Dictionary · Defensive Security
Security Operations Center
SOC — Security Operations Center
Operations · Beginner
The team and place, physical or virtual, that monitors security alerts and coordinates response. The name describes a function, not a specific product.
It may be a room, a follow-the-sun rota, or a contracted service. What matters is that alerts have an owner and an escalation path.
Example: The night shift escalates a confirmed malware alert to incident response and keeps a timeline of every action.
Common misconception
- A dashboard on a wall is not a SOC. The function includes people who act.