Guardians of the Network: SOCs, Security Monitoring, and Enterprise Awareness

Description:

As cyber threats escalate in scale and sophistication, organizations rely on Security Operations Centers (SOCs) as the nerve centers of digital defense. Guardians of the Network: SOCs, Security Monitoring, and Enterprise Awareness offers a comprehensive, undergraduate level introduction to the theory and practice of security operations in enterprise environments. This textbook equips future SOC analysts, cybersecurity professionals, and IT leaders with the foundational knowledge and operational insight required to detect, investigate, and respond to cyber incidents in real time. Beginning with cybersecurity fundamentals and the role of SOCs in modern infrastructure, the book explores threat types, risk assessment, defense-in-depth, and the evolving digital threat landscape. Students then dive into the inner workings of SOC teams, learning about analyst tiers, deployment models, communication strategies, and key performance indicators.

Core chapters cover security monitoring tools and telemetry sources, including firewalls, EDR, DNS, and SIEM platforms. Learners build hands-on understanding of log analysis, data correlation, alert tuning, and incident triage workflows. Practical insights into threat intelligence, adversary behavior mapping via MITRE ATT&CK, and intelligence sharing mechanisms prepare readers to anticipate and counter sophisticated attacks. The text further develops students’ competencies in incident response, from IOC identification and containment through root cause analysis and post-incident reviews. Special attention is given to human-centric risks such as insider threats and social engineering, and to cultivating security awareness across an organization. Emerging topics, such as SOAR automation, machine learning for triage, proactive threat hunting, and cloud-native SOC operations position readers at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation. Ethical considerations, legal mandates, audit readiness, and governance frameworks round out this authoritative guide to operational excellence in cybersecurity.

Key Features:

• End-to-end coverage of SOC design, analyst roles, monitoring tools, detection engineering, and response processes.
• Detailed exploration of SIEM, threat intelligence platforms, and security analytics techniques.
• Practical frameworks for incident response, workflow automation, and use case development.
• Insight into human factors, organizational culture, awareness programs, and behavioral indicators.
• Focus on current and future trends, including AI-driven alerts, purple teaming, and cloud security.
• Alignment with compliance standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, NIST, and ISO.
• Guidance on SOC career roles, required certifications, and professional growth.

Ideal For:

Undergraduate students studying cybersecurity, information systems, or IT management; professionals entering or advancing within SOC environments; educators designing security operations curriculum; and anyone preparing for a career in cybersecurity monitoring, detection, and incident response.

Walsh College Students: This is the required textbook for IT461: Security Op and Awareness

ISBN-13: 979-8-9988425-9-7

Format: E-Book