Security Operations Center (SOC): What is it, How to Implement it

Your organization’s cybersecurity team is kind of like plumbing: when it works, no one really notices, but when it doesn’t work, things get messy. If you are a C-Suite officer at a business, then you know that your network should be protected (we call that “hardened”) against the chances of cyber threats or unauthorized persons getting access to a company’s data. Your company’s data can be anything from intellectual property and financial information to client and employee information, and threats against this information are constant. Your security crew works hard to protect that data against cyber threats in a team known as a Security Operations Center, or SOC.


The main responsibility of the SOC is to protect the company from cyberattacks. SOC teams are in charge of identifying, deploying, configuring, and managing security infrastructure. This includes investigating potential security incidents, prioritizing detected incidents, and coordinating an incident response.

Your organization’s SOC is the central command post that takes in hundreds of thousands of pieces of information, processes and analyzes them, and responds to potential threats, all while working diligently to prevent both internal and external incidents. They monitor your intranet, customer-facing web apps, all devices (whether printers and desktops, to work-at-home laptops), data servers, and employee activity – in other words, your entire IT infrastructure.
Your SOC’s responsibilities may include any or all of the following:

Taking stock of available resources

The SOC safeguards the entire threat landscape, including different endpoints and software on-premises and servers. If it is connected to the internet or intranet (an intranet is an internal network, cut off from the web at large), they monitor it.

Preparations and preventive maintenance

One of the most important jobs of a SOC team is to work hard to prevent attacks from happening. This is a difficult and far from foolproof task. We lock our doors to keep people from simply walking in, but this won’t prevent someone from breaking our windows with a rock. With that said, your SOC team is going to work hard, doing everything they can to make sure your network is safe, keeping an eye on trends and new attacks, and performing regular hardening and maintenance to your organization’s network.

Alert ranking and management

Your SOC will use automated software to monitor and alert for any potential threats. These tools – known as SIEMs – are growing more sophisticated, but it is still the SOC team’s responsibility to look closely at each alert, dismissing false positives and investigating legitimate (or legitimate-looking) alerts. Your SOC team will then rank legitimate alerts, so that the Tier 2 Analysts (see Roles Within a Security Operations Center below) can know which threats and attacks to deal with first.

Threat response

The moment an incident is confirmed, the SOC will act as first responders. They will shut down or isolate infected endpoints, they will terminate harmful processes, and, if malicious file transfers have occurred, remove those harmful files. Bear in mind, too, that they will do all of this while maintaining business continuity as much as possible.

All Security Operation Centers have three components: personnel, tools, and policies.

Personnel

Within this industry, there are many, many automated tools. However, in our experience, no amount of automation can completely replace a person’s instincts and thought-process. The personnel on your team are the ones who will do the hard work of keeping your business, employees, and customers safe. While the size of your team will vary based on needs and budget, all SOC teams, regardless of size, have the following roles:

• Manager: As in any industry, the manager leads and manages the group. He or she directs the focus of the day, assigns tasks, and – if needed – fills in for other roles and duties. He can also step into any role if need be.
  
  
• Analyst: Analysts do exactly as it sounds – they analyze data, mostly in the form of alerts, and triage the severity of the alert. They may also examine other data points, compiling long-term reports of threats, breaches, and successful prevention.
  
  
• Investigator: Just like an investigator in law enforcement, a SOC investigator looks deeply into breaches, determining how and why they happened, so as to enable the team to harden that area of the network.
  
  
• Responder: Responding to a security breach is a complex job, and the responder will work closely with the investigator to find the vulnerabilities and fix them. In many cases, the Responder and Investigator are one and the same person.
  
  
• Auditor: The cybersecurity industry is heavily regulated, and it is the auditor’s job to make certain that your company’s network is in compliance with local and applicable international laws. If you want your official audits to go smoothly, you will want a top-notch auditor on your organization’s SOC team.

Again, how many people you have will depend on your budget. In many cases, smaller businesses will combine several of these roles into one person. In other cases, larger corporations may have multiple analysts, investigators, and responders.

Before we move on to tools, let’s examine the analysts for just a moment. SOC Analysis comes in three tiers. While an analyst in your organization may fulfill the role of one, two, or even all three of these tiers, the tiers are very important.

Tier 1 Analysts

Tier 1 Analysts are the triage nurses of your SOC team. They monitor alerts and network systems, field incoming calls, and collect and compile any data that needs to be escalated.

Tier 2 Analysts

Tier 2 Analysts evaluate internal and external attacks to determine the scope of the incident [whether it was an attempt, an advanced persistent threat (APT), or a breach of data], review event logs, and provide remediation suggestions.

Tier 3 Analysts

These are the threat hunters. They work with an in-depth knowledge of computer forensics, malware reverse engineering and network security. Threat hunters may also be involved in studying zero-day malware (in efforts to discover them on your network) and security logs, looking for the more intricate and minute incidents that the lower-tier analysts may have missed.

Shortage of Cybersecurity Skills

The need for cybersecurity professionals is rapidly outgrowing the number of cybersecurity professionals who are entering the field. This is confirmed when recent studies have shown that not only are SOCs understaffed, but unemployment within the cybersecurity industry is almost zero. Understaffed organizations aren’t having trouble finding good employees, they are having trouble finding any employees.

Too Many Alerts

This shortage of staff is a problem in and of itself, but couple this with the rapidly-evolving threats and attacks that are out there, and SOCs are finding that their SIEM alerts are coming in at an overwhelming pace. This is leading to lengthened MTTDs (see “Procedures and Policies” above), longer MTTRs, and something known as “alert fatigue” – simply employee burnout.

Operational Overhead

Another challenge facing the SOC is the challenge that faces all aspects of a business: the budget. Cybersecurity networks in an organization experience different and many threats, and funding all of them at a go can be challenging. Most organizations have difficulty in obtaining the funds needed to maintain an adequate capability.

Compliance Requirements

The final challenge we will touch on briefly is compliance requirements. The cybersecurity industry must adhere to legislation and regulation requirements, requirements which are often made by people who do not work in the industry. This is a challenge because, while many of these regulations are good (for example, protecting credit card information), regulations also run the risk of slowing things down and tying hands.

Some businesses prefer to have an in-house SOC, while some others prefer to outsource the SOC instead. Listed below are the pros and cons of each of these options: 

IN-HOUSE SOC

Pros:

• Better visibility into operations
• Unparalleled availability
• Fast response
• Data integrity is maintained
• Low risk of losing critical data
• You can customize your approach to security
• You have more control over the security of your organization

Cons:

• Capital intensive
• Can take a long time to set up
• Required talent and resources may not be readily available
• Higher employee turnover
• 
  

OUTSOURCED SOC

 
Pros:

• More affordable
• Immediately available
• Helps meet compliance requirements
• Faster implementation and integration 
• Easy access to a pool of skilled cybersecurity experts
• Access to extensive threat intelligence
• Uninterrupted service

Cons:

• Not too many customization options
• Data stored outside the organization
• Potential compatibility and reversibility issues
• Pricing and service levels are tiered

In-house and outsourced SOCs take different approaches when it comes to securing your IT environment and data. While in-house SOCs are more capital intensive and may be the appropriate fit for certain organizations, most businesses stand to profit by outsourcing their security services.

SIEM tools are some of the most powerful tools at your organization’s disposal. They collect and compile data from different sources within your network, offering insight for your SOC team to quickly detect and respond to external and internal attacks, gather more intelligence, minimize risks, and in general offer more network visibility to your team.

Evolve Security Automation

One solution to all of this – budget constraints, automation, reducing alert fatigue – is to invest in our Evolve security automation system. It offers on-demand security capabilities with flexible pay-as-you-go pricing models, while automating and streamlining security operations. It delivers a new level of deep security expertise, without blowing up your security budget. Request a demo here .

BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE SOC IMPLEMENTATION

To ensure the success of a SOC, consider the following best practices:

Governance Framework

Establishing a robust governance framework is the foundation for an effective SOC. This includes defining clear roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines within the SOC team and aligning them with the organization's overall cybersecurity strategy. A well-defined governance framework enables effective decision-making, ensures accountability, and promotes coordination among different stakeholders.

Stay Agile and Adaptive

Recognize that the threat landscape and IT technologies are constantly evolving. Regularly monitor emerging threats, stay updated on evolving threat behaviors, and remain abreast of the latest IT advancements. Continuously assess and enhance SOC processes, tools, and capabilities to ensure they remain effective in addressing evolving cybersecurity challenges.

Incident Response Planning

Having a well-defined incident response plan is critical for minimizing the impact of security incidents and ensuring a coordinated and effective response. The plan should outline the steps to be taken during different stages of an incident, clearly define the roles and responsibilities of team members, and establish communication channels with relevant stakeholders. Regularly testing and updating the incident response plan based on lessons learned from past incidents and emerging threats is crucial for maintaining its effectiveness.

Align with Business Objectives

Instead of focusing solely on technical metrics, ensure that the SOC's goals and performance indicators are directly aligned with the organization's overall business objectives. This means identifying and tracking metrics that demonstrate the SOC's contribution to the organization's bottom line, such as minimizing production downtime caused by security incidents.

Embrace Automation Wisely

While automation technologies hold great promise, it is important to approach them strategically. Leverage automation tools to augment the skills of experienced analysts or empower less-experienced analysts to focus on the most probable true positives. However, it is crucial to set realistic expectations and understand that the full benefits of automation may require time and continuous refinement. Automation tools are meant to augment your team's capabilities, not replace them.

Clearly Communicate SOC Services

Clearly articulate the services provided by the SOC to key stakeholders within the organization. Demonstrate the value and benefits of investing in SOC capabilities or enhancements, specifically highlighting how they align with the organization's overall business objectives. Collaborate with business units to develop relevant use cases and ensure access to necessary data for monitoring and responding to security incidents.

Regular Training and Education

Investing in regular training and education for SOC staff is vital to keep them up to date with the latest security trends, attack techniques, and mitigation strategies. Cybersecurity professionals should be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to analyze and respond to evolving threats effectively. Providing training sessions, workshops, and certifications not only enhances the capabilities of the SOC team but also promotes a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.

Foster a skilled and engaged workforce and focus on attracting, retaining, and engaging skilled SOC personnel.

Continuous Improvement

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement is paramount to keep pace with the ever-changing threat landscape. Regularly assessing and enhancing SOC processes, tools, and capabilities is crucial. This can involve conducting internal audits, seeking external assessments, and implementing industry best practices and standards such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework or ISO 27001. Embrace a proactive approach to strengthen your defenses, optimize resource allocation, and enhance overall SOC performance.

FUTURE TRENDS IN SOC OPERATIONS

As technology continues to advance and threats become more sophisticated, SOC operations need to adapt and leverage emerging trends to stay ahead of adversaries.

At present, SOCs face several challenges. Rapidly changing business models and environements have opened up new attack surfaces, increased the potential for cyberattacks, and introduced new risks to corporate data and infrastructure. As a result, security vendors and providers are constantly releasing new tools and technologies to help SOCs keep up with the growing threat landscape. However, this can create additional challenges in terms of managing the volume of alerts, false positives, and can overburden SOC teams. Moreover, the lack of specialist skills and the growing complexity of SOC operations means that many organizations find it difficult to keep up with the pace of innovation and the growing workload.

So how will SOCs need to adapt in the future? The following are key future trends that are shaping the evolution of SOC operations:

Integrated Security Platforms

The complexity of managing multiple security tools and systems poses a challenge for SOC operations. Integrated security platforms consolidate various security technologies into a unified solution, providing centralized visibility and control. These platforms enable SOC analysts to streamline their workflows, correlate data from multiple sources, and gain a holistic view of the organization's security posture. Tools like SOAR unify the data from multiple security tools into a single platform to make a coherent picture of the security posture and enable faster response to threats.

Cloud-based SOC

The adoption of cloud-based SOC operations is gaining momentum due to its scalability, agility, and cost-effectiveness. Cloud platforms provide the flexibility to scale resources up or down based on demand, enabling organizations to handle large volumes of security data effectively. Additionally, cloud-based solutions often come bundled with advanced security capabilities, allowing organizations to leverage the expertise and infrastructure of cloud service providers. Migrating SOC operations to the cloud can reduce the burden of managing on-premises infrastructure, enhance collaboration, and streamline incident response processes.

Threat Hunting

Traditional security measures often focus on detecting known threats, but proactive threat hunting is becoming increasingly important to identify and neutralize advanced and unknown threats. Threat hunting involves actively searching for signs of compromise or malicious activity within an organization's network and systems. In order to detect those extra stealthy threats, the SOC team needs much more threat intelligence. Proactive threat hunting helps organizations identify IOCs with more precision and speed, reducing the time an attacker has to dwell in the environment.

Outsourcing SOC

With the skills shortage getting worse and the demand for talent growing, organizations need to accept that they're going to need outside help to address their security needs. In such a case, the model that makes most sense is to outsource the SOC function to a managed security service provider. A hybrid SOC model provides the best of both worlds by having an internal SOC team and an external team that supplements the efforts of your in-house team. Moreover, outsourcing the SOC function is an option that's accessible to organizations of any size. You don't need a large budget or a large security staff to make it work for you.

Conclusion