What is a Security Operations Center (SOC)?

Users are becoming increasingly mobile and networks are migrating to the cloud. This trend requires companies to have security controls capable of protecting their resources from cyber attacks, such as malware, ransomware, and phishing, among others.

Such controls must be able to anticipate, prevent, detect, and react better to threats, to secure information. Clearly, there are many factors to consider to achieve optimal management in terms of prevention and response to information attacks. That is why companies are adopting the Security Operations Center or SOC.

A SOC is a centralized function that employs people, processes, and technology to continuously monitor and improve an organization’s security posture, while preventing, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity incidents.

Protect your information with Security Operations Center (SOC)

The goal of a SOC is to detect, analyze, and remediate cybersecurity incidents. It does this by using different technological solutions and approaches and taking steps to address them as quickly and effectively as possible. It must also ensure that potential security incidents are appropriately identified, analyzed, defended, investigated, and reported.

The SOC is comprised of a security team that monitors network traffic from internal and external sources. It also manages the maintenance and updating of an organization's technology infrastructure. It is a team of information security experts that is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Of course, a significant technological base is also required to enable such monitoring and security management. Among the tools for collecting, and correlating events and remote intervention, security information and event management (SIEM) stands out.

SIEM is a security solution that helps businesses recognize and remediate potential threats before they disrupt their business. These systems help SOC teams detect anomalous user behavior. They also use artificial intelligence to automate threat detection and incident response.

The SOC monitors and protects a company's various assets, including intellectual property, personal data, business systems, and brand integrity. Therefore, the SOC team is also responsible for defining the overall cybersecurity strategy and coordinating efforts to implement it.

How to build a security operations center

The functions of a SOC can be divided into three main groups. On the one hand, the team must be thoroughly familiar with the available tools and processes, test them and update them. Of course, continuous monitoring and prevention activities will be key. Finally, the team must be prepared for incidents, their handling and recovery.

Preparation, Planning & Prevention

A SOC needs to maintain an inventory of all assets that need to be protected, inside or outside the data center. For example, applications, databases, servers, cloud services, endpoints, software as a service, etc. Based on this survey, it is possible to perform maintenance with preventive measures, such as applying patches software updates, and protection tools. This is of great relevance to maximize the effectiveness of the security tools and measures implemented, the SOC.

Periodic testing is another key instance of maintaining the robustness of the different levels of defense. They evaluate the weakness of each resource against potential threats and the associated costs. Based on the results obtained, the SOC team repairs or adjusts the applications, security policies, practices and incident response plans.

Additionally, the SOC must stay up-to-date on the latest security solutions and technologies, as well as the latest threat intelligence. It pays to stay abreast of news and information about cyberattacks and the hackers who perpetrate them. Specialists monitor social media, consult industry sources, and keep an eye on the dark web.

Monitoring, Detection & Response

For many SOCs, the core technology is based on security information and event management (SIEM), as we explained at the beginning. SIEM can monitor, and aggregate alerts and telemetry across the network in real-time, and then analyze the data to identify potential threats.

More recently, some SOCs have also adopted Extended Detection and Response (XDR) technology. This tool provides more detailed telemetry and monitoring, with the ability to automate incident detection and response.

For proper detection management, the SOC team separates real cyber threat signals from hacker distractions to obtain a false positive. Threats are then classified by severity. Modern SIEM solutions include artificial intelligence to automate these processes and learn from the data.

In response to incidents, the SOC acts to limit the damage. Actions may include:

• Investigate the root cause to determine the technical vulnerabilities that gave hackers access to the system.
• Shut down compromised endpoints or disconnect them from the network.
• Isolate compromised areas of the network or reroute traffic.
• Pause or stop compromised applications or processes.
• Delete corrupted or infected files.
• Run anti-virus or anti-malware software.
• Disable passwords for internal and external users.

Recovery, refinement and compliance

Once an incident is contained, the SOC works to restore affected assets to their previous state. In the event of a data breach or ransomware attack, it may be necessary to cut off backup systems or reset passwords and authentication credentials.

In order to prevent a recurrence, information from the incident will be used to optimize management. This includes better addressing vulnerabilities, updating processes and policies, choosing new cybersecurity tools, or revising the incident response plan.

At a higher level, the SOC team will try to determine if the incident reveals a new security trend that needs to be prepared for.

In summary, a SOC provides a comprehensive, proactive approach to cybersecurity, ensuring that your organization is not only prepared to face current threats but is also equipped to anticipate future challenges. Investing in a SOC is an investment in your company's future, protecting your intellectual property, customer data, and brand reputation. In an era where a single breach can have catastrophic consequences, the peace of mind and security that a SOC offers are invaluable. Make the smart choice today to secure your tomorrow.

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