A Security Operations Center (also known as a SOC) plays a key role in enhancing your cybersecurity protection by providing a centralized team for monitoring, detecting, responding to, and stopping security incidents that will disrupt your organization.

At GadellNet, we’ve spent the last five years building a skilled team of internal cybersecurity experts. Our team supports our partners through researching and deploying the best security toolsets, creating automation, and focusing on end-user education. Adding to our automation and expert technical support, we are now offering access to a 24/7/365 SOC.

The Role of a Security Operations Center (SOC)

The most common attacks we see are business email compromise (BEC) and ransomware. Adding a SOC to your current cybersecurity environment is a strong defensive move to protect against these threats. Here is a real-life example of how the Blackpoint Cyber SOC team increased response time and minimized the impact of a BEC.

5:14 am EST – Receive an alert “Login from New Device and IP.”  The location, Netherlands, was labeled risky.

5:21 am EST – Receive an alert “Login from New Device and IP.”  The location, Nigeria, was labeled risky.

5:23 am EST – A SOC analyst escalates the ticket after reviewing both alerts for unapproved logins.

5:23 am EST – A Sr. SOC analyst reviews the escalation.

5:28 am EST – The Sr. SOC analyst disables the M365 user account, reaches out to MSP on the emergency contact line, and begins working on the incident response report.

7:34 am EST – The Sr. SOC analyst sends the incident response report to the partner.

8:00 am EST – The client opens for business.

8:30 am EST – The MSP contacted the affected client’s points of contact and started the process to get the affected user back into their accounts and confirm that the threat had been eliminated.

9:15 am EST – The affected user was back up and running securely.

The entire process, from the suspicious login attempt to shutting down the compromised account, took 14 minutes and the impact on productivity was minimized. 

Benefits of a Security Operations Center (SOC)

There are five important components of a SOC that make it an effective part of a complete cybersecurity solution:

1. Real-time Threat Detection and Monitoring: A SOC continuously monitors network traffic, system logs, Microsoft 365 and G-suite logs, and other security events in real-time. This approach allows for the early detection of suspicious activities or potential security threats. The integration of a SOC into your business greatly improves your security posture, and ability to mitigate potentially damaging cybersecurity attacks.
2. Incident Response and Mitigation: SOC teams are equipped to respond swiftly to security incidents. They follow predefined incident response procedures to identify, contain, eradicate, and recover from security breaches. Having a dedicated team focused on incident response is essential for minimizing downtime, reducing data loss, and preventing the escalation of cyber threats.
3. Security Analytics and Threat Intelligence: SOC analysts use advanced security analytics and leverage threat intelligence to understand the evolving threat landscape. By analyzing patterns and trends, SOC teams can proactively identify potential risks and vulnerabilities. This intelligence-driven approach allows organizations to stay ahead of emerging threats and implement effective security measures.
4. Centralized Security Management: A SOC provides a centralized hub for managing and coordinating cybersecurity efforts. This centralized structure ensures a unified approach to security monitoring and response. It enables the consolidation of security information from various sources, facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of the organization’s security posture.
5. Continuous Improvement through Incident Analysis: SOC teams conduct thorough analyses of security incidents, including post-incident reviews. By understanding the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by adversaries, organizations can improve their security controls and measures. Continuous learning and improvement based on incident analysis help strengthen the overall cybersecurity posture.

A SOC serves as a vital component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, offering real-time monitoring, rapid incident response, threat intelligence integration, centralized management, and a continuous improvement cycle. These elements collectively contribute to enhanced resilience against a wide range of cyber threats.

(On the user side, it is still very important to keep your team informed of the latest cybersecurity best practices.)

If you’re interested in putting GadellNet’s cybersecurity team to work for your organization, reach out to your Account Manager or Strategic Consultant.  To get started with us for the first time, contact us today.

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