SOC Analyst: A Basic Guide In 4 Points

Introduction

A security operation center facilitates monitors and analyzes an organization’s security aspects every now and then with the help of the information security team. The security operations are the team-oriented goal to detect, analyze, and respond to cybersecurity occurrences through a combination of technological solutions and processes. Security operations centers house a team of SOC analysts, engineers, and managers to manage security operations. Organization’s security episode response teamwork in close association with SOC staff ensuring security issues are quickly acted upon when identified. 

Security operations centers operate by monitoring, analyzing networks, servers, endpoints, databases, applications websites, and other systems, checking for anomalous activity that could indicate security incidents or compromise. The Security operating centers take responsibility for assurance of potential security are rightly identified, analyzed, defended, investigated, and reported. Firewalls or IPS help in detecting threats along with different methods. 

1. SOC analyst job description
2. SOC analysts Career path
3. SOC analyst skills
4. SOC analyst jobs 

1. SOC analyst job description

The initial take on establishing an organization’s security operations center is by being strategic, incorporating goals driven by specific business from various departments with executive’s input and support. After the development of the strategy, the supporting infrastructure for the strategy is executed. The chief information security officer, Pierluigi Paganini’s security operation center infrastructure, includes firewalls, IPS/IDS. The data collection occurs through us various technological methods for analysis and correlation of data activity with the security operations center workforce. The security information center manages monitoring networks and endpoint vulnerabilities, protecting sensitive data complying with industry and government regulations. Event management and security information systems help detect a breach.

2. SOC analysts Career path

The crucial aspect of having a security operations center is detecting security incident detection that is further improved by successive monitoring and data activity analysis. The activity is analyzed and monitored across the organization’s networks, endpoints, servers, and databases full time. Security operations center team are alert, ensuring timely detection security incident response. Security operations center 24/7 monitoring provides an organization benefit of defense against incidents and intrusions irrespective of the source, time of day, or attack type.

The time lag between the attacker’s time to compromise and enterprise time for detection is documented in Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations report with the security operations center enables the organization to handle the time lag and stay secured while facing threats in the environment. 

SOC full form is security operations center 

3. SOC analyst skills

• Managing the current threats while identifying evolving and emerging threat
• Technology in combination with resources for identifying threats through certain tools such as firewall or IPS preventing the occurrence of attacks with human analysis and intervention. 
• Network defense
• Ethical hacking 
• Understanding of data structures, algorithms, operating systems, network and tool development 
• IT operations knowledge such as help desk, endpoint, and server management.
• Good communication skills for communicating, speaking and writing clearly authoritatively for varied audiences such s business leaders and techies.
• Understanding of security operations knowledge perimeter defense, BYOD management, data loss protection, insider threat, kill chain analysis, risk assessment, and security metrics. 
• Understanding of cyber crimes, cyber wars, espionage, and the difference between cyber propaganda and terrorism. 

• Certification and training:

The training program involves the inputs and insights about security operation center operations and workflow. They train on handling business risks with efficiency with response to security forces. 

• Interview questions:

1. Mention the steps used by SOC analysts to test the networks, web-based applications, and computers for malicious components?
2. Elaborate on the different levels of data classification and its requirements?

4. SOC analyst jobs 

Security operations framework occurs from security tools (software) used and individuals in the team.

Security operations team members include

Manager: The role of a leader for managing security systems and procedures.

Analyst: The data analysis and compilation are done with the help of analysts from a period of time ( the previous quarter, for example, after a breach. 

Investigator: The occurrence of breach enables the investigator to find out what happened and why while working in close connection with the responder( and the role of the responder and investigator can be handled by a single person often)

Responder: Security breach response comes with a number of tasks. During the crisis, the individual with these requirements is critical during a crisis. 

Auditor: Compliance mandates come with current and future legislation. This role aligns with this requirement assuring it is met by your organization. 

• SOC analysts salary

In India, with experience from 1 to 16 years, the salary for SOC analysts ranges from 2.8 to 8 lakhs with an average annual salary of 4.5 lakhs based on 1.2k salaries. 

Conclusion

Security operations are highly crucial for any organization as important data can be breached and misused. Hence, the requirement of such personnel assists in handling threats while identifying the emerging and resolving them through a resource team. It is rendered more human with technology use in identifying threats and resolving them. 

So, have you made up your mind to make a career in Cyber Security? Visit our Master Certificate in Cyber Security (Red Team) for further help. It is the first program in offensive technologies in India and allows learners to practice in a real-time simulated ecosystem, that will give them an edge in this competitive world.

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