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 xiii

1 Introduction to SOC Analysis 1

Overview of Security Operations Centers (SOCs) 1

Importance of SOC Analysis 1

Objectives and Scope of the Book 2

Structure of the Book 3

Challenges in SOC 4

SOC Roles and Responsibilities 6

SOC Team Structure and Roles 7

SOC Models and How to Choose 8

Choosing the Right SOC Model 10

Evaluate Where You Are 11

Define the Business Objectives 12

Designing an SOC 13

Future Trends and Developments in SOCs 15

SOC Challenges and Best Practices 16

Best Practices for SOC Management 17

Case Studies and Examples of Successful SOCs 18

References 19

2 SOC Pillars 21

Introduction 21

Definition of SOC Pillars 21

People 22

Process 23

Technology 25

Data 26

Importance of SOC Pillars in Cybersecurity 28

Levels of SOC Analysts 28

Processes 31

Event Triage and Categorization/The Cyber Kill Chain in Practice 31

Prioritization and Analysis/Know Your Network and All Its Assets 33

Remediation and Recovery 34

Assessment and Audit 34

Threat Intelligence 34

Threat Intelligence Types 35

Threat Intelligence Approaches 36

Threat Intelligence Advantages 36

References 36

3 Security Incident Response 39

The Incident Response Lifecycle 39

Incident Handling and Investigation Techniques 40

Post-incident Analysis: Learning from Experience to Strengthen Defenses 42

The Importance of Information Sharing for Effective Incident Response 44

Handling Advanced Persistent Threats and Complex Incidents 47

Communication Strategies During and After Incidents 49

Cross-functional Coordination in Incident Response 51

Leveraging Technical Key Performance Indicators 53

Navigating Incident Impacts Through Decisive Prioritization 55

Adaptive Access Governance 56

Maintaining Response Communications and Integrations 57

Incident Response in Diverse IT Environments 58

Addressing International and Jurisdictional Challenges in Incident Response 60

Mental Health and Stress Management for SOC Analysts and Incident Responders 62

Case Studies and Real-World Incident Analysis: A Crucial Practice for Enhancing Incident Response 63

Analyzing the 2021 Microsoft Exchange Server Vulnerabilities 64

References 64

4 Log and Event Analysis 67

The Role of Log and Event Analysis in SOCs 67

Advanced Log Analysis Techniques 70

Detecting Anomalies and Patterns in Event Data 71

Integrating Log Analysis with Other SOC Activities 72

Enhancing Log Data Security and Integrity 80

Reconstructing the Attack Chain 81

Leveraging APIs for Advanced Threat Detection 83

Cross-platform Log Analysis Challenges and Solutions 88

Developing Skills in Log Analysis for SOC Analysts 90

Spotting Cloud Cryptojacking 91

Integration of Log Analysis with Threat Intelligence Platforms 93

Evaluating Log Analysis Tools and Solutions 94

Addressing the Volume, Velocity, and Variety of Log Data 95

Building a Collaborative Environment for Log Analysis 96

Democratized Threat Intelligence 97

References 97

5 Network Traffic Analysis 99

Traffic Segmentation and Normalization 99

Threat Intelligence Integration 100

Contextual Protocol Analysis 103

Security Regression Testing 107

Network-based Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (NIDS/NIPS) 109

Vulnerability Validation 113

Impact Examination 114

Inspecting East–West Traffic 116

Analyzing Jarring Signals 122

Modeling Protocol Behaviors 125

Utilizing Flow Data for Efficient Traffic Analysis 131

Constructing an Implementation Roadmap 134

Performance Optimization Techniques for Traffic Analysis Tools 134

References 136

6 Endpoint Analysis and Threat Hunting 139

Understanding Endpoint Detection and Response Solutions 139

Techniques in Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering 141

Data and Asset-Focused Risk Models 144

The Role of Behavioral Analytics in Endpoint Security 146

Principles for Minimizing Endpoint Attack Surfaces 149

Advanced Managed Endpoint Protection Services 154

Adapting Monitoring Strategies to Fragmented Cloud Data Visibility 156

Responding to Events at Scale 161

Case Study: Financial Services Organization 167

References 168

7 Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) 169

Fundamentals of SIEM Systems 169

Distributed Processing 172

Next-gen Use Cases 175

Accelerated Threat Hunting 176

Compliance and Regulatory Reporting with SIEM 178

Infrastructure Management 181

The Insider Threat Landscape 185

SIEM Log Retention Strategies and Best Practices 187

Automated Response and Remediation with SIEM 189

Threat Hunting with SIEM: Techniques and Tools 191

SIEM and the Integration of Threat Intelligence Feeds 193

Common SIEM Capability Considerations 197

Operational Requirements 199

Comparing Commercial SIEM Providers 202

Proof of Concept Technical Evaluations 203

References 204

8 Security Analytics and Machine Learning in SOC 207

Behavioral Analytics and UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics) 209

Machine Learning Algorithms Used in Security Analytics 211

Challenges of Operationalizing Predictive Models 215

Custom Machine Learning Models Versus Pre-built Analytics 217

Optimizing SOC Processes with Orchestration Playbooks 219

Anomaly Detection Techniques and Their Applications in SOC 220

Investigative Analysis 223

Challenges in Data Normalization and Integration 225

References 228

9 Incident Response Automation and Orchestration 231

Introduction 231

Evaluating the Impact of Automation in SOCs 233

The Role of Playbooks in Incident Response Automation 235

Threat-Specific Versus Generic Playbooks 237

Automated Threat Intelligence Gathering and Application 240

Automating Collection from Diverse Sources 241

Measuring the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Automated Systems 245

Critical Success Factors for High-Performance SOCs 246

Improving SOC Performance 247

Centralizing Cloud Data and Tooling 251

Maintaining Compliance Through Automated Assurance 253

Injecting Human-Centered Governance 255

References 256

10 SOC Metrics and Performance Measurement 259

Introduction 259

Core Areas for SOC Metrics 259

Advancing Cyber Resilience with Insights 261

Performance Measurement 265

Utilizing Automation for Real-Time Metrics Tracking 266

Anomaly Detection 267

Integrating Customer Feedback into Performance Measurement 268

Metrics for Evaluating Incident Response Effectiveness 270

Assessing SOC Team Well-being and Workload Balance 271

Skills Investment Gap Assessment 272

Financial Metrics for Evaluating SOC Cost Efficiency and Value 274

Metrics for Measuring Compliance and Regulatory Alignment 276

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 279

Strategies for Addressing Common SOC Performance Challenges 280

Future Trends in SOC Metrics and Performance Evaluation 289

Unifying Metrics for Holistic SOC Insights 292

References 292

11 Compliance and Regulatory Considerations in SOC 295

Introduction 295

Regulatory Challenges Across Geographies 297

Just-in-Time Security Orchestration 298

Managing Incident Responses in a Regulatory Environment 303

Healthcare Data Breaches 305

Financial Services Data Security 306

Energy and Utility Incident Response 306

Future Trajectories 307

Continuous Incident Readiness Assessments 307

Integrating Compliance Requirements into SOC Policies and Procedures 308

Unified GRC Dashboard Visibility 310

Open Banking Third-Party Risk Mitigations 311

The Role of SIEM in Achieving and Demonstrating Compliance 313

Emerging Technology Compliance Gap Forecasting 316

Crown Jewels Risk Assessments 319

Navigating International Compliance and Data Sovereignty Laws 321

The Impact of Emerging Regulations 322

Case Studies: SOC Adaptations 323

NIS Directive Response Planning 324

References 326

12 Cloud Security and SOC Operations 327

Introduction 327

Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) Integration with SOC 330

Continuous Compliance Monitoring 332

Container Sandboxing 334

Compliance Validation and Drift Detection 336

Centralizing IAM Across Hybrid and Multicloud Deployments 337

Data and Key Management for Encryption 339

Preserving Recoverability and Governance 340

Securing Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud Environments 342

Establishing a Root of Trust Across Fragmented Cloud Key Infrastructures 343

Mapping Dependency Context Across Managed Cloud Services 345

Best Practices for Cloud Incident Response Planning 347

Remediating Drift through Policy as Code Frameworks 349

The Role of APIs in Cloud Security and SOC Operations 352

Applying Machine Learning Models to API Data 353

Innovating Detection and Response Capabilities Purpose Built for Cloud 355

Future Trends in Cloud Security and Implications for SOCs 358

References 359

13 Threat Intelligence and Advanced Threat Hunting 361

Advanced Threat-hunting Methodologies 364

Lifecycle Intelligence for Automated Response 366

Operationalizing Threat Intelligence for Proactive Defense 368

The Importance of Context in Actionable Threat Intelligence 370

Threat Intelligence Sharing Platforms and Alliances 372

Estimating Campaign Impacts Optimizing Investment Prioritization 375

Applying Generative Analytics for Incident Discovery 377

Techniques for Effective Threat Hunting in the Cloud 379

Behavioral Analytics for Detecting Insider Threats 382

Developing Skills and Competencies in Threat Hunting 384

Codify Analytic Techniques Targeting Specific IoCs 388

Case Studies: Successful Threat Intelligence and Hunting Operations 390

References 393

14 Emerging Trends and the Future of SOC Analysis 395

Introduction 395

Emerging Trends and the Future of SOC Analysis 395

The Impact of Cloud Security on SOC Operations 397

Predicting Future Directions in SOC Analysis 398

The Rise of Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) 400

Blockchain Technology for Enhanced Security Measures 403

Zero-trust Security Model and SOC Adaptation 406

Enhancing SOC Capabilities with Augmented and Virtual Reality 407

The Impact of 5G Technology on Cybersecurity Practices 408

Post-Quantum Cryptography 411

Financial Sector Complexity 414

Anatomy of Modern APTs 414

Deception Techniques 416

The Future Role of Human Analysts in Increasingly Automated SOCs 417

Tiered Analyst Workforce 418

References 419

15 Cybersecurity Awareness and Training in SOC Operations 421

Designing Effective Cybersecurity Training Programs for SOC Teams 423

Role of Continuous Education in Enhancing SOC Capabilities 425

Case Studies: Impact of Training on Incident Response and Management 426

Implementing Continuous Feedback Loops 428

The Evolving Role of SOCs 431

Gamification for Engagement 433

The Impact of Remote Work on Cybersecurity Training and Awareness 437

Future Trends in Cybersecurity Training and Awareness for SOCs 439

References 441

Index 443