SOAR: Meaning and definition SOAR is the name for a relatively new kind of security platform that coordinates information produced by a wide range of security tools and automate much of their analysis and protective responses. SOAR, which stands for security orchestration, automation, and response, is a term coined by Gartner in 2015 and since embraced by the industry as companies grapple with increasing security threats, a tight labor market, and an increasing flood of information they need to parse about the state of the systems and networks they're trying to protect. Ideally, SOAR platforms are meant to help you make better use of the resources—including both technical tools and employees—that you already have. In practice, there can be quirks, especially when it comes to getting ready to move to a SOAR paradigm, but overall these offerings hold promise for making sense of all the security-related data modern enterprises need to analyze.