Comprehensive framework of a modern SOC, covering the
entire cybersecurity lifecycle: data collection, detection,
protection, investigation, risk management, operations, and
automation.
It helps assess and optimize SOC effectiveness against attacks, from
prevention to validation through real-world simulations.
1. Data Collection → SIEM / Logs = Is it collecting?
2. Detection → EDR / Rules / Threat Intel = Is it detecting?
3. Protection → Identity / Email / Network = Is it protecting?
4. Investigation → DFIR / Malware = Is it investigating?
5. Risk → Vulnerabilities = Is it reducing risk?
6. Operations → Ticketing / KPI = Is it organizing?
7. Automation → SOAR / AI = Is it automating?
8. Testing → Attack Simulation = Is it testing?
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1. Data Collection & Visibility
SIEM / Cloud SIEM
NDR / Network Security
System logs (Windows, Linux)
Cloud logs (SaaS, IaaS)
Identity logs (AD, IAM)
Email logs
2. Detection & Response - Do I detect and
respond ?
SIEM (correlation rules)
EDR / XDR
Integration: SIEM + EDR
Detection rule creation
Threat Intelligence
MITRE ATT&CK mapping
SOAR (automation)
Playbooks
Machine / user isolation
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3. Security Domains (Protection) -
Is it protecting? → Attack surface to protect
Objective: Reduce attack surface
-Identity Security (IAM / AD / Zero Trust) (critical)
-Email Security
-Network Security (Firewall / IDS / IPS)
-Data Security (DLP)
-Cloud Security
-Endpoint Security
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4. Incident Response & Investigation
Objective: Understand the attack
-Digital Forensics (DFIR)
-Malware Analysis
-Memory Forensics
-Timeline analysis
-Root cause analysis
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5. Vulnerability & Risk Management -
Is it reducing risk? → What weaknesses should
be fixed?
Objective: Prevent attacks
-Vulnerability Management
-Patch Management
-Attack Surface Management (ASM)
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6. SOC Operations & Management -
Is it organized? → How is the SOC run?
Objective: Organize and measure the SOC
-Ticketing / Incident Management
-SOC KPIs (MTTD, MTTR)
-Runbooks / Playbooks
-Reporting
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7. Advanced SOC — Automation (Proactive &
Intelligent) - How do I make the SOC intelligent?
Objective: Make the SOC proactive and
intelligent
-SOAR (SOC automation)
-AI SOC / AI Agents
-Threat Hunting
-Detection Engineering
-Behavioral Analytics
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8. Validation & Offensive Security -
Can my SOC withstand a real attack?
Objective: Validate
detection and response
-Attack Simulation (BAS)
-Red Team / Blue Team / Purple Team
-Atomic Red Team
-Adversary Emulation
-Detection Engineering
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