How a SOAR Playbook Can Stop Ransomware Extortion in Its Tracks

One doesn’t have to be a cybersecurity expert to understand the serious nature of a ransomware attack. Such attacks continue to be one of the leading cybersecurity threats globally. So much so that in 2025, ransomware attacks increased by 58%.

One of the strategies for stopping ransomware is a concept known as Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR). SOAR providers, like DarkOwl, are continually working to develop new and better tools to directly address the ransomware crisis now enveloping the world.

SOAR Integration and the Playbook

DarkOwl describes SOAR as the connection point among all the security tools in an organization’s system. It acts as the brain that connects firewalls, antivirus software, access control, email, etc. When a threat is detected, a SOAR platform relies on a playbook to stop the attack.

A playbook is a combination emergency manual and script. It lays out exactly what should be done in the event an attack is launched. It also automates an organization’s response. The playbook executes the response with no need for human intervention.

How Ransomware Attacks Are Stopped

A ransomware attack is simple in principle. It occurs in two stages: breach and threat. First, hackers gain access to a protected network. Once inside, they encrypt all the data on the system. Encrypted data is instantly inaccessible to its owners.

The threat stage is where the hacker threatens to either delete the data or release it into the wild. The only way to avoid data loss or exposure is to pay a ransom. Most importantly, ransom payments can be millions of dollars.

A SOAR playbook stops ransomware in its tracks by identifying the attack in its earliest stages and responding accordingly. One playbook might call for moving data to a new and still secure location. Another might stop the attack by instantly locking down the entire system.

A Step-by-Step Example

SOAR providers tend to encourage their customers to come up with very specific playbooks for different scenarios. Here is a step-by-step example showing how a playbook can stop a ransomware extortion attempt in its tracks:

Step #1: The Trigger

Every playbook needs a trigger before it will execute. So prior to execution, a dark web intelligence platform is continually scraping the dark web for any indication of a leak. Imagine one of the platform’s tools coming across a file with the company name attach to it. The file is found on a dark web marketplace.

Step #2: Identification and Enrichment

In the second step, the SOAR playbook is executed. The system scans internal logs to discover who in the organization has direct access to the company file found on the dark web. A specific laptop is identified as having uploaded the information to an unknown IP in the middle of the night.

Step #3: Containment

Containment is the third step. The playbook isolates the targeted laptop, disables the user’s account, and blocks the IP address the file was sent to.

Step #4: Verification and Notification

Next, the SOAR platform automatically opens a security ticket to which it attaches all of the evidence. The ticket is sent to the security team along with a high-priority alert.

Step #5: Cleanup and Recovery

By the time a human analyst checks the automated report, the playbook has already begun cleanup and recovery. It initiates a virus scan on the targeted laptop and forces a password reset for all of the user’s accounts.

Ransomware is a genuine threat worldwide. But with a SOAR platform and the right playbooks, it can be stopped in its tracks.