In many industries, there is at least one central team that is tasked with monitoring and analyzing information (especially high-value and sensitive data). In the managed IT services world, this team works in a place named the security operations center (SOC). The SOC group’s primary objective is to identify, assess, and respond to cybersecurity threats by utilizing multiple resources and clearly defined processes.
Responsibilities Of Remote Security Operations Centers
It’s important to know that a SOC team is not responsible for designing an organization’s entire security infrastructure. Instead, this team’s members are mainly security analysts. Here is a close analysis of four of a security operations center’s primary responsibilities.
Around-The-Clock Monitoring
A SOC team typically utilizes tools to monitor networks 24/7 to immediately alert other organization members (e.g. managers and executives) of any irregularities or suspicious activities.
Examples of such tools include endpoint detection and response (EDR) and security information and event management (SIEM) software products and services, which offer real-time analyses of security notifications. These resources help minimize the amount of sorting and evaluation that your organization’s employees need to perform.
Immediate Response Action
As soon as any type of credible threat is confirmed, the SOC team takes any viable action to address it. Examples of solutions the group can implement include ending harmful processes, isolating endpoints, and deleting suspicious (or known malicious) files.
Aside from speed, another important characteristic that a response action should have is that it has minimal impact on regular business operations.
Proactively Maintaining Networks
A strong SOC team should always remain informed on the latest innovations in security, as well as cybercrime news. The team can then develop and implement a security strategy based on these trends. A network (or system of networks, if your organization uses several) should be one of the first things to actively monitor and maintain, along with firewalls, antivirus software, vulnerabilities, and applications (especially security apps).
Penetration testing (i.e. white-hat testing) is an effective way to detect vulnerabilities in your systems. Control from a device to the cloud is important. Without this, vulnerabilities in your systems can be easily targeted and exploited.
Investigating Security Liabilities
Part of addressing security liabilities involves investigating the root cause of a threat or an incident. This entails probing and determining why and how something nefarious happened. Over the course of this process, the SOC relies on log information (among other data) to identify the source of an issue. Thus, similar liabilities can be prevented going forward.
Ultimately, a SOC team must be prepared to respond to cyberattacks and other risks head-on, regardless of how large or small they may be. In recent years, phishing, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, malware, and ransomware attacks have been among the most common types of cybercrime committed, in addition to data breaches. This is especially important in today’s world. According to the news publication The Hill, the FBI revealed in April that there had been a 300% increase in reported cybercrime since the COVID-19 pandemic began (from 1,000 complaints per day to between 3,000 and 4,000 per day).
Many of the processes a Security Operations Center team utilizes are also often subject to compliance requirements dictated by the industry they belong to or by external governing entities. Some of the compliance regulations that a SOC may be required to follow include HIPAA, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and PCI DSS. Be sure to ask a compliance expert for more information about these regulations.
Reach Out To An Experienced Managed IT Services Provider
Speak to the experts at SeaGlass Technology in New York for more information on the responsibilities of a security operations center team. We are an IT security company dedicated to providing customers with innovative and efficient solutions that are customized to meet their unique needs. Therefore, we always strive to utilize a holistic approach.
Our staff members are certified and hold extensive knowledge of top ISVs and OEMs, which means that we can enjoy great flexibility to decide which technologies are the optimal ones for improving business processes. We offer 24/7 protection and monitoring, and we are committed to providing the best coverage of all major metropolitan areas in the United States.
Regardless of how or why your organization was attacked, SeaGlass’s SOC team will always restore any lost or stolen data and devise an action plan in order to prevent similar breaches in the future. We can even work remotely to ensure that all of your networks, systems, and devices are regularly maintained and updated. Call SeaGlass Technology today at (212) 886-0790 or contact us online to learn more about our IT security services.