A Security Operations Center, or SOC (pronounced “sock”), is a set of security tools and protocols designed to monitor and protect an organization’s networks and data. SOCs are typically manned by security professionals who have the training and expertise to work concurrently with highly developed software and AI to detect and prioritize potential security threats.
What are the Benefits of a Security Operations Center?
A SOC in a mid-sized company can provide many benefits, including the following:
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The ability to detect and respond to security incidents in a timely manner.
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The ability to identify trends and potential threats.
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The ability to reduce the overall cost of security.
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The ability to improve the security posture of the organization.
A SOC can be a critical component of a mid-sized company’s security program, and can help the company to protect its assets and reputation. It can help reduce the number of false positives, saving precious time and resources, and potentially help companies meet any regulatory compliance obligations necessary for industry certifications or cyber risk insurance policies.
In addition, a SOC can provide insights into potential attacks and recommend steps to thwart them. By having a dedicated team to monitor and respond to security threats, mid-sized companies can free up their own IT staff to focus on other projects.
In the event of an actual attack, a SOC can be invaluable, providing around-the-clock support to help contain and resolve the issue. Mid-sized companies that lack a SOC are at a disadvantage when it comes to security; they may waste precious time and resources chasing down false positive notifications and be less likely to be able to counter the attack and resume business operations in a timely manner.
How Does a Security Operations Center Work?
The SOC lifecycle is the process that SOC teams use to provide continuous security monitoring and protection. The life cycle includes the following steps:
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Planning and design: The SOC team plans and designs the SOC according to the organization’s security needs.
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Implementation: The SOC team implements the SOC plan and designs.
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Operation: The SOC team operates the SOC on a daily basis, monitoring for security incidents and responding to them as necessary.
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Maintenance: The SOC team regularly maintains and updates the SOC to ensure that it is effective.
The SOC team works to detect, investigate, and respond to security issues and incidents. They also continuously improve the security of the organization’s systems and its efficiency at detecting threats, while reducing the number of false positive alerts generated by the security tools; these improvements are key factors in learning how to prepare for a cyber attack.
A SOC can be either physical or virtual, and it is typically staffed by security analysts and engineers who work to identify, assess, and respond to security threats. SOCs typically have a defined set of processes for handling security events. These processes may vary depending on the organization, but often include incident detection, incident response, and post-incident activity.
SOC personnel use a variety of tools and techniques to detect, investigate, and respond to incidents. They may work with a security information and event management (SIEM) system to help collect and aggregate data, as well as intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) in order to detect and prevent attacks. Firewalls are used to protect networks from unauthorized access.
These tools can potentially generate millions of alerts, however, so it is important to have the human element as well – a qualified and efficient team who can sort through the data, analyze the threats, and determine which ones are “white noise” and can be ignored, and which ones may be actual threats to the system and need a closer look.
How Would a Company Set Up a Security Operations Center?
The first step in setting up a SOC is to assess the organization’s security needs and develop a plan to address them. This plan will include designing the SOC infrastructure, staffing it with qualified personnel, and implementing the necessary tools and processes.
The most important factor is choosing the right team of security professionals to staff the SOC. They must be able to work together seamlessly to protect the organization’s critical assets, and in some cases they must do so working from different locations. In this respect, telework can be a considerable asset because you can have various team members in all parts of the country or the world monitoring over multiple time zones to ensure 24/7 coverage.
Once the SOC is up and running, it will constantly monitor the organization’s networks and systems for signs of intrusion or other anomalous activity. When something suspicious is detected, the SOC team will launch an investigation to determine whether there is cause for concern, or if the system has registered a false positive.
SOCs can be a crucial asset for mid-sized companies, who may not have the internal resources to effectively monitor their networks 24/7. By outsourcing this function, mid-sized companies can enjoy peace of mind knowing that their networks are being monitored by experts. In the event of a security breach, the SOC can provide rapid response and support to contain and mitigate the damage.
If you need more information on setting up an SOC, or if you’re interested in this service but aren’t sure who to consult, contact Socium Solutions. We can answer your questions about SOCs and work with you to form your own in order to take the burden of company security off your shoulders and that of your IT team, enabling you to focus on other priorities.