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SOC Foundations

Understanding the core principles, history, and structure of a Security Operations Center.

History & Evolution

Cybersecurity grew rapidly and often reactively. Key events during 2010-2017 shaped both perception and practice. We are now entering a phase where quality, prioritization, and technical mastery become essential.

Stuxnet (2010)Cyber was mostly invisible to the public, used by governments as a precise tool.
Snowden Leaks (2013)Revealed that cyber capabilities exist in governments with global reach.
WannaCry (2017)Attacks hit enterprises worldwide; threat became professional and financially motivated.

SOC Organizational Models

A SOC can be organized in several ways depending on the organization's size, resources, and security strategy.

Centralized SOC

Single location monitoring all systems. Strong control and coordination.

Distributed SOC

Multiple locations, often across regions. Better local coverage.

Virtual SOC

Remote teams leveraging cloud tools. Flexible and cost-efficient.

Outsourced (MSSP)

Managed by third-party providers. Complements internal capabilities.

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Tier 1
    AnalystMonitors alerts, triages incidents. First line of defense.
  • Tier 2
    AnalystInvestigates and escalates complex incidents. Deeper analysis.
  • Tier 3
    Threat HunterPerforms proactive threat hunting and deep forensic analysis.
  • DFIR
    Incident ResponderLeads containment, eradication, and recovery during major breaches.

Core Processes

01

Monitoring & Alerting

Continuous surveillance of networks, endpoints, and cloud.

02

Triage & Investigation

Validate and analyze alerts to determine true positives.

03

Containment & Eradication

Stop threats and remove them from the environment.

04

Recovery & Lessons Learned

Restore systems and improve defenses based on the incident.