Imagine this nightmare scenario: One day you wake up and a virus has infiltrated your digital land and it is taking over your data.
This could be a horror movie plot, but this hypothetical situation is not a movie; it is reality.
Cyber threats are vicious and unforgiving. They can strike at any given time.
Which is why it is important to protect yourself around the clock. But what can give you security and peace of mind in one go? What would be the protector of all things digital?
SOC (Security Operations Center)! SOCs help ensure 24/7 Cybersecurity. Let’s find out what makes it so great!
Why Is There a Need for 24/7 SOC
Villains in the cyber world do not take days off.
If there are no measures in place, they can cause a lot of damage before anyone even knows it. Having a 24/7 SOC will provide 24/7 surveillance, detection, and prevention support.
Challenges of Maintaining Continuous Monitoring
- Firstly, there is a need to man the ship, technology to monitor the networks and processes in place to deal with events. This requires coordination training and constant maintenance.
- It can be costly due to the many moving pieces and requirements.
- Night shifts are difficult. It is hard to be constantly aware and alert to abnormalities which may not always be glaringly obvious.
- The analyst may miss some things or may not be quick to act.
Strategies for Efficient 24/7 Operations
To fight these challenges, a long-term strategy must be in place.
- Night Shifts will need to be rotated to make sure that no one person is doing the night shift all time.
- Use monitoring solutions that alert the analyst as soon as they see something that could potentially be bad.
- Set up consistent training to always keep their skills sharp.
How Technology Plays a Part in 24/7 SOC Operations
The tools are in place, but what exactly runs this machine? Automated systems are usually the first line of defense.
They can gather massive amounts of information. This way, the analyst does not have to worry about gathering data.
SIEM (Security information and event management) tools are a popular monitoring solution. They are used to piece together information that has been gathered all into one place to give the analyst an easy overview.
AI technology can be very useful as well. It can look at data, then goes ahead and looks for abnormalities and flags things that could be out of the ordinary.
The Role of Humans in SOC
Still, no matter how great the technology may be, none of it is possible without proper staff. The analysts are the ones who get the data then decide what to do.
An AI can look for things all day, but it is relying on the analyst to catch the small things and follow up with action.
Continuous Enhancement and Adaptation
Cyber threats are always evolving, always changing. When one avenue has been shut down, the next challenge arises.
An SOC cyber security system has to always be agile. The team must plan for the future and potential upcoming threats.
This involves consistent updates to Infrastructure, consistent training for analysts and to have a proactive mentality.
Conclusion
Cyber threats work round the clock. Thus to improve protection in the world of today, cyber security must adopt the same attitude.
Meaning 9 to 5 cyber security just will not cut it.
A 24/7 SOC cyber security investment does more than provide precaution. It is a must for every organization.
