Cyber Security Operations Center Analyst
Introduction
Cyber Security Operations Center Analyst is responsible for monitoring the network security within an organization or with a client. This individual needs to have an extensive understanding of network protocols and infrastructure, experience with the tools of root cause analysis, and competence with troubleshooting.
Analysts need to have the desire and ability to learn new skills. They, therefore, have to keep their ears to the ground on any developments in their field. Professionals must be ready to work in a 24x7 environment to monitor the networks for security issues. They need to be thoroughly aware of information security principles and best practices. They should be capable of prioritizing workloads and know when to seek guidance from their seniors.
Job Description & Responsibilities
Analysts use log analysis toolsets to monitor the network for glitches, perform scanning to identify vulnerabilities, undertake threat intelligence, and respond to security incidents. They use Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) toolsets to check for any cyber-crimes. Analysts document all inspection activity in the ticketing systems and follow it up with appropriate support teams. They prioritize issues to the security operations center (SOC) and ensure that they are being investigated.
Analysts develop and maintain documentation and processes of the SOC team. They perform material analysis on discs, memory, and other network and system devices to identify signs of malicious activity. Analysts diagnose and tweak security alerts and interpret events. They also develop new alerts based on signatures and behavior.
Analysts examine and document loopholes in event data, controls, and work with respective teams to fix them. They develop monthly reports on incidents and response capabilities and interact with team leaders to address threats and issues.
Associates take part in the planning and design of security architecture of an organization under the direction of the cybersecurity leadership when necessary. They create security documents, including policies, procedures, standards, and strategies. Analysts plan and design both business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
Associates suggest security solutions or improvements to existing security solutions for enhancing the entire security of an organization or a client. They deploy, integrate, and initially configure all new security solutions and any improvements to existing security solutions in keeping with the best standard operating procedures and the organization’s security documents, in particular.
Analysts maintain the latest standards for the secure configuration and functionality of all devices, such as servers, workstations, network tools, etc. They evaluate the needs of the end users to gauge technical viability and solutions of security systems and procedures. Associates develop and certify standard security configurations for security systems, applications, operating systems, networking, and telecom devices.
Analysts create and perform events for ensuring that all computer systems and services satisfy end-user requirements, security procedures, and service level agreements (SLAs). They double up as subject matter experts for developing technical security content, processes, and techniques. Analysts interact with end users and management to identify, choose, and implement security controls. They assist in configuring firewall security in line with the best industry practices.
Education & Certifications
Freelance Cyber Security Operations Center Analysts need to have an associate degree in computer science, information technology or related discipline or equivalent work experience. They should have a security certification, such as Security + from CompTIA, CCNP Security or Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE).
They should have basic knowledge of commonly used operating systems, such as Windows, Linux or macOS. Associates should be well-versed with common networking services and protocols. They should have experience in using anti-virus software, spyware, malware, adware, etc. properly.
Analysts should be technically capable of using Active Directory. They should have had experience in working with cloud hosting platforms, such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services (AWS). Analysts should have had experience working with virtualization tools like VMware virtualization. They should have experience working with Firewalls. Analysts should be able to script in languages, such as Python, Javascript, Perl, etc.
Skills & Job Outlook
Employment opportunities for cyber security analysts are expected to increase 28 percent during the period 2016-2026. They will be much sought after, as they need to design original solutions to foil attempts of cybercriminals from indulging in malicious activity on computer networks, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Salary
PayScale reveals that the average annual wage of a security operations center analyst is $62,400 per year in the United States. Freelance cybersecurity specialists can earn $25 per hour.
Advantages of Being Freelancer
According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a non-profit organization that develops global standards in industries, such as IT, power, energy, telecom, etc., although six million people will be required globally in the field of cybersecurity by the year 2019, there will be a deficit of 1.5 million specialists in this field.
With demand for Cyber Security Analysts on the rise, there are plenty of freelance opportunities out there, and these can pay very well if you put in the hours and gain experience and freelancing offers you the opportunity to work with a range of different clients
How Field Engineer Helps
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