What Is a Security Operations Center (SOC)?

Security Operation Center (SOC) is the name given to a central facility or location that houses all of an organization’s security measures. In a SOC, a business’s security team can monitor and analyze digital security, and respond to cyber safety threats.

A SOC forms part of a company’s IT infrastructure and it’s an essential component of cybersecurity. It keeps the security team well-informed of the safety of every network, device, and application that is used within the business.

Let’s answer the question of ‘What is a Security Operations Center (SOC)? – ServiceNow‘ and learn more about the importance of a SOC.

What is a Security Operations Center and What Does it Do?

The goal of a SOC team is to continually monitor an organization’s digital security. They must also identify cyber security threats and respond accordingly to keep data safe.

SOC requires a combination of technologies and software to maximize online safety and eliminate weak areas of an organization’s system to make it harder for hackers to access its data. Usually, a range of security analysts and engineers work within a Security Operations Center to ensure optimal cybersecurity.

If there is a security incident, the SOC knows exactly how to manage it and prevent the same incident from reoccurring. Any security incidents must be investigated and reported via the SOC.

What Are the Benefits of a Security Operations Center?

All types of businesses can benefit from having a strong Security Operations Center. The main benefit of having a SOC is its ability to improve security incident management in a business or organization. If there is a cybersecurity incident, the SOC team can quickly identify the threat and resolve it.

Without a SOC team in place, an organization is at a higher risk of security breaches, which can be disruptive to business operations. Cybersecurity can also be costly for businesses to resolve and may lower client satisfaction.

A SOC enables the easy monitoring and management of data activity. By continuously tracking and analyzing data, an organization can stay safe in every area of its operations. They can protect themselves against cyber-attacks and stay ahead of hackers.

With an effective SOC, businesses can recover more quickly from security incidents and minimize their potentially detrimental effects.

What Are the Roles Within a SOC?

There are a number of different roles within a SOC, all of which are just as important as each other. Generally, a SOC team comprises:

  1. Manager or senior-level staff that oversees all of the security procedures and systems.
  2. Analysts who continually analyze the organization’s data
  3. Investigators who identify the root cause of a cybersecurity breach
  4. Responders who work closely with investigators in response to a cybersecurity threat
  5. Auditor who ensures an organization’s SOC meets legal standards and complied with the latest legislation