Introduction

This is an extremely essential job as a SOC analyst protects and secures you from any cyber frauds or hacking. As protecting one’s data is the most important thing in this tech world, we need someone who will take care of it and protect our private and crucial data from any attacks and a SOC analyst does just that. That’s why it is one of the most in demand careers in this timeline. 

Best Certifications for SOC Analyst

Some SOC analyst entry level certifications are listed below which are best for beginners who are looking forward to becoming a certified SOC analyst.

  1. CompTIA Security+ Certification 

This is a SOC analyst entry level certification and is considered as the first certification any one should go for while starting their career as a certified SOC analyst. With a good beginner level SOC analyst training and SOC analyst online course, one can easily crack this and become a certified SOC analyst. This certification focuses on the core cyber security skills and looks into all the aspects of the cyber security domain. You can also learn some skills like threat detection, risk mitigation, access management, basic cryptography, etc. This is one of the best certifications for SOC analysts who are looking for SOC analyst entry level certifications.

      2. EC- Council’s Certified SOC Analyst

This is another SOC analyst entry level certification which can be achieved by beginners and freshers who have just started their journey in becoming a certified SOC analyst. Even this certification can be achieved with a little bit of SOC analyst training and SOC analyst online courses.  

      3. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

CEH is a SOC analyst entry level certifications which is provided by the EC Council. This is a knowledge based examination that tests the candidates on attack vectors, detection and prevention. CEH mainly focuses on offense as compared to the other certifications.

      4. GIAC Security Operations manager (GSOM)

This is not a SOC analyst entry level certification, this is for more experienced certified SOC analysts. The main focus of this certification is on the formalizing and recognizing of the unique combination of management skills, leadership traits, and all the tools that are required to field an efficient security operations team. 

      5. CompTIA  Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) 

This is focused primarily towards SOC manager or SOC engineer. It looks into advanced threat management, vulnerability management, risk mitigation, digital forensics analysis, and incident response tactics. 

Average Salary of a Certified SOC Analyst

There are differences in the salaries of a certified SOC analyst based on their SOC analyst training, SOC analyst online courses, their positions and also the tiers. A security operations center analyst can expect around $75,000 a year whereas a senior security analyst can get around $76,238.

Roles of a SOC analyst

There are 3 tiers which you can aim to achieve after a good SOC analyst training. You get promoted from tier 1 to tier 2 and 3 based on your skills, SOC analyst training and SOC analyst online courses. There are levels of roles like L1, L2, L3, Security Operation Manager, or Security Operations lead. 

The senior roles can be like a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Director of Security Operations. 

The Future of a SOC analyst

With proper SOC analyst training and SOC analyst online courses and the best certifications for SOC analyst, one can get good positions in good companies and ultimately expect a heavy package. As cyber threats are increasing day by day, there needs to be a person who can take care of it and efficiently secure the data and information of an individual or an organization. This role is covered by a SOC analyst. To secure a good career in this field one needs to brush off their basics as well as keep on learning nee things which are getting introduced every day. 

Conclusion

As we have discussed above, a SOC Analyst is a professional who performs security alerts analysis, security incidents response, and creates elementary reports for detailed investigations. To become a SOC analyst, one needs to take a good SOC analyst training and have some soft skills as well. This is a high paying and never ending career that you can go for, that’s why one needs to go for it to have a successful future.