This article is part of an IT Career News series called Your Next Move. These articles take an inside look at the roles related to CompTIA certifications. Each article will include the responsibilities, qualifications, related job titles and salary range for the role. As you consider the next move in your IT career, check back with CompTIA to learn more about your job prospects and how to get there.
If you are good in a crisis and have the drive to scope out technological crimes and cyber incidents, then being a security operations center (SOC) analyst could be the right job for you.
What is a Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst?
Similar to cybersecurity analysts, SOC analysts are the first responders to cyber incidents. They report cyber threats and then implement changes to protect an organization.
Job duties include:
- Providing threat and vulnerability analysis
- Investigating, documenting and reporting on information security issues and emerging trends
- Analyzing and responding to previously undisclosed software and hardware vulnerabilities
- Preparing organizational disaster recovery plans
Whereas a cybersecurity analyst may be the only cybersecurity professional at an organization, SOC analysts are generally part of a large security operations team. The SOC analyst role is the last line of defense against cybercriminals. Without them, hackers and other cyber criminals may never be found.
SOC analysts work alongside with cybersecurity engineers and security managers and most likely report to a chief information security officer (CISO).
A SOC analyst must have a steady and unshakable eye for detail, as they have to monitor many things at once. They must watch and respond to a number of threats, and there may be different levels of responsibilities depending on how big the company is and how many SOC analyst’s it employs. From monitoring to reacting, a SOC analyst’s day is rarely the same from one to the next.
How to Become a Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst
Most companies hiring a SOC analyst are looking for someone with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity or a related field. Many SOC analysts previously worked as network or systems administrators.
A certification like CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) can help you gain the skills you need to become a SOC analyst. Check out the CompTIA Career Roadmap to see what other certifications relate to cybersecurity jobs.
The Details
SOC Analyst Salary Range
The median annual wage for information security analysts is $99,730 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Job Titles Related to SOC Analyst
- Threat intelligence analyst
- Vulnerability analyst
- Cybersecurity analyst
- Information security analyst or administrator
- Security administrator
Will your next move be security operations center analyst? If so, check out the CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway to get the skills to get you there.
2 comments
Hi Akhilesh, Thank you for your question and for reading the blog article. I received an answer to y
Hi Akhilesh, Thank you for your question and for reading the blog article. I received an answer to your question from Dr. James Stanger, CompTIA's Chief Technology Evangelist. "Anyone who is interested in cybersecurity can become a cybersecurity professional and work, let's say, in a SOC analyst position. All you have to do is make sure that you do two things to prepare: First, leverage your existing experience and education levels. Second, focus on the skills required for the SOC analyst job role. First, when it comes to leveraging your experience, you've got a fantastic start. An MBA in information systems can be a major step in the right direction. SOC analysts spend time looking for trends, anomalies. They investigate, prioritize, and then document issues, sending reports to the right people in the organization. In many ways, you've been trained for very similar activities in your MBA program. Your program has likely trained you to have a sharp eye for detail, and the ability to monitor information from many resources. Add to this set of skills your previous work history, experience working with people in either paid or volunteer positions, and it's likely you're a terrific candidate. It's easy for people to discount their personal history, culture, and approaches when it comes to any job. That's a mistake, and especially so for a typical SOC analyst position. Second, I would make sure that you possess the technical and "career/soft/power" skills that will help you be recognized and then thrive as a SOC analyst. One thing I would look into are some of the technical responsibilities and requirements typically found in the role. For example, do you have a strong understanding of how today's modern end points work (e.g., IoT, mobile phones, notebook computers)? How well do you understand networking protocols. Most importantly, how well do you understand the hacker lifecycle (e.g., the ATT&CK model, the Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain), and how specific attacks work (e.g,. buffer overflow, DDoS, man in the middle)? Find out more about the job requirements in this role, and then focus on ways you can get more hands-on skills in those areas. It could be that you're ready to go in this area. Or, it might be that you'll need to get a few additional skills by taking, say, Security+ and/or CySA+. Or, you may find that you need to hone your tech skills a bit more by getting Network+ certified, or to learn more about end points by getting A+ under your belt. A good way to figure some of this out further is to take a look at the cybersecurity pathway: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/which-certification. This pathway, or an equivalent that is generated by industry professionals, would be a great way to make sure you have all of the right technical skills. And don't forget about important soft/power/employment skills, such as time management, writing, and working in teams. Don't worry too much if a particular job posting that you read lists too many skills; just focus on your overall preparedness as a SOC analyst (or other security job role), and then go in confident that you have the right background and current skills knowledge, and you'll eventually get that gig."Read full commentI have done MBA in information system. and done graduation in commerce. can I go for SOC analyst job
I have done MBA in information system. and done graduation in commerce. can I go for SOC analyst job ?Read full comment