SecOps is short for security operations. It refers to the part of a business responsible for making digital operations as secure as possible.

SecOps divisions are cyber security specialists.

A SOC analyst is someone responsible for analysing data and systems gathered by a security operations center.

A SOC analyst will use their conclusions to implement changes or developments in the environment which they are responsible for securing.

The main advantage of using an MSSP as a small retailer is that your data will be more secure and in the event of a breach, your business operations will be much less effected if a business continuity plan is implemented.

Theft of data can be crippling for a small retailer. If customer data falls in to the wrong hands, you are liable. Liability could lead to legal action and, ultimately, the foreclosure of your business.

If a cyber attack causes serious disruption to your business and, for example, renders critical systems in your business inoperable, you are left with no choice but to cease trading. In turn, you are losing out the revenue that you could have gained on those days whilst still paying staff and overheads.

It is therefore recommended that a small retailer at the very least consults an MSSP for advice on how to secure their business.

The primary goal of a security operations center is to reduce the attack surface of an organisation.

A security operations center (SOC) does this by monitoring vulnerabilities and patching them where possible, hunting for threats in the network, implementing and configuring tools such as SIEM and SOAR tools, and responding to security events.

A playbook is a set of steps for a SOC to follow in response to a threat. A playbook can be fed in to a SOAR tool so that response to malicious activity is automated.

EDR systems have the ability to automatically detect suspicious activity and remediate the issue. Specifically, they focus on endpoints so that an organisation’s devices remain secure.

Capabilities of endpoint detection and response tools include vulnerability remediation, remote command, and reporting. EDR can also be used to refer to the service provided by a security operations center (SOC) that keeps endpoints secure.

The term SIEM stands for Security Incident and Event Management.

A SOC is a group of security analysts working together to protect a client environment. A SIEM (security incident and event management) is a tool that collates data from multiple clients.

A SOC can use information from a SIEM to effectively respond to suspicious activity and secure the network or endpoint.

A SOC should monitor network activity (including clients on the network), web traffic, vulnerabilities, and environments such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

Monitoring these areas effectively with the correct tools can greatly reduce the attack surface of an organisation.

A security operations center oversees and manages the cyber security for an organisation.

Security operations centers (SOCs) are responsible for activities such as incident response, managed detection and response, patching, and threat hunting. More often than not, an organisation will use a third party SOC as it is more cost-effective than hiring personnel in-house.