Evolving Role of SOCs in Efficient Cybersecurity Management in Enterprises
Mohit Kalra having completed his engineering degree in Computer Science from Hindu College of Engineering, Mohit is seasoned technology professional with over two decades of experience across diverse cybersecurity related areas such as Security Assurance, Risk Mana- gement, Security Awareness, ISO Audit, Third Party Risk Assessment, Architecture Assessment, and Firewalls, IPS, to name a few. Prior to joining ORIX in 2020, he was associated with companies such as RattanIndia Fin- ance, GENPACT, Orange Business Services and Wipro.
In today’s hyper-competitive and dynamic business landscape, time-to-market is one of the primary factors that decides the success or failure of an organization. Thus, it is very much essential for organizations to ensure that security won't cause any hindrance or setbacks to their daily functions. For this, they must conduct periodic testing assessments, identify potential risks/vulnerabilities and take necessary actions to make those areas more secure. This is the basic data security hygiene that every CISO must ensure in their respective organizations if they wish to implement advanced tools & technologies such as automation in an efficient and secure way.
Importance of Automating the Security Measures
In terms of data security and privacy too, automation is witnessing widespread adoption and is acting as the key enabler. For instance, updating the antivirus is no more a regular task; it must be automated at all times and done through cloud. Also, antivirus patching for both systems and the application must be automated. The policies which we create pertaining to antivirus and the actions that we take related to it must be dynamic. To summarize, security is no more a task that must be done manually, making it a norm for organizations to integrate automation technologies into their security functions. Some of the other key practices that organizations must have in place to have an automated data security is to have an efficient server handling process, having stringent data leakage prevention policies across all types of devices, having control at the server level, and filtering every single email as per the company’s policies irrespective of its point of origin. Furthermore, having MDM solutions in place will prevent people from being able to download the official information and share it to other entities over any channels.
Strategic Approach to Advanced Security Operations Centers
Automated log monitoring through well connected Security Operations Center (SOC) is the need of the hour, wherein the SOC should be getting access to every single log from across all devices that are connected to the enterprise network. If you are an SMB or a company operating in the banking or NBFC sector where you don’t have the liberty of working round the clock, you can also outsource your SOC to a third-party organization which is a subject matter expert in this matter. Another key benefit of outsourcing the SOC operations is that it costs very less compared to having your own in-house SOC, which will significantly reduce the operational costs for the organization. Also, regular exercise of access control, privilege ID management, generic ID identification, conducting monthly phishing tests & incident simulations, and applying ownership & accountability with all personnel are some of a few other practices organizations can implement to enhance the efficiency of their SOCs.
Organizations must conduct an internal audit covering the entire company before the external auditors’ visit and check the proper functioning of every single controls and process. Also, the SOC must keep a check on the recent threat vectors, the kind of threats that are posing serious risks, and similar other critical aspects. Lastly, it is paramount for the organization to have continuous learning and awareness of the latest information security related developments globally.
"Automated log monitoring through well connected Security Operations Center (SOC) is the need of the hour, wherein the SOC should be getting access to every single log from across all devices that are connected to the enterprise network"
Staying Updated with Latest Trends & Technologies
With the help of connected SOCs, companies are sharing the use cases with each other pertaining to security. Professionals must pay close attention to latest developments in the market and stay well connected within the industry groups. Also, they must try to be a part of every CIO and CISO groups so that information pertaining to the latest market dynamics reaches you at the earliest. This will help the cybersecurity professionals to accordingly modify their organization’s security measures and suggest their SOC to look into the recent developments as well. Additionally, attending various industry-related conferences, seminars and workshops will also the professionals immensely in staying abreast of the latest industry trends and technologies.
In today’s hyper-competitive and dynamic business landscape, time-to-market is one of the primary factors that decides the success or failure of an organization. Thus, it is very much essential for organizations to ensure that security won't cause any hindrance or setbacks to their daily functions. For this, they must conduct periodic testing assessments, identify potential risks/vulnerabilities and take necessary actions to make those areas more secure. This is the basic data security hygiene that every CISO must ensure in their respective organizations if they wish to implement advanced tools & technologies such as automation in an efficient and secure way.
Outsourcing the SOC operations costs very less compared to having your own in-house SOC, which will significantly reduce the operational costs for the organization
Importance of Automating the Security Measures
In terms of data security and privacy too, automation is witnessing widespread adoption and is acting as the key enabler. For instance, updating the antivirus is no more a regular task; it must be automated at all times and done through cloud. Also, antivirus patching for both systems and the application must be automated. The policies which we create pertaining to antivirus and the actions that we take related to it must be dynamic. To summarize, security is no more a task that must be done manually, making it a norm for organizations to integrate automation technologies into their security functions. Some of the other key practices that organizations must have in place to have an automated data security is to have an efficient server handling process, having stringent data leakage prevention policies across all types of devices, having control at the server level, and filtering every single email as per the company’s policies irrespective of its point of origin. Furthermore, having MDM solutions in place will prevent people from being able to download the official information and share it to other entities over any channels.
Strategic Approach to Advanced Security Operations Centers
Automated log monitoring through well connected Security Operations Center (SOC) is the need of the hour, wherein the SOC should be getting access to every single log from across all devices that are connected to the enterprise network. If you are an SMB or a company operating in the banking or NBFC sector where you don’t have the liberty of working round the clock, you can also outsource your SOC to a third-party organization which is a subject matter expert in this matter. Another key benefit of outsourcing the SOC operations is that it costs very less compared to having your own in-house SOC, which will significantly reduce the operational costs for the organization. Also, regular exercise of access control, privilege ID management, generic ID identification, conducting monthly phishing tests & incident simulations, and applying ownership & accountability with all personnel are some of a few other practices organizations can implement to enhance the efficiency of their SOCs.
Organizations must conduct an internal audit covering the entire company before the external auditors’ visit and check the proper functioning of every single controls and process. Also, the SOC must keep a check on the recent threat vectors, the kind of threats that are posing serious risks, and similar other critical aspects. Lastly, it is paramount for the organization to have continuous learning and awareness of the latest information security related developments globally.
"Automated log monitoring through well connected Security Operations Center (SOC) is the need of the hour, wherein the SOC should be getting access to every single log from across all devices that are connected to the enterprise network"
Staying Updated with Latest Trends & Technologies
With the help of connected SOCs, companies are sharing the use cases with each other pertaining to security. Professionals must pay close attention to latest developments in the market and stay well connected within the industry groups. Also, they must try to be a part of every CIO and CISO groups so that information pertaining to the latest market dynamics reaches you at the earliest. This will help the cybersecurity professionals to accordingly modify their organization’s security measures and suggest their SOC to look into the recent developments as well. Additionally, attending various industry-related conferences, seminars and workshops will also the professionals immensely in staying abreast of the latest industry trends and technologies.
