CIO OPINION collecting and analysing the views of security analysts and team managers across a broad spectrum of industry sectors , the study draws insight across a range of issues . It is a valuable benchmark for SOC leaders who wish to compare their approach and actions with others in the industry . Several findings stood out for me as priorities as we aim to equip SOCs for the future .
The cybersecurity skills shortage continues to bite
It ’ s not new , but it is a continuing issue : the number one barrier preventing full utilisation of a SOC ’ s capabilities is a lack of skilled staff . With a typical team numbering between two and 10 full time equivalent employees , it seems that within this mix organisations would still like more human resources devoted to SOC activities , and also the acquisition of additional skills by existing staff .
Supporting in-house skills development should be a key priority for SOC leaders as it doesn ’ t just improve SOC performance , it also encourages staff to remain with the organisation for the long term . The most common tenure for a SOC analyst is between one and three years and the report found that training opportunities and career development are the key factors encouraging employees to remain with an organisation .
There are further benefits to growing your own expertise . The report found that the top “ missing skill ” in teams was threat hunting experience , something that can be costly to bring in from outside . It also noted that threat hunting and intelligence monitoring are the activities most outsourced by the SOC . Yet these are two areas where intimate knowledge of internal systems and infrastructure considerably improves effectiveness . If analysts are given the opportunity to acquire these skills and supported with tools that lift the burden of intelligence assimilation , this will amount to a double benefit for the business : they retain key staff and build stronger internal capability in the areas that would most benefit .
Work from home becomes the norm
Linked to the challenge of staff retention are changes to the work environment . Unsurprisingly , 87 % of those surveyed said that working from home was permitted in their organisation . It may have raised some issues around how to collaborate effectively , but the general success of remote working has liberated SOC analysts . Where previously they may have looked for employment within an easy commute , now they can search further afield . This means organisations will have to work harder to attract and retain employees and this gives analysts greater leverage over pay and working conditions .
The number one barrier preventing full utilisation of a SOC ’ s capabilities is a lack of skilled staff .
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