As technology continually evolves and improves, so do cyber threats. Businesses now face increased pressure to protect their data, customer information, and more. Malicious entities have the ability to affect an organization’s ability to operate, reputation, customer trust and loyalty, and more.
Against this backdrop, security operations have become extremely crucial. Strong security operation processes and centers can avoid data breaches, penalties, fines, and financial losses and ensure adherence to compliance regulations. For many organizations, regardless of their industry, Security Operations Centers (SOCs) can also be valuable tools in managing and mitigating cybersecurity risks.
SOCs, as a service, monitor threats in real-time and allow businesses to take coordinated measures to respond to incidents. This article will delve into what security operations are, the importance of security operations centers, their functions, and more.
What are Security Operations (SecOps)?
Security operations, often referred to as SecOps, are the process of combining IT operations with internal information security practices. The purpose is to reduce risks and improve communication and collaboration between these teams. Traditionally, many organizations security operations and IT processes were discrete functions that were to be handled by independent organizations. However, this often caused bottlenecks in security operations, making them inefficient and dysfunctional.
This was often because SecOps and IT teams usually had very different objectives, which tended to clash. For example, IT operation teams typically focus on improving information technology services, optimizing system performance, and more. In contrast, security teams focus on defending an organization’s data and infrastructure against cybersecurity threats, malicious attacks, and compliance with international and national regulations.
Security operations developed as a way to curb tensions between these two teams. SecOps integrates security operations directly into IT processes and infrastructure, making cyber security operations, risk mitigation, and protection a joint responsibility. IT and security professionals work side-by-side to protect your organization without impeding business operations.
SOC As a Service
A SOC, or Security Operations Center, is the center of an organization’s cybersecurity efforts. This centralized facility or team monitors and investigates your company’s IT processes and infrastructure. This includes any devices, networks, data storage, and servers. This operations center is also responsible for deciding how to deal with security issues and manage security processes. They are active around the clock.
Some crucial functions include:
- Monitoring assets like personnel data, intellectual property, and brand integrity
- Coordinating the monitoring, assessment, and defense against cyber security threats
- Identify suspicious activity and potential breaches
- Responding to threats and restoring any compromised systems
They incorporate a variety of systems, including risk and compliance, vulnerability assessment, governance, threat intelligence platforms (TIP), and more.
What Do Security Operations Cover?
Security operations and SOCs cover a wide array of essential tasks. These include:
1. Handle Assets
SOCs are responsible for safeguarding any devices, applications, or tools. They utilize a variety of defensive tools to ensure this. They are, therefore, responsible for both of these assets (the devices they protect and the tools they use to do it).
They aim to gain a complete view of an organization’s threat landscape. This includes servers, software, and endpoints on the company’s premises. They also investigate third-party services and the movement of data between these assets.
2. Prevent Attacks
To prevent malicious entities from accessing sensitive data and other cyber security attacks, SOCs take preventative measures. They research new security innovations, the latest trends in the world of cybercrime, and any new threats. This research helps organizations to create a roadmap to provide direction for future cybersecurity efforts. It also helps create recovery plans in the event of security disasters.
Apart from preparing for future threats, SOCs also take preventative measures to make it more difficult for malicious entities to access your systems. Cybercriminals are also constantly improving and refining their tactics.
To stay ahead of them, SOCs implement continuous improvements to their measures. This includes regularly maintaining and updating existing systems, finding and patching gaps, updating firewalls, securing applications, and more.
3. Regularly Monitor Threats
One of the most important functions of security operations teams and SOCs is to continuously monitor and flag any suspicious activity. This 24/7 monitoring allows SOCs to be notified of threats immediately and will enable them to address them before they become more serious.
The monitoring process also involves analyzing each threat and discarding any false notifications, determining the threat level of each notification, and more. This also allows teams to prioritize threats and handle the most urgent cases first.
4. Respond to Threats
Another vital role the SOC plays is to respond to threats as and when they occur. They are like the first line of defense, or first responders, to any incident. When a potential threat is confirmed, the SOC will isolate or shut down endpoints, delete fuels, prevent harmful processes, etc. Their primary goal is to respond to any threats without getting in the way of business operations.
5. Maintain Compliance
SOCs also ensure that businesses adhere to compliance regulations. In fact, many of the SOC processes are governed by national and international compliance laws. To maintain compliance, SOCs must perform regular system audits (internally or externally) and ensure all of their systems and processes are compliant. These regulations (such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO, and GDPR) help protect sensitive data and prevent legal fines, penalties, and reputation.
6. Recovery and Remediation and Root Cause Analysis
Following an incident, SOCs try to restore any compromised system, recover data, and more. Depending on the incident, this might involve reconfiguring systems, wiping or restarting endpoints, implementing backups, and more. If successful, these steps can restore networks to their original state.
After responding to an event, SOCs first perform a root cause analysis. This is one to determine how, when, and why an incident happened and trace the underlying causes of a problem. This allows them to address gaps and prevent similar problems from occurring again.
Wrapping Up
Security operations and centers are the backbone of an organization’s safety and security operations. They ensure companies do not succumb to today’s ever-increasing cyber security threats, data breaches, system failures, and other safety-related incidents.
Implementing Information Security Management System Software, or ISMS software, is a helpful way to improve security measures. If you are looking for a sound security management system, consider Effivity. Our ISMS is tailored to navigate the complex digital landscape. It allows for smoother risk management and offers a comprehensive defense against digital threats, allowing organizations to safeguard their data and comply with ISO 27001:2022.
To learn more, visit Effivity’s website today!
