Has reduced alert triage time but requires skilled developers for maintenance
What is our primary use case?
We are using Swimlane for automation purposes and security orchestration.
We are using Swimlane's Playbook Automation. One of the major playbooks that we use in Swimlane is for phishing email automation, so whenever there is a phishing email delivered to a user inbox, Swimlane will automatically sandbox that.
We integrate Swimlane with third-party tools such as CrowdStrike, VirusTotal, URL Proofpoint, and all other different tools we have, so that we get various enrichment of any alerts to make sure that the analyst doesn't spend much time doing manual tasks and gets all the information from the tools in the Swimlane console itself.
We use the case management feature in Swimlane as well. This case management feature is helpful because, in security, we don't want our security incidents to be visible to end users. For example, if I am using ServiceNow, I have to impose many restrictions on the backend table to ensure that whatever incidents are created and written into that table are not available to any end users or other IT team members. We use case management for that purpose so that our security alerts are isolated and only the security team has visibility on them. Whenever we need any remediation, we integrate it with ServiceNow, so if I need to raise a remediation ticket for re-imaging the system, we can create a ticket in ServiceNow from the Swimlane console or from the case management itself with all the proper information.
What is most valuable?
We do utilize the analytics aspect in Swimlane, and we use their Hero AI module as well.
We also use customizable dashboards in Swimlane because many clients, including CISOs, whom we manage need an executive-level view of what is happening over Swimlane. We create dashboards for them that provide proper information, such as how many alerts were created, what was the mean time to triage, and mean time to respond; we cover all these as KPI metrics in the executive dashboard.
The biggest advantage of Swimlane for us is that it saves time, which in turn helps us in cost-saving.
What needs improvement?
One of the disadvantages of Swimlane is that to manage the platform, we need hardcore developers. We have recently seen new products such as Tines and Blink Ops coming into the market, where a person with a good knowledge of APIs and JSON format can manage the platform and create playbooks. Even a security analyst can create some playbooks on those platforms. However, on Swimlane, it's difficult for security analysts since they must mandatorily know Python to create the playbooks.
In terms of pricing, Swimlane is on the slightly expensive side.
Swimlane is scalable in general, but there are some limitations. It involves maintenance overhead because you need a complete engineer who knows the product in and out to scale it for the on-prem environment, while in a SaaS model, it works without many problems.
Installation can be quite complex, especially when we have to use Kubernetes, and if we need to create load balancing. In those situations, it requires a good engineer to deploy the platform.
In relation to bugs, sometimes the enrichment playbook we have does not enrich the alert, resulting in missing details, so in those scenarios, the automation team has to manually run the playbook again.
Improvements could be made in terms of quality, particularly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Swimlane for almost seven years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Swimlane is scalable in general, but there are some limitations. It involves maintenance overhead because you need a complete engineer who knows the product in and out to scale it for the on-prem environment, while in a SaaS model, it works without many problems.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate technical support from Swimlane a seven on a scale where ten is the best.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
Installation can be quite complex, especially when we have to use Kubernetes, and if we need to create load balancing. In those situations, it requires a good engineer to deploy the platform.
What was our ROI?
We see these savings approximately close to 30-35%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In terms of pricing, Swimlane is on the slightly expensive side.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have recently seen new products such as Tines and Blink Ops coming into the market, where a person with a good knowledge of APIs and JSON format can manage the platform and create playbooks. Even a security analyst can create some playbooks on those platforms. However, on Swimlane, it's difficult for security analysts since they must mandatorily know Python to create the playbooks.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Swimlane a seven out of ten as a product.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Powerful SOAR Platform with Strong Reporting but Complex Setup
What do you like best about the product?
Swimlane SOAR provides robust reporting and case management features that make incident tracking and auditing much more streamlined. The dashboards and metrics offer valuable visibility into SOC efficiency, helping to measure response times, case resolution and analyst workload. For our POC in the context of building a SOC, these capabilities have been particularly insightful.
What do you dislike about the product?
The initial deployment and playbook design are resource-intensive and demand skilled engineering expertise. Connectors and APIs require frequent updates.Additionally, poorly tuned or over-automated playbooks risk escalating false positives into automated actions. These challenges became evident during our POC phase.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Swimlane is helping us automate and orchestrate repetitive SOC tasks such as alert triage, enrichment and case tracking. Instead of hiring a team of analysts and having them spending excessive time on manual data gathering or repetitive response steps, playbooks streamline these processes and ensure consistency. The centralized case management also improves visibility across incidents, making reporting much more efficient.
The main benefit seen during the POC has been a reduction in analyst workload and faster incident handling, while also providing metrics and dashboards to track overall SOC performance. For us, in the context of building a SOC, Swimlane is providing both operational efficiency and governance-level visibility via Reporting.
Task persistence and integration ease have been key benefits
What is our primary use case?
Swimlane is used for tasks that need multiple task owners. For instance, with bank applications, if you're opening a new account or need KYC, the application might undergo several stages - from submission to bank manager approval, back to verification, and finally to signers for signature purposes. Swimlane allows the movement of tasks to multiple users, being assigned to a single person, a specific user, a group of people, or a customized role.
Moreover, once a task is assigned using Swimlane, it's visible on the portal of each group member, allowing any of them to perform an action on the task.
What is most valuable?
Swimlane's persisting feature makes managing tasks very easy. When a task is assigned, it remains visible to all members it's assigned to, making it easy to manage and follow. Its integration within Appian allows tasks to stay active and notify users regularly.
Another benefit is it reduces workload with minimal coding, requiring just drag-and-drop for setting assignments. It's both time and manpower efficient.
What needs improvement?
Swimlane should enhance its integration features beyond the current task assignment, reaction, and persistence capabilities. It should support integrations with multiple signals or queues.
Additionally, Swimlane's tight coupling with Appian standalone applications limits its scalability. It should be exposed so external clients can use it without needing a local setup. This would improve its dynamic adaptability and scalability.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Appian for around 8 years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
If you have already used your tool inside any Appian Studio, which is already built on Appian technology, then the Swimlane will be available to it, and it's a component you can integrate very easily. It is just a drag and drop thing. Drag and drop and assign some values.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
If the event is written correctly, then Swimlane is a hundred percent accurate. It will always determine which person to assign, and what to do, for that claiming thing. I haven't seen any production issue or anything coming up because of Swimlane.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Swimlane is not scalable because it is not exposed. Currently, it's a manual component that requires configuration through coding. If it were exposed or ported to a cloud platform, it could achieve better scalability. Swimlane should have the capability to be moved out of Appian and integrated with other platforms.
How are customer service and support?
Appian community is there for technical support. You can raise a ticket or incident, and it gets addressed based on priority. Additionally, working with a firm that has a dedicated person for support is beneficial.
If the primary support contact is unable to assist, tickets must be created within the Appian community, though sometimes response times extend for weeks.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
If we consider options outside of Appian, Java has many similar solutions, but within Appian, the task assignment capability is uniquely provided by Swimlane.
How was the initial setup?
For the initial setup, the licensing needs to be handled appropriately. Existing applications wanting integration must have their process structures within Appian, as Swimlane isn't exposed. A process image is necessary in Appian to use Swimlane, which can be a drawback.
What other advice do I have?
The best part of Swimlane is the persistent notifications and its ease of integration, requiring minimal coding. While it lacks response features, it can be integrated with messaging or queue services to achieve this. Any incident response requires additional integration since Swimlane itself doesn't react to incidents.
Real-time data in terms of persistence is configurable, and without config, tasks persist indefinitely until completion. If using Appian versions below 11, integration features for Swimlane aren't available. By default, Swimlane lacks built-in intelligence, needing coding for integration.
Although the Swimlane is beneficial and reduces manpower requirements, it's hindered by its lack of exposure. If exposed through services or endpoints, its functionality could be accessed without needing a local standalone application.
On a scale of one to ten, this solution deserves a rating of nine.
Encountered frequent glitches and poor support but has potential for basic use
What is our primary use case?
We are using it for a SOAR platform at a Cyber Security company which is MSSP. We are providing services to other companies, and we are utilizing it as a SOAR platform.
What is most valuable?
It has not impacted our organization positively, as we are using it primarily as a ticketing system. Normally, there should be some AI platform to include it and add alert traffic or other functionality, but it currently serves just as a ticketing system, which is not perfect.
What needs improvement?
I have used many different SOAR platforms, and I think Swimlane needs to upgrade and improve itself significantly.
Swimlane's search bar is not working effectively, and there is no option to differentiate between two cases at the same time. When cases become incidents, they should be marked with a different color to visualize escalations better. Our platform has some issues that do not disappear, and they have an unsupportive team. Their AI functionality exists but is not helpful. Sometimes there are glitches and problems with performance.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for almost two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Swimlane has experienced problems with bugs and breakdowns.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My impressions of Swimlane's scalability are average. We are using it for different customers, and while we have numerous clients, the scalability is adequate.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate their support a three out of ten due to both knowledge and response time.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are currently looking for different SOAR platforms.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was moderately complex but manageable.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented it ourselves without using an integrator or reseller.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I am evaluating other options at the moment.
What other advice do I have?
Swimlane is in the middle class range in terms of expense.
I am not the decision maker, but I do not think it is worth the money to have as a tool.
I would not recommend using Swimlane.
On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution a 5.
Efficiently designs architecture and streamlines team responsibilities
What is our primary use case?
We use
Swimlane primarily to design the entire architecture of the customer journey from onboarding to settlement. As a multinational IT service company in India, we work with many channel partners, both external and internal, with numerous components and vendors.
Swimlane helps us assign respective work to the right teams, making it clear which team does what work, how they will do it, and where they will get the data. Additionally, Swimlane helps us confirm the roles and responsibilities of each component or company involved.
What is most valuable?
I find Swimlane very trendy and easy to design with. As a solution architect, I use various software, and the most important thing is that Swimlane is an easily designed and learnable software. I can make designs quickly, and it is very user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
I would prefer to have more colors added to represent different risks or notations, which can be used for the prioritization of risks and the significance of information.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Swimlane for around four years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
We don't do any setups or integrations. We use Swimlane directly from Google to work on it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is always stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Swimlane is highly scalable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Swimlane, I used MS
Visio and
draw.io, and BPMN diagrams for automation and orchestration.
How was the initial setup?
There is no initial setup required. We access it directly from Google.
What was our ROI?
Swimlane saves us 80 to 90 percent of our time by quickly helping us design the journey and efficiently passing information to various components.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Swimlane eight out of ten. I recommend it to others because it is very easy to learn, easy to express information with, and it significantly saves time and enhances overall efficiency.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Visual representation of multi-user workflows improves documentation clarity
What is our primary use case?
I have been in software IT for more than seventeen years, writing technical documentation, including those for developers. While writing, I often need to create
Swimlane diagrams to explain and document workflows. In particular, when there are multi-user workflows involved, I use
Swimlane to depict the sequence of events, who initiates an action, where it goes, any approval required, and the subsequent actions.
What is most valuable?
Swimlane is a very effective way to represent workflows involving multiple users. It provides a clear visual representation of the flow, user actions, and the stages these actions occur at. It helps in clearly identifying the roles, timeline, and actions involved in the workflow, offering a comprehensive depiction of the entire process.
What needs improvement?
Swimlane is currently two-dimensional. If a third dimension could be added, it might be more useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been in the software IT field for more than seventeen years, during which time I have been using Swimlane for various tasks.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not experienced any stability or performance issues with Swimlane.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Swimlane is scalable. It can support various projects involving multiple users efficiently.
How are customer service and support?
I have not specifically worked with tech support, but I have created content for it.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously worked with UML diagrams and sequence diagrams.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I primarily use free tools provided by my company, like PPT or diagrams.net, for creating diagrams.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have previously worked with UML diagrams and sequence diagrams.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Swimlane to individuals who document processes and flows. It is a valuable tool for providing a visual representation. I would rate Swimlane as an eight out of ten. My rating for the overall solution is 8 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Enables efficient automation of alert and phishing triages while reducing manpower requirements
What is our primary use case?
I use
Swimlane as a SecOps automation platform. I utilize it for automating alert triages, phishing triages, and case and incident management. It streamlines the work for analysts and facilitates automating security processes.
How has it helped my organization?
Swimlane enables two SOC analysts to work efficiently as much as ten analysts would without Swimlane, which translates to significant manpower savings.
What is most valuable?
Swimlane is highly customizable. I can do anything in the platform, from integrating my email inbox to automating tasks and creating cases for analysts. It is easy to integrate with multiple tools due to its drag-and-drop connectors. The marketplace offers more than two thousand playbooks and components, easing the configuration of SOC solutions.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see improvements in the minor bugs that occur with each update, as some features might have issues. Additionally, in the orchestration tab, it would be helpful to have a list of playbooks where a particular asset or connector is used.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Swimlane for one year.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Due to Swimlane's high customization capabilities, initial setup depends on specific requirements. It might require time to customize and deploy. However, Swimlane allows for tailored solutions as per our needs.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not experienced any stability issues with Swimlane.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Swimlane is highly scalable since it is deployed in the cloud. Its scalability automatically adjusts based on usage.
How are customer service and support?
Customer service is commendable. When I raise a ticket, they reply within half an hour with an initial response, signifying that an agent has been assigned and is working on the issue.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Swimlane is my first and best experience ever.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward due to Swimlane's customization capabilities. They provide standard solutions, but adjustments are needed based on requirements.
What about the implementation team?
Swimlane offers technical account managers based on the purchased package, assisting with the deployment process.
What other advice do I have?
Swimlane performs well on both Windows and Mac. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Swimlane as nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Leverage security automation with easy setup and integration while refining version control for optimal performance
What is our primary use case?
We have been using Swimlane for security automation within our company. All the ingestions, automations, and everything within our department goes through Swimlane.
What is most valuable?
Swimlane is easy to start with, as it requires minimal prior knowledge to get started. It is flexible, providing room for users to set up specific incident response flows. Additionally, its integration capabilities allow connections to various platforms, enhancing its usability. Swimlane has helped reduce analyst time, contributing to operational efficiency.
What needs improvement?
There is a need for enhanced version control in Swimlane. Currently, our version does not support it, making it tough to move changes between environments during significant updates. Furthermore, despite being advertised as a no-code tool, it remains code-reliant, demanding users to build solutions through coding.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Swimlane for the past three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of Swimlane as a seven. We encountered issues requiring multiple restarts, which suggests that stability could be optimized further.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Swimlane is very scalable, and I would rate it a nine. We did not encounter issues even when managing thousands of alerts, as scalability is only limited by our instance's server capacity.
How are customer service and support?
Swimlane's technical support is very good. They are attentive, responsive, and work to resolve issues efficiently.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Splunk SOAR, but switched to Swimlane due to cost considerations. Swimlane was more cost-effective.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Swimlane is easy to learn but requires customers to design their solutions. Deployment of Swimlane took us three to four months, which involved migrating existing playbooks.
What about the implementation team?
Around ten people from Swimlane and five from our team were involved in the implementation.
What was our ROI?
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I wasn't part of the initial evaluation process. Still, we had some evaluations of other SOAR solutions within our company after migrating to Swimlane.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Swimlane for those proficient with code and prepared for the maintenance efforts required. On a scale of one to ten, I rate Swimlane a seven.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Easy SOC Automation
What do you like best about the product?
Capability to create new workflows and automations on the fly to resolve niche or one off issues in dealing with Alert triage.
What do you dislike about the product?
Slight learning curve. Starting from scratch is a bit of an undertaking but documentation and support supplement the issue.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Swimlane allows us to orchestrate and run play books to stream line legitimate alerts that need manual analyst intervention. Swimlane provides us the ability to funnel, shape and enrich alerts to simply action items for our analysts.
I use Swimlane for everyday work to investigate and sort cases.
What do you like best about the product?
I like that Swimlane is highly customizable and easy to use. I am able to navigate very easily while effeciently performing my work as well.
What do you dislike about the product?
One of the downsides of Swimlane has to be the stability. Swimlane can sometimes get bogged down due to the amount of system errors.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Swimlane is grea for organizing our cases. I can effectively use filters to lower the amount of results when attempting to narrow in on a case.
