The present invention provides a system and method to process information regarding a network attack through an automated workflow that actively reconfigures a plurality of heterogeneous network-attached devices and applications to dynamically counter the attack using the network's own self-defense mechanisms. The present invention leverages the security capabilities present within existing and new network-attached devices and applications to effect a distributed defense that immediately quarantines and/or mitigates attacks from hostile sources at multiple points simultaneously throughout the network. In a preferred embodiment, deployed countermeasures are automatically lifted following remediation activities.