Organizations of all sizes face increasing challenges in securing their networks and sensitive data due to the relentless growth of information and the surge in cyber threats. Despite having effective security tools, a recent study conducted by Sapio Research with 2,000 IT security analysts reveals that three-quarters lack complete visibility into their environments. This blog post explores the top cybersecurity priorities for and provides insights on operationalizing Security Operation Centers (SOCs) for proactive threat detection and response.
1. Addressing the Data Deluge
Organizations deal with mammoth amounts of data from various security devices, making it challenging for analysts to maintain complete visibility. The study indicates that 97% of SOC analysts worry about missing relevant security events buried under a flood of alerts. Additionally, 83% of alerts are false positives, contributing to alert fatigue. This situation is not only untenable for organizational security but also takes a toll on SOC analysts.
2. Planning for Success
Operationalizing a SOC requires meticulous planning. Determining the number of people needed for investigating alerts and identifying qualified individuals to respond to true incidents is paramount. With an average enterprise SOC receiving 4,484 alerts per day, manual operations become impractical. Considering a hybrid approach, incorporating in-house and outsourced resources. The choice of tools, such as Microsoft Sentinel, is crucial for success.
3. Defining Objectives and Gap Assessments
Understanding the overall objectives of the SOC, such as achieving mean-time-to-detect (MTTD) and mean-time-to-recover (MTTR), is critical. Conduct gap assessments to identify missing security logs and data to enhance detection capabilities. Gradual, iterative approaches are recommended to build team morale and effectiveness.
4. Using Playbook to Define High Fidelity Alerts
Playbooks are crucial to achieve full remediation. They enable consistent and effective management of processes, allowing analysts to categorize and respond to alerts based on criticality. You can use Microsoft Sentinel’s capabilities to build SOAR playbooks for more efficient SOC operations.
5. Continuous Improvement and Precision
To combat alert fatigue, employ continuous tuning to reduce false positives. Build watch lists, whitelists, define thresholds, and baselines to streamline processes. The importance of establishing watch lists and whitelists to manage high-criticality events and normal events in the environment can’t be stressed enough.
6. Proactive SOC for Future Challenges
Operationalizing a SOC for continuous improvement is essential to combat data growth, alert volume, and persistent adversaries. Take a proactive approach leverage tools like Microsoft Sentinel, which enables the incorporation of log source data, provides playbooks, automates responses, and utilizes machine learning for pattern analysis.
In conclusion, organizations must navigate the challenges of data growth and cybersecurity threats by operationalizing their SOC. Planning, defining objectives, building high-fidelity alerts, and continuous improvement are key strategies that can help you do this. By leveraging tools like Microsoft Sentinel and considering cybersecurity partnerships with managed security services providers, you can enhance their cybersecurity posture in the future.
Ready for more tips on how to operationalize your SOC and optimize Sentinel? Download the eBook here.
Source: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/20/soc-analysts-tools-effectiveness/
