SOC stands for Security Operations Center. By integrating and directing all cybersecurity operations and technologies, a security operations center (SOC) enhances an organization’s capacity for threat detection, response, and prevention. In this article, we are going to discuss all about SOC, and its role in CyberSecurity. To know more, keep reading.

What is SOC?

A group of IT security experts known as a security operations center, or SOC, keeps an eye out for, investigates, and analyses potential cyber threats. Every day, operating systems, databases, servers, computers, endpoint devices, networks, and applications are inspected for indications of potential cyber security incidents. The SOC team looks for new vulnerabilities while analyzing feeds, creating rules, finding exceptions, and improving responses.

In order to strengthen the organization’s security, the SOC also chooses, manages, and keeps up with its cybersecurity solutions. It also continuously examines threat data. 

The SOC continuously monitors and analyses network traffic, desktops, servers, endpoint devices, databases, apps, and other systems for indications of a possible or confirmed security incident. Although SOC staff members are usually self-contained and possess advanced IT and cybersecurity abilities, they are also able to collaborate with other teams and departments. The majority of SOCs run around the clock, with staff members using security tools in shifts to log activities, examine variations, and reduce and get rid of malware and cyber threats.

SOCs play a crucial role in reducing the expenses associated with a potential data breach and safeguarding an organization’s data. They improve detection and prevention procedures and support enterprises in quickly responding to invasions.

How are SOCs Operated?

Security monitoring and alerting is the SOC’s main responsibility. This includes gathering and analyzing data in order to spot unusual activities and strengthen security within the company. Firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and threat intelligence all provide sources of threat data. Members of the SOC team receive alerts as soon as variations, unusual patterns, or other signs of compromise are detected.

Benefits of SOC

A properly implemented SOC has many advantages, such as the following:

• Ongoing observation and evaluation of system activity.
• Enhanced response to incidents.
• The shorter time lag between a compromise’s occurrence and discovery.
• Decreased downtime.
• Hardware and software asset centralization provides a more comprehensive, real-time approach to infrastructure security.
• Efficient teamwork and communication.
• Decrease in the expenses spent directly and indirectly in handling cyber security events.
• Customers and staff grow to trust the company and feel more at ease disclosing sensitive information.
• More openness and control over security operations.
• A clear chain of command for data and systems is essential to the successful investigation of cybercriminals.

Functions of SOC

Most SOC teams have approximately the same tasks and responsibilities, though the number of employees varies based on the industry and the size of the organization. An organization’s Security Orientation Centre (SOC) is a centralized function that uses people, procedures, and technology to prevent, identify, analyze, and respond to cybersecurity incidents while also continuously monitoring and strengthening the organization’s security posture.

• Prevention and detection: Preventive measures are always going to be more successful than reactive ones in the cybersecurity space. A SOC works to continuously monitor the network, as opposed to reacting to threats as they arise. The SOC team will be able to identify harmful activity this way and stop it before it has a chance to do any harm. The SOC analyst collects as much data as they can in order to conduct a more thorough investigation when they notice something suspicious.

• Investigation: To figure out the type of threat and the degree of infrastructure entry, the SOC analyst examines the suspicious activity during the investigation step. The security analyst adopts an attacker’s viewpoint to examine the network and activities of the company, searching for critical signs and vulnerabilities before they are taken advantage of. The analyst recognizes and prioritizes the many kinds of security issues by knowing how attacks develop and how to take appropriate action before things go out of control. To carry out a proper assessment, the SOC analyst integrates data about the company’s network with the most recent worldwide threat intelligence, which includes details on the tools, tactics, and patterns used by attackers.

• Reaction: Following the investigation, the SOC team plans the steps taken to address the problem. The SOC takes on the role of first responder as soon as an incident is verified, carrying out tasks including isolating endpoints, stopping malicious programs from running, erasing information, and more. Following an incident, the SOC attempts to recover compromised or lost data and restore systems. This can include changing system configurations, wiping and restarting endpoints, or, in the event of ransomware attacks, deploying workable backups to get around the malware. If this phase is completed successfully, the network will be restored to its pre-event state.

Types of SOC

When adopting a SOC, an organization has a variety of models to select from, such as the following:

• Self-directed or Dedicated SOC: There is an on-site facility with internal staff for this model.
• Distributed SOC: Another name for this model is a co-managed SOC. It employs full- or part-time team members inside to collaborate with an outside managed security service provider (MSSP).
• Managed SOC: All SOC services are provided by MSSPs under this approach. Managed SOC also includes managed detection and response partners.
• Command SOC: This model offers security know-how and threat intelligence insights to other, usually dedicated, SOCs. A command SOC only handles intelligence; it is not involved in security operations or procedures.
• Fusion hub: Any facility or initiative with a security focus, including various kinds of SOCs and IT departments, is managed using this approach. Fusion centers collaborate with other enterprise teams, including DevOps, product development, and IT operations. They are regarded as sophisticated SOCs.
• Multifunction SOC: This model includes internal people and a specialized building, but it also covers other important areas of IT management, such as NOCs.
• Virtual SOC: This model can be fully managed or enterprise-run, and it does not have a specific on-premises facility. Employees from within the company or a combination of in-house, on-demand, and cloud-provided personnel often work in an enterprise-run SOC. There is no internal staff in a fully managed, virtual SOC, commonly referred to as an outsourced SOC or SOC as a service.
• SOCaaS: This software or subscription-based model contracts with a cloud provider to handle all or part of the SOC functions.