Network Security Operations Center Analyst
Introduction
A Network Security Operations Center Analyst will manage from start to finish the operational deployment, incident handling, verification, and support of end users by providing security information and event management (SIEM) services within an organization or for a client. The individual needs to stop hackers on their tracks for trying to attack their organization’s network.
As a member of the Security Operations Center (SOC) team, they develop network defense skills by interacting directly with end users and using like Splunk or ArcSight. With their network security skills, they will monitor, analyze, and resolve identified security incidents. Analysts will monitor events from disparate sources, such as system logs, firewall logs, applications, databases, and other tools.
They also need to train and mentor team members and be able to motivate the team. Analysts must be prepared to work 24x7 to counter contingencies. They need to work well in teams. They should have a strong analytical outlook.
Job Description & Responsibilities
Freelance Network Security Operations Center Analysts must keep themselves abreast on the latest security trends, vulnerabilities, and news articles and communicate them to their team members within an organization or clients.
They should help in documentation and suggesting changes to security policies, standards, and processes following the guidance of their organization’s security management and legal changes. Analysts aid in research of procedures and control compliance tools. They assist in regular audits of their organization/clients to ensure that they are in continuous compliance.
Analysts provide support for Incident Response (IR) for the organization when the diagnosis confirms malicious activity. They aid in providing counseling security expertise to information technology teams for project support when necessary. Analysts continuously monitor and examine real-time alerts. They assist in keeping tabs of policy violations and report them. They provide evaluation and trending of security log data from various dissimilar security devices.
Analysts help in providing vulnerability and threat analysis, besides security advisory services. They assist in evaluating and countering software and hardware susceptibilities which were previously undisclosed. Analysts help investigate, document, and report information security issues. They research potential network abuse methods.
Analysts identify and scrutinize Network Security appliance logs. They look out for activity that cannot be detected normally through conventional security appliances. Analysts interact with IT management and also non-technical team members on complex technical subjects. They manage and assist in configuring routers, hubs, switches, servers, etc.
Analysts suggest and deploy network policies and practices and adhere strictly to security procedures. They analyze network traffic and provide solutions for capacity planning. Analysts have to respond to hardware and software issues, besides network problems.
They manage, tweak, and boost security controls, including intrusion detection system (IDS), intrusion prevention system (IPS), next-generation firewall (NGFW), vulnerability management, network anomaly detection, data loss prevention (DLP), and endpoint security.
Educational Qualifications & Certifications
Network Security Operations Center Analysts should have an associate degree in computer science, information technology or related discipline and certification in CCNP, Security+ or MCSE along with at least one year of experience of securing and overseeing multiple network configurations and deployments.
They should have extensive knowledge of IT Security in addition to experience with log correlation tools. Analysts must be conversant with network ports, TCP/IP protocol, and security products. They should have handled different types of security management tools.
Analysts must have worked in a security operations center (SOC) or a network operations center (NOC). It would be beneficial if they have an awareness of the industry and the best practices of the Department of Defense (DoD), including knowledge of new or amended security solutions and enhanced security processes. They should be able to apply the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) DoD, and federal policies and guidelines, relating to cybersecurity.
They should have TS/SCI security clearance.
Job Outlook
Job opportunities for information security analysts are expected to grow 28 percent during the 2016-2026 period, which is much higher than for any other IT occupation. Demand for them will continue to be high, as they have to design novel solutions to foil attempts of cybercriminals from stealing vital information from networks or compromising them, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Salary
The average salary of a SOC Analyst is $62,400 per year in the United States. Freelance analysts can demand up to $25 per hour, according to PayScale.
Advantages of Being Freelance Network Security Operations Center Analysts
Securityinfowatch says that they are the first line of defense for all organizations. They, therefore, should plan on hiring their SOC round-the-clock looking ahead at 2020 as hackers do not sleep.
Furthermore, qualified cybersecurity analysts are one of the most in-demand professionals in the information technology sector, and the demand for them surpasses other tech jobs massively, says CIO. Therefore, freelance Network Security Operations Center Analysts are in an unenviable position, as they can land top offers.
The Role of Field Engineer
If you are eagerly looking forward to being placed as a freelance Network Security Operations Center Analyst in the Top Freelance Marketplace, visit Fieldengineer.com. It helps you to connect with employers who are looking out for candidates with the relevant skills. More than 40,000 engineers from over 180 countries are registered on this platform, allowing employers from all over the world to hire people with the qualifications and the experience they require.
