Understanding the Security Operations Centre

Proper cybersecurity management and analysis is a must for every organisation. Securing your organisation against cyber threats cannot be a one-person job. The Security Operations Centre (SOC) is the head of cybersecurity risk management and analysis. It acts as the control centre for an organisation’s cybersecurity needs. 

Roles of the Security Operations Centre 

The Security Operations Centre is a department of an organisation that manages cybersecurity. The role of the SOC is to prevent cyberattacks through security measures and threat analysis. The SOC prevents cyberattacks by using a combination of processes and solutions.  

The SOC must manage cyber threat detection, prevention, and investigation. This requires the monitoring of all cyber activity. The SOC analyses activity on business networks, applications, and websites. The SOC uses this data to identify potential cyber threats and scale cybersecurity measures to deal with them. 

SOCs will usually be in coordination with incident response teams. This joint effort can help a business plan ahead if they have already been the victim of a cyberattack that passed under the SOC’s radar. 

Functions of the SOC 

To protect a business, the SOC must carry out several key functions. These functions range from proactive defence measures to system maintenance. Below are some examples of important functions of the SOC, and some tools they may need. 

Log Management 

An organisation’s logs are the SOC’s greatest asset. Reviewing logs from all over the organisation provides an idea of what standard network activity is. By checking logs, the SOC can tell when something is up if network access looks different. 

Defence Management 

The SOC should adjust defence measures according to the log analysis. It is important to shore up defences when needed. Members of the SOC need to keep up to date on cyberattacks to stay protected. Cybersecurity measures need to be updated constantly for an organisation to stay secure. 

Asset Identification 

To properly protect the organisation, the SOC needs to know what it is protecting. The SOC should be aware of all potential targets for a cyberattack. The threat landscape of an organisation is complex, so an in-depth analysis is needed. The SOC should be kept up-to-date on company assets, networks, third-party services, cloud services, and everything in between. 

Threat Response 

Responding to threats is one of the most important functions of the SOC. When an attack occurs, the SOC should know exactly how to respond. Depending on the attack, this may include shutting down parts of the network, or killing processes. The SOC’s goal in threat response is to destroy the threat while causing the least damage to the organisation.  

Recovery 

After an attack occurs, the SOC is in charge of recovery. To recover from an attack, the SOC takes necessary measures depending on the type of attack. The SOC is responsible for restoring backups of affected data, and deleting remnants of malicious files. The SOC will then use log analysis and other investigative methods to find the cause of the attack. Analysis helps the SOC to protect the network against the same attacks in the future. 

Compliance 

The SOC is in charge of making sure the organisation’s network is up to scratch. There are some basic cybersecurity laws that an organisation must uphold. It is up to the SOC to make sure the organisation complies with cybersecurity regulations. 

Roles in the SOC 

A Security Operations Centre that functions efficiently should have people with different expertise and ranking. SOC staff should have expertise in various tools and methods to form a comprehensive body. 

• SOC Manager – The SOC manager is naturally the highest in the hierarchy of the SOC. The manager’s role is to control the priorities of the SOC and to manage the lower-level employees. The SOC manager will report to company executives to discuss areas of security to prioritise. 
• Analyst – Every SOC needs analysts. The main body of work of the SOC is creating a robust defence through analysis. The analysts will review logs and previous cyberattacks to identify areas that need work. 
• Incident Responder – The SOC needs people who know how to best react to cyberattacks. Incident responders have expertise in analysing incoming cyberattacks and measuring their severity. The Incident responder will be able to properly manage a cyberattack as it occurs, and know what steps to take and methods to use. 
• Compliance Auditor – The SOC must follow best practices as well as regulations to run properly. The compliance auditor’s role is to make sure the SOC is following guidelines and regulations. 
• Threat Hunter – The threat hunter is the investigator for the SOC. The threat hunter helps the SOC stay on top of threats by identifying weaknesses. The threat hunter needs expertise in vulnerability detection methods such as penetration testing. 

Do You Need a Security Operations Centre? 

Having a SOC is a surefire way to reduce the cost of cyberattacks. Every business handles some form of asset that needs to be protected. Whether this is data or intellectual property, having a SOC can help reduce the risk of asset theft. 

Having a SOC allows a small online business to scale up. Without one, a business very easily becomes the target of a cyber attack. The SOC helps businesses scale by improving cybersecurity to meet the organisation’s demands. If you currently run a small business but plan on scaling, it is worth looking into a security operations centre. SOCs can be hired internally, or outsourced if you lack the resources. Outsourced SOCs can help small businesses manage their cybersecurity effectively. 

Securiwiser Can Help 

With Securiwiser, you can secure your organisation’s defences. Securiwiser is a cybersecurity risk identification tool that will let you know what you need to do to stay protected. 

Securiwiser provides an in-depth analysis of your domain and its weak points. The cybersecurity report will also provide detailed information on how you can fix the issues at hand. 

Securiwiser also provides real-time monitoring, using a robust scoring system that measures DNS health, IP reputation, email security, and more. 

Click here for a free cybersecurity report, and stay ahead of hackers.