Open-Source Security Operations Center (SOC)

Alfred Basta, PhD, CCP (CMMC), CISM, CPENT, LPT, OSCP, PMP, CRTO, CHPSE, CRISC, CISA, CGEIT, CASP+, CYSA+, is a professor of mathematics, cryptography, and information security as well as a professional speaker on internet security, networking, and cryptography. He is a member of many associations, including ISACA, ECE, and the Mathematical Association of America. Dr. Basta’s other publications include Pen Testing from Contract to Report, Computer Security and Penetration Testing, Mathematics for Information Technology, Linux Operations and Administration, and Database Security. In addition, Dr. Basta is the chair of EC-Council’s CPENT Scheme Committee. He has worked as a faculty member and curriculum advisor for programming and cyber security programs at numerous colleges and universities. Nadine Basta, MSc., CEH, is a professor of computer science, cybersecurity, mathematics, and information technology. Her numerous certifications include CEH, MCSE, MSDBA, CCDP, NCSE, NCTE, and CCA. A security consultant and auditor, she combines strong “in the field” experience with her academic background. She is also the author of Computer Security and Penetration Testing, Mathematics for Information Technology, and Linux Operations and Administration. Nadine has extensive teaching and research experience in computer science and cybersecurity. Waqar Anwar is a Cybersecurity Curriculum Specialist with over 10 years of experience in the field. He also develops and delivers training to faculty and staff on cybersecurity topics and conducts research on cybersecurity topics. Mr. Anwar is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He is also a member of several cybersecurity organizations including SysAdmin, Audit, Network and Security SANS, CYBRARY, and Information Systems Security Association International ISSA. Mohammad Ilyas Essar is a Certified OSCP, CRTO, HTB CPTS, CASP+, PENTEST+, and CEH Master. He is currently employed as a Senior Cybersecurity Analyst in Canada. He is highly passionate and dedicated to the field of cybersecurity. With a solid career background in this domain, he brings five years of progressive experience spanning various domains. Ilyas specializes in Red Teaming, offensive security, and penetration testing, consistently achieving exceptional results. Ilyas is constantly driven to excel in his field, actively participating in Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions, where he dedicates a significant portion of his time to honing his skills as a Pentester and Red Teamer. He is also part of Synack Red Team, where he performs bug bounty hunting.

• Preface xiii1 Introduction to SOC Analysis 1Overview of Security Operations Centers (SOCs) 1Importance of SOC Analysis 1Objectives and Scope of the Book 2Structure of the Book 3Challenges in SOC 4SOC Roles and Responsibilities 6SOC Team Structure and Roles 7SOC Models and How to Choose 8Choosing the Right SOC Model 10Evaluate Where You Are 11Define the Business Objectives 12Designing an SOC 13Future Trends and Developments in SOCs 15SOC Challenges and Best Practices 16Best Practices for SOC Management 17Case Studies and Examples of Successful SOCs 18References 192 SOC Pillars 21Introduction 21Definition of SOC Pillars 21People 22Process 23Technology 25Data 26Importance of SOC Pillars in Cybersecurity 28Levels of SOC Analysts 28Processes 31Event Triage and Categorization/The Cyber Kill Chain in Practice 31Prioritization and Analysis/Know Your Network and All Its Assets 33Remediation and Recovery 34Assessment and Audit 34Threat Intelligence 34Threat Intelligence Types 35Threat Intelligence Approaches 36Threat Intelligence Advantages 36References 363 Security Incident Response 39The Incident Response Lifecycle 39Incident Handling and Investigation Techniques 40Post-incident Analysis: Learning from Experience to Strengthen Defenses 42The Importance of Information Sharing for Effective Incident Response 44Handling Advanced Persistent Threats and Complex Incidents 47Communication Strategies During and After Incidents 49Cross-functional Coordination in Incident Response 51Leveraging Technical Key Performance Indicators 53Navigating Incident Impacts Through Decisive Prioritization 55Adaptive Access Governance 56Maintaining Response Communications and Integrations 57Incident Response in Diverse IT Environments 58Addressing International and Jurisdictional Challenges in Incident Response 60Mental Health and Stress Management for SOC Analysts and Incident Responders 62Case Studies and Real-World Incident Analysis: A Crucial Practice for Enhancing Incident Response 63Analyzing the 2021 Microsoft Exchange Server Vulnerabilities 64References 644 Log and Event Analysis 67The Role of Log and Event Analysis in SOCs 67Advanced Log Analysis Techniques 70Detecting Anomalies and Patterns in Event Data 71Integrating Log Analysis with Other SOC Activities 72Enhancing Log Data Security and Integrity 80Reconstructing the Attack Chain 81Leveraging APIs for Advanced Threat Detection 83Cross-platform Log Analysis Challenges and Solutions 88Developing Skills in Log Analysis for SOC Analysts 90Spotting Cloud Cryptojacking 91Integration of Log Analysis with Threat Intelligence Platforms 93Evaluating Log Analysis Tools and Solutions 94Addressing the Volume, Velocity, and Variety of Log Data 95Building a Collaborative Environment for Log Analysis 96Democratized Threat Intelligence 97References 975 Network Traffic Analysis 99Traffic Segmentation and Normalization 99Threat Intelligence Integration 100Contextual Protocol Analysis 103Security Regression Testing 107Network-based Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (NIDS/NIPS) 109Vulnerability Validation 113Impact Examination 114Inspecting East–West Traffic 116Analyzing Jarring Signals 122Modeling Protocol Behaviors 125Utilizing Flow Data for Efficient Traffic Analysis 131Constructing an Implementation Roadmap 134Performance Optimization Techniques for Traffic Analysis Tools 134References 1366 Endpoint Analysis and Threat Hunting 139Understanding Endpoint Detection and Response Solutions 139Techniques in Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering 141Data and Asset-Focused Risk Models 144The Role of Behavioral Analytics in Endpoint Security 146Principles for Minimizing Endpoint Attack Surfaces 149Advanced Managed Endpoint Protection Services 154Adapting Monitoring Strategies to Fragmented Cloud Data Visibility 156Responding to Events at Scale 161Case Study: Financial Services Organization 167References 1687 Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) 169Fundamentals of SIEM Systems 169Distributed Processing 172Next-gen Use Cases 175Accelerated Threat Hunting 176Compliance and Regulatory Reporting with SIEM 178Infrastructure Management 181The Insider Threat Landscape 185SIEM Log Retention Strategies and Best Practices 187Automated Response and Remediation with SIEM 189Threat Hunting with SIEM: Techniques and Tools 191SIEM and the Integration of Threat Intelligence Feeds 193Common SIEM Capability Considerations 197Operational Requirements 199Comparing Commercial SIEM Providers 202Proof of Concept Technical Evaluations 203References 2048 Security Analytics and Machine Learning in SOC 207Behavioral Analytics and UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics) 209Machine Learning Algorithms Used in Security Analytics 211Challenges of Operationalizing Predictive Models 215Custom Machine Learning Models Versus Pre-built Analytics 217Optimizing SOC Processes with Orchestration Playbooks 219Anomaly Detection Techniques and Their Applications in SOC 220Investigative Analysis 223Challenges in Data Normalization and Integration 225References 2289 Incident Response Automation and Orchestration 231Introduction 231Evaluating the Impact of Automation in SOCs 233The Role of Playbooks in Incident Response Automation 235Threat-Specific Versus Generic Playbooks 237Automated Threat Intelligence Gathering and Application 240Automating Collection from Diverse Sources 241Measuring the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Automated Systems 245Critical Success Factors for High-Performance SOCs 246Improving SOC Performance 247Centralizing Cloud Data and Tooling 251Maintaining Compliance Through Automated Assurance 253Injecting Human-Centered Governance 255References 25610 SOC Metrics and Performance Measurement 259Introduction 259Core Areas for SOC Metrics 259Advancing Cyber Resilience with Insights 261Performance Measurement 265Utilizing Automation for Real-Time Metrics Tracking 266Anomaly Detection 267Integrating Customer Feedback into Performance Measurement 268Metrics for Evaluating Incident Response Effectiveness 270Assessing SOC Team Well-being and Workload Balance 271Skills Investment Gap Assessment 272Financial Metrics for Evaluating SOC Cost Efficiency and Value 274Metrics for Measuring Compliance and Regulatory Alignment 276Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 279Strategies for Addressing Common SOC Performance Challenges 280Future Trends in SOC Metrics and Performance Evaluation 289Unifying Metrics for Holistic SOC Insights 292References 29211 Compliance and Regulatory Considerations in SOC 295Introduction 295Regulatory Challenges Across Geographies 297Just-in-Time Security Orchestration 298Managing Incident Responses in a Regulatory Environment 303Healthcare Data Breaches 305Financial Services Data Security 306Energy and Utility Incident Response 306Future Trajectories 307Continuous Incident Readiness Assessments 307Integrating Compliance Requirements into SOC Policies and Procedures 308Unified GRC Dashboard Visibility 310Open Banking Third-Party Risk Mitigations 311The Role of SIEM in Achieving and Demonstrating Compliance 313Emerging Technology Compliance Gap Forecasting 316Crown Jewels Risk Assessments 319Navigating International Compliance and Data Sovereignty Laws 321The Impact of Emerging Regulations 322Case Studies: SOC Adaptations 323NIS Directive Response Planning 324References 32612 Cloud Security and SOC Operations 327Introduction 327Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) Integration with SOC 330Continuous Compliance Monitoring 332Container Sandboxing 334Compliance Validation and Drift Detection 336Centralizing IAM Across Hybrid and Multicloud Deployments 337Data and Key Management for Encryption 339Preserving Recoverability and Governance 340Securing Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud Environments 342Establishing a Root of Trust Across Fragmented Cloud Key Infrastructures 343Mapping Dependency Context Across Managed Cloud Services 345Best Practices for Cloud Incident Response Planning 347Remediating Drift through Policy as Code Frameworks 349The Role of APIs in Cloud Security and SOC Operations 352Applying Machine Learning Models to API Data 353Innovating Detection and Response Capabilities Purpose Built for Cloud 355Future Trends in Cloud Security and Implications for SOCs 358References 35913 Threat Intelligence and Advanced Threat Hunting 361Advanced Threat-hunting Methodologies 364Lifecycle Intelligence for Automated Response 366Operationalizing Threat Intelligence for Proactive Defense 368The Importance of Context in Actionable Threat Intelligence 370Threat Intelligence Sharing Platforms and Alliances 372Estimating Campaign Impacts Optimizing Investment Prioritization 375Applying Generative Analytics for Incident Discovery 377Techniques for Effective Threat Hunting in the Cloud 379Behavioral Analytics for Detecting Insider Threats 382Developing Skills and Competencies in Threat Hunting 384Codify Analytic Techniques Targeting Specific IoCs 388Case Studies: Successful Threat Intelligence and Hunting Operations 390References 39314 Emerging Trends and the Future of SOC Analysis 395Introduction 395Emerging Trends and the Future of SOC Analysis 395The Impact of Cloud Security on SOC Operations 397Predicting Future Directions in SOC Analysis 398The Rise of Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) 400Blockchain Technology for Enhanced Security Measures 403Zero-trust Security Model and SOC Adaptation 406Enhancing SOC Capabilities with Augmented and Virtual Reality 407The Impact of 5G Technology on Cybersecurity Practices 408Post-Quantum Cryptography 411Financial Sector Complexity 414Anatomy of Modern APTs 414Deception Techniques 416The Future Role of Human Analysts in Increasingly Automated SOCs 417Tiered Analyst Workforce 418References 41915 Cybersecurity Awareness and Training in SOC Operations 421Designing Effective Cybersecurity Training Programs for SOC Teams 423Role of Continuous Education in Enhancing SOC Capabilities 425Case Studies: Impact of Training on Incident Response and Management 426Implementing Continuous Feedback Loops 428The Evolving Role of SOCs 431Gamification for Engagement 433The Impact of Remote Work on Cybersecurity Training and Awareness 437Future Trends in Cybersecurity Training and Awareness for SOCs 439References 441Index 443