What Makes SOC Effective? People, Process, and Technology
04.06.2018
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In the evolving world of technology, cybersecurity threats are growing exponentially and, therefore, enterprises are seeking for standardized and automated Security Operation Centers (SOCs) to address these threats effectively. Though SOC standardization and Automation is of paramount importance, yet there are some other critical factors that must be considered when building an effective and reliable SOC. These factors include People, Process, and Technology. The following sections elaborate these factors in greater details.
There are two critical SOC roles that include Incident Responder and Security Analyst. An incident responder undertakes the responsibility to conduct a detailed analysis of malicious events by using search analytics, threat intelligence, malware analysis tools, and forensic techniques. Whereas a security analyst collects security event data, log and machine data, search machine analytics and assess threats to determine a risk. Enterprises can use various options to hire SOC roles. Below, you will delve into few examples of SOC staffing models in this regard.
To make SOC effective, it is vital to define and document processes so that the execution can be ensured in accordance with the documented plan. The process ensures synchronization and timely execution of different events and activities that are performed by the SOC. For instance, when a major incident occurs, process make sure that it is reported to the required recipient in the organization. In addition, the process delegates clear responsibilities to SOC roles such as security analysts and incident responders so that repetition of work or tasks can be avoided and the necessary outcome can be achieved efficiently. However, mutual cooperation for SOC operation might be needed in few circumstances where few or all SOC roles are required to participate.
Threat Lifecycle Management (TLM) platform is the critical one in order to build an effective SOC. In fact, TLM platform integrates all necessary forms of incident response orchestration and security automation into the single display. Below are some potential capabilities of the TLM platform:
As a result, it is evident that people, process, and technology are critical factors when building an effective and reliable SOC. These factors have a greater contribution to make a SOC more effective. Therefore, the enterprises must consider them to enhance their capabilities in the face of notorious cyber security threats such as Ransomware.
