A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a centralized function or team responsible for improving an organizations cybersecurity posture and preventing, detecting, and responding to threats. SOC analysts perform round-the-clock monitoring of an organization’s network and investigate any potential security incidents. The SOC team monitors the entire extended IT infrastructure, including applications, servers, system software, computing, and other endpoints, 24/7, to detect cybersecurity events in real-time and address them as quickly and effectively as possible. The SOC comprises the three building blocks for managing and enhancing an organizations security posture: people, processes, and technology. The SOC team implements the organization’s overall cybersecurity strategy and acts as the central point of collaboration in coordinated efforts to monitor, assess, and defend against cyberattacks.

The primary mission of the SOC is security monitoring and alerting. This includes the collection and analysis of data to identify suspicious activity and potential security incidents. SOC activities and responsibilities fall into three general categories: asset inventory, threat detection, and incident response. SOC teams must constantly stay one-step ahead of attackers and face challenges such as finding malicious activity inside the network, which is often like finding a needle in a haystack.

In summary, a SOC is a team of IT security professionals that protects the organization by monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and investigating cyber threats. The SOC team is responsible for improving an organizations cybersecurity posture and preventing, detecting, and responding to threats. SOC activities and responsibilities fall into three general categories: asset inventory, threat detection, and incident response.