A security operations center (SOC) is the central hub within an organization that comprises an information security team that constantly oversees the organization’s cybersecurity.
The chief goal of the security team within the center is to monitor, detect, analyze, and respond to potential cybersecurity threats with the use of a wide range of technological solutions and processes. However, despite having these security centers set up, most organizations still experience data breaches from time to time; This happens due to the ever-evolving nature of the cyber-threat approaches, which exploit even minor loopholes. Many organizations opt to complement or outsource most of their SOC Monitoring processes to third-party cybersecurity providers for more robust security.
Member Roles Within a Security Operations Center
Members within the SOC team are not tasked with developing a security strategy but are trained to implement it. The initial and most crucial pillar of SOC is to create an all-encompassing security strategy in line with the organization’s goals. All other necessary infrastructure for successful implementation, including members and their roles, should come afterward, along with other tools, features, and functions. Some of the most notable crucial members of any SOC team include;
- SOC Manager
This is the leader in charge of all the operations. A SOC manager is responsible for ensuring seamless syncing between all the members of the team and all other managerial tasks such as budgeting. They are also in charge of how the company responds to significant security threats.
- Incident Responder
This is the first responder responsible for identifying threats using various security tools. They then classify and prioritize threats before handing them over to the security investigator.
- Security Investigator
A security investigator is tasked with investigating the causes and reasons for various vulnerabilities. They also identify affected devices and assess all running and terminated processes.
- Advanced Security Analyst
A security analyst is in charge of categorizing the level of an alert after identification based on the data available. They determine the best solutions for a particular threat and are considered the last line of defense against them.
- Compliance Auditor
Current regulations require the presence of an auditor in the team. They are tasked with handling compliance reporting.
5 Best Practices for a Successful SOC
Below are some practical best techniques for setting up a successful SOC you can consider applying for your organization;
- Develop a Strategy
The first and most crucial step is to formulate a clear strategy that aligns well with the organization’s goals; This should begin with a comprehensive assessment of all potential vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. A large part of the strategy formulation will involve developing all relevant processes to guide the SOC team in all their functions. However, due to the ever-emerging risks in cybersecurity, organizations will have to review and update their strategy to accommodate them.
- Put together the Right Team.
Finding the right people with all the required skill sets and focuses is pertinent for running an effective SOC team; the responsibility of keeping the organization’s systems secure will be heavily reliant on their expertise. They should conduct essential functions such as monitoring the systems, analyzing and proposing relevant actions on incidences, and looking out for threats. Besides expertise, they should collaborate and effectively communicate as they will constantly work in a team scenario.
- Get the Best $ Latest tools.
Ineffective or outdated tools can significantly jeopardize and expose your organization’s security. Ensure that all the tools to be used by the team are selected carefully with the system’s needs. The best tools should be centralized to avoid missing out on relevant information for complex organizations. Please evaluate the features of each tool before settling on them.
- Ensure Full End-to-End visibility
Putting relevant measures to ensure the team has complete visibility to the organization’s systems and real-time data movement is vital to detect potential vulnerabilities. Clear end-to-end visibility makes it easier not to miss any active threats and enables timely neutralization since SOC team members can only act on what they can see. An effective SOC should be able to monitor and scan the network 24/7.
- Consider Outsourcing
Setting up a security operations center (SOC) can not only be a daunting affair but also take a toll on your organization’s resources. You might want to consider outsourcing some if not all of the processes to third-party cybersecurity providers to save on costs and marshall resources to other pertinent areas of your organization. Many reputable cybersecurity firms can provide SOC services at affordable rates and even better quality.