In the last few years, cybersecurity has been one of the most important aspects of IT. Did you know that 95% of cyberattackson organizations are caused by humanerror? According to a report, 88% of businesses worldwide experienced a Cyberattack in 2019.
Due to the current scenario,businessesmusthaveskilled IT professionalswhocan detect and manage cyber threats.The cybersecurity industry comprises of different teams working together in unison. One such team is the Security OperationsCenter (SOC) who is responsibleforkeepingorganizationssafe from cybercrimeby monitoring andanalyzingan organization’s security posture on an ongoing basis.
This blogprovidesan in-depth view ofSOC, its functions,andhowtoestablisha Security OperationsCenterin your organization, which willprepare your organization for cyber-attacks.We will be covering the followingtopicsin this blog:
WhatisSecurity Operations Centre?

SOC vs CSIRT

How to determine if your organization requires SOC or CSIRT

How does the SOC team function? Different roles and responsibilities

Significance of the right SOC Teams with the right skillset

Get the right certifications to upskill your SOC Team

How NetCom Learning can help set up a great SOC Team

WhatisSecurity OperationsCenter(SOC)?
Security OperationsCenter’s goal is to detect, investigate, and respond to security threats 24 hours a day. They are responsible for protecting and monitoring the organization’s assets. These assets include intellectual property and personnel data, as well as business systems and brand integrity.
In short, their role is not only limited to assets that are related to IT but any asset which may get affected due to a cyberattack, which also includes theorganization’sbrand image.
SOC vs. CSIRT
SOCs are often confused with CSIRTs.Let’sunderstand the key differences between the two.
SOCs are responsible for monitoring, preventing, detecting, investigating, and responding to cyber-attacks. They are responsible to the overall cybersecurity strategy of an organization.
The Cybersecurity paradigm has a specific role for CSIRT: they are responsible for incident response. CSIRT’s functions are only a part of the overall work of SOCs. SOCs, for example, also have other tasks that include incident response. However, CSIRT is responsible for incident response.
Below is an image that clearly shows the key differences among SOCs and other teams.

Source:https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/tip/CERT-vs-CSIRT-vs-SOC-Whats-the-difference
How do you determine if your organization requires SOCs/CSIRT
SOCs can be used to cover a wider range of cybersecurity functions within an organization. It allows you to centralize all your cybersecurity requirements in one functional team. If your organization is small and has a decentralized hierarchy you can opt for a CSIRT, and not a full-blown SOC.
There are many other reasons why you need a SOC team within your organization.
Your organization handles more sensitive data.

Your company is growing exponentially

You will need a separate team for threat management

There are no standard procedures or processes that can be used to increase security.

It is impossible to calculate the Return on Investment for security spending in your company.

Your Security provider is no more able to meet the size of your security needs

If your organization is having trouble with any of these points, it’s time to consider having a SOC team.
Roles in a Security Operations Center
A SOC can be defined as a variety of security roles. Some of these include:
Security Analysts: They are the first to respond to incidents

Security Engineers: Responsible to maintain tools and recommend new tools

Responder: There are many responsibilities when responding to security breaches. These requirements are essential for anyone who responds to a crisis.

Investigator: The investigator works closely with the responder when a breach occurs to determine what happened and why.

Auditor:A lot of legislative changes require the intervention and monitoring of an auditor in order to ensure compliance.

Security Architects: Building security systems and architectures.

Security Directors/Managers are responsible for managing the team members and overseeing the operations. They coordinate with security engineers.

Head of Security (VP, CISO): These are the people responsible for directing security operations within an organization.

All these resources report to the VP, Security or CISO. He sets a vision for security and oversees the execution of the SOCs.
Responsibilities for aSecurity Operation Center
The SOC’s job is simple: protect the IT infrastructure and data.