Organizations of all sizes can benefit from having some kind of SOC to coordinate and manage security operations. But what is SOC security? What does it do? And what does it provide an organization? Let’s find out by looking at the components of a typical SOC and discussing how this IT function fits into an overall security strategy.
How Do SOCs Fit Into an Organization’s Security Ecosystem
SOCs are essential to an organization’s security ecosystem because they gather, monitor, and prioritize threats to address them in real-time. This reduces risks, allowing organizations to focus on mission-critical business functions without worrying about their IT infrastructure. SOC teams also work with internal teams like application and network operations groups. With collaboration from Micro Focus, SOCs help identify potential vulnerabilities before damage can be done, mitigating issues before they become worse.
Why Should a Company Build Or Buy Its Own SOC?
Businesses can build or buy their own SOC for many reasons. Some of them include:
1. The company has no technology resources.
2. The company wants to prevent unnecessary outsourcing costs
3. The company wants full control over its data and infrastructure management teams, including escalation procedures and reporting requirements.
There are disadvantages as well. Some of them include the time and cost of purchasing equipment and building a dedicated SOC team with specific skill sets, such as network engineers with penetration testing experience, application specialists, and digital forensics personnel. This would also require substantial ongoing training for these individuals to keep their skills up-to-date with technology changes or attacks that might occur throughout their life cycle.
Operating a SOC Requires Specialized Skills
We find threat intelligence analysts, security researchers, systems, and network engineers among the most necessary skill sets. The SOC manages everything within its purview; it’s what keeps your business data safe. So whether you call it a SOC or a security operations center, it’s instrumental to any company dealing with sensitive data daily.
Why SOC Staff Work in Shifts Around the Clock
SOC staff takes direct action to determine whether there was a breach and what data was stolen when a breach occurs. SOC teams will contain and mitigate a breach by cutting off access to compromised systems and patching vulnerabilities that might have allowed attackers to access them if there has been a breach. If necessary, they’ll work with law enforcement and external teams like internal or third-party forensics firms. In some cases, they may advise contacting affected parties or taking other appropriate action.
The SOC Must Correlate Log Data from Multiple Sources
That includes firewalls, intrusion detection systems, proxy servers, routers, switches, and applications. Attackers don’t limit themselves to one or two entry points. Instead, they try to breach a network via many methods to avoid detection by systems administrators. Thus, an SOC must use multiple sources of information to spot all potential attacks. For example, an attacker may compromise a single PC on a network and attempt to launch attacks from there.
The Two Common Ways for an Enterprise to Launch Its Own SOC
A) Building an on-premises SOC using pre-built security tools and services.
B) Hiring a managed service provider to host a SOC that you can use remotely by logging into it with your VPN access credentials.
SOCs are a key part of any organization’s security efforts, acting as an alerting mechanism and a centralized coordination center. In addition, they are often critical to detecting cyber threats before they have Time to cause damage—a valuable asset to any company in the current internet climate.
