SOC - Situation Centre

What is a Security Operations Center (SOC)?

A SOC is an outsourced office that is completely dedicated to analyzing traffic flow and monitoring for threats and attacks. In today’s world of cyberattacks and data breaches, companies of all sizes need to place an emphasis on securing their technology assets. But due to budget constraints and competing priorities, many organizations can’t afford to employ a full-time in-house IT security team. The smart solution to this problem is to look at partnering with a SOC or security operations center.

How does a security operations center work?

Until the recent rise of cloud computing, standard security practice was for a company to choose a traditional software as a product (SaaP) malware scanning solution either via download or, in ancient days, a CD-Rom that arrived via mail. They’d add to that a firewall installed at the edge of the network, and trust that those measures would keep their data and systems safe. Today’s reality is a far different environment, with threats being cast all across the net as hackers invent new ways to launch profitable and sophisticated attacks like ransomware.

A SOC is an example of the software as a service (SaaS) software model in that it operates in the cloud as a subscription service. In this context, it provides a layer of rented expertise to a company’s cybersecurity strategy that operates 24/7 so that networks and endpoints are constantly being monitored. If a vulnerability is found or an incident is discovered, the SOC will engage with the on-site IT team to respond to the issue and investigate the root cause.

Individual SOC cybersecurity providers offer different suites of products and services. However, there is a core set of operational functions that a SOC must perform in order to add value to an organization.

1. Asset Survey: In order for a SOC to help a company stay secure, they must have a complete understanding of what resources they need to protect. Otherwise, they may not be able to protect the full scope of the network. An asset survey should identify every server, router, firewall under enterprise control, as well as any other cybersecurity tools actively in use.
2. Log Collection: Data is the most important thing for a SOC to function properly and logs serve as the key source of information regarding network activity. The SOC should set up direct feeds from enterprise systems so that data is collected in real-time. Obviously, humans cannot digest such large amounts of information, which is why log scanning tools powered by artificial intelligence algorithms are so valuable for SOCs, though they do pose some interesting side effects that humanity is still trying to iron out.
3. Preventative Maintenance: In the best-case scenario, the SOC is able to prevent cyberattacks from occurring by being proactive with their processes. This includes installing security patches and adjusting firewall policies on a regular basis. Since some cyberattacks actually begin as insider threats, a SOC must also look within the organization for risks also.
4. Continuous Monitoring: In order to be ready to respond to a cybersecurity incident, the SOC must be vigilant in its monitoring practices. A few minutes can be the difference between blocking an attack and letting it take down an entire system or website. SOC tools run scans across the company’s network to identify potential threats and other suspicious activity.
5. Alert Management: Automated systems are great at finding patterns and following scripts. But the human element of a SOC proves it's worth it when it comes to analyzing automated alerts and ranking them based on their severity and priority. SOC staff must know what responses to take and how to verify that an alert is legitimate.
6. Root Cause Analysis: After an incident occurs and is resolved, the job of the SOC is just beginning. Cybersecurity experts will analyze the root cause of the problem and diagnose why it occurred in the first place. This feeds into a process of continuous improvement, with security tools and rules being modified to prevent future occurrences of the same incident.
7. Compliance Audits: Companies want to know that their data and systems are safe but also that they are being managed in a lawful manner. SOC providers must perform regular audits to confirm their compliance in the regions where they operate. What is a SOC report and what is a SOC audit? Anything that pulls data or records from cybersecurity functions of an organization. What is SOC 2? It’s a special auditing procedure related to information security and privacy.