and shift-based teams
Attack Framework Aligned MITRE ATT&CK mapping for detection and contextual response
Reduced Alert Fatigue Triage logic that eliminates noise and focuses on high-impact threats
End-to-End Documentation From alert ingestion to closure with audit-ready artifacts
Customization Built-In Tailored to your environment, toolsets, and team structure

9. Real-World Case Studies

Alert Triage Framework for MSSP

Client: Global Managed Security Service Provider
Challenge: Inconsistent alert handling across shifts and regions
Solution: Created standardized runbooks and triage scoring model
Outcome: Improved alert triage consistency and reduced false positive escalations by 40%

Healthcare Phishing Runbook Library

Client: Regional healthcare network
Challenge: Repeated phishing incidents with slow response times
Solution: Built dedicated phishing runbooks with auto-enrichment and containment steps
Outcome: Reduced response time from 90 minutes to 10 minutes per incident

10. SOP – Standard Operating Procedure

  1. Alert Review Process Initialization
  2. Alert Classification & Priority Assignment
  3. Enrichment Actions (TI lookup, WHOIS, GeoIP, etc.)
  4. Triage Outcome: True/False Positive Determination
  5. Escalation Decision Based on SLA and Risk Level
  6. Case Documentation & Ticket Management
  7. Post-Incident Analysis & Feedback Loop

11. Alert Triage & Runbook Readiness Checklist

1. Pre-Development

  • [ ] Sample alerts from key detection tools
  • [ ] Existing response procedures or documentation
  • [ ] Defined SOC tiers and escalation paths
  • [ ] MITRE mapping (if available)

2. During Engagement

  • [ ] Develop alert classification criteria
  • [ ] Create 5–10 priority runbooks (e.g., malware, phishing, privilege abuse)
  • [ ] Review with stakeholders and refine per feedback
  • [ ] Build visual triage decision trees

3. Post-Deployment

  • [ ] Train analysts on new runbooks
  • [ ] Monitor runbook usage and feedback
  • [ ] Schedule quarterly reviews to update based on new threats
Threat Hunting Programs
Continuous Vendor Monitoring