Security operations centers (SOC) are becoming a central point for organizations to protect themselves against cyberattacks. SOCs are the “nerve center†of an organization’s defense and response to cyber incidents. Matthew Hodson, CIO, Valeo Networks, discusses how SOCs are increasingly playing an integral role for companies to improve their cybersecurity architecture.
The number of security operations centers (SOCs) protecting large and medium-sized organizations is expanding and for good reason. A SOC can provide a central location where teams of information security professionals work to detect, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks. They also enable companies to operate their cyber defense in a highly effective manner by helping them prioritize threats and allocate resources accordingly. As the cost and complexity of cyberattacks are on the rise, it is critical that organizations have a centralized means of managing cyber defenses.
The idea of a SOC at the company level is relatively new, with most companies resorting to less organized ways to handle cyberattacks. SOCs were once only found at the federal level or with large banks and financial institutions but have now become more widespread in the private sector. Many large corporations have also adopted this approach in order to use centralized platforms for organizing their cyber defenses.
Benefits of Security Operations CentersÂ
SOCs can coordinate with other security teams across an organization in order to develop and implement more comprehensive cybersecurity architectures. This is because SOCs often provide technology platforms that can aggregate attack data from multiple sources, making it possible for organizations to unify and leverage a variety of resources to combat cyberattacks.
Furthermore, SOCs help companies design incident response plans in advance, which can be tailored to the needs of their particular organization and help ensure that the appropriate personnel is able to initiate such plans quickly after an attack occurs. SOCs also provides a centralized location where security personnel can work closely together in order to develop common responses for specific threats.
A SOC typically consists of three basic areas: the command center, incident response center, and intelligence center. The command center is responsible for planning and executing an incident response by coordinating with other parts of the SOC. The incident response Center is responsible for identifying, investigating, and responding to cyberattacks within the SOC environment. Lastly, the intelligence center provides a centralized location where analysts can review relevant data about cyber incidents.
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SOCs Are Good if Properly Implemented
While SOCs can provide an important platform for managing cybersecurity, some experts have noted that they do not always work as well as intended. For instance, many companies implement a SOC without the necessary personnel or the proper level of funding; sometimes, this results in the center being underutilized or even having its resources misused.
Some experts also note that it is challenging to hire trained and experienced professionals for a SOC, which can lead to difficulties in terms of security and other key corporate goals. Without adequate personnel or funding, it is difficult to properly execute a robust and effective cyber defense strategy. As a result, companies that lack the right expertise end up operating poorly organized SOCs that lack sufficient personnel.
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Third-Party SOCs an Option
To avoid these issues, some companies turn to third parties to implement their SOCs. These companies generally choose a partner with an established record of successfully deploying SOCs and that have the necessary skill sets, staff, and resources to implement the systems successfully; many experts are accustomed to working with these third-party enterprises.
As a result, there is a growing demand for third-party organizations to provide SOC services; some startups have even begun providing SOC services that focus on specific industries or organizations. These new SOC providers offer a number of different services, including customized SOC design and plans, cyberattack data aggregation and analysis tools, alerts management, and alert distribution tools. Some are also turning to open source solutions in order to make their existing security environment more effective.
In summary, SOCs are becoming an increasingly popular strategy for companies that want to improve their cybersecurity posture. They enable companies to protect their networks in a more organized manner and are working to create an effective way to manage and coordinate the efforts of multiple security teams. This is an important strategy for organizations to improve their cyber defense capabilities while dealing with the rising cost and complexity of cyberattacks.
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