Security Operations Center (SOC)
A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a centralized unit responsible for monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity incidents. The SOC is staffed with cybersecurity professionals who use various technologies, tools, and techniques to protect an organization's information systems and data from cyber threats.
Functions of a SOC
- Monitoring: SOC analysts monitor an organization's networks, systems, and applications to detect potential threats and vulnerabilities.
- Incident Response: SOC analysts respond to security incidents, investigate the incidents to determine the scope and impact, and work to contain and mitigate the incidents.
- Threat Intelligence: SOC analysts collect and analyze threat intelligence data to stay up-to-date on the latest cyber threats and trends.
- Vulnerability Management: SOC analysts manage the vulnerabilities of an organization's networks, systems, and applications, and work to remediate the vulnerabilities to reduce the risk of exploitation.
- Security Tool Management: SOC analysts manage and configure the security tools used in the SOC, such as intrusion detection and prevention systems, firewalls, and SIEM solutions.
- Reporting and Metrics: SOC analysts provide regular reports on the security posture of the organization and key performance indicators (KPIs) for the SOC.