What do Open Line and a SOC analysts do? Open Line's Cybersecurity Operations Center (SOC) based in Valencia, Spain, operates as a 24-hour control center in charge of security and threat analysis for our organization. The SOC is built in place to protect Open Line and customer’s assets.

The role of our security experts is to keep our customers' situation in view in order to quickly identify threats and incidents and react appropriately.

Individual IT security tools such as firewalls, malicious code scanners or intrusion detection systems are no longer sufficient to ensure comprehensive protection. This has led to increased investment in customized integrated measures such as SOCs.

Our SOC is also operating “as a service”, whereby different companies can join these services based on their organization’s risks.

The SOC analysts on the team work to ensure the cybersecurity of large organizations and enterprises. They analyze security measures and implement cybersecurity strategies to protect data from hackers and malicious attacks. A more detailed view of their work is provided below:

Critical responsibilities of a SOC Analyst Internship include:

• Monitor and respond to security incidents and alerts
• Assist with implementations
• Collaborate with IT teams for integration of security
• Measures
• Contribute to the security vision within Open Line

Required skills for a SOC Analyst Internship:

Working as a SOC analyst offers cybersecurity professionals a fast-paced, collaborative and challenging career path that provides many opportunities to continue learning and advance in seniority while gaining more experience. It also offers them the opportunity to evaluate security systems and measures for weaknesses and potential improvements. With an understanding of "normal" network activity in mind, SOC analysts use their tools and processes to detect anomalous activity, providing 24/7/365 detection and response capabilities.

SOCs work in dedicated spaces that serve as threat intelligence centers for an organization, modern tools and technologies have made it possible for SOC analysts to work in a more distributed environment, coordinating with each other remotely. To do so they require:

• Fluent in Spanish & English
• Affinity with Cyber Security
• Analytical mindset with problem solving skills
• Familiarity in team working, sharing information, creating documentation and contributing with the team’s development.

Desirable skills for a SOC Analyst Internship:

• Good understanding or practice in Computer forensics;
• Good understanding or practice in Reverse engineering;
• Awareness of Cybersecurity Compliance process and regulations.

SOC Analyst Internship Background and Education

The work experience and degree requirements to be a SOC Analyst Intern are a Bachelor’s study in Computer Science or a related field.

What can a SOC analyst career path look like?

SOC analysts are the front line of an organization's digital defense, constantly responding to anomalies and threats, researching new vulnerabilities, and coordinating with other network and IT engineers to protect assets and data. A SOC team has a tiered structure of managers, security architects, network engineers and SOC analysts. This structure helps organize work based on level of effort, complexity and experience, with those at level 1 typically being entry-level SOC analyst jobs. As they gain more experience, a level 1 SOC analyst can promote to level 2 and above.

While the roles in the SOC team can vary, common areas of focus include:

• Security analyst level 1 / tier 1: Triage — Reviews new alerts and categorizes them into events that can be handled at their level or that require escalation to level 2. Analysts at this level also review user activity and alerts from security tools to identify new events and determine which represent real potential threats.
• Security analyst level 2 / tier 2: Incident response — Handles higher-complexity incidents presented by tier 1 by conducting investigations of affected systems, reviewing logs, focusing on containment and initiating remediation actions. Analysts at this level can also participate in root cause analysis, system restoration activities and developing reports on security issues.
• Security analyst level 3 / tier 3: Threat hunter — Uses internal and external threat intelligence to search for anomalous behaviour, test security controls and perform advanced asset protection. Tier 3 analysts work proactively to find weaknesses through penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and regular reviews of security controls.
• Security engineer/architect: Leads the implementation and management of monitoring and threat analysis tools, including software and hardware solutions. These professionals also assist in developing the key processes and procedures followed across the different tiers.
• SOC manager: Leads the SOC, including personnel management and overseeing all operations. The SOC manager can also be responsible for managing the budget for the SOC, identifying enhancements to overall SOC functions and coordinating the response to major security events.

Please send your resume to valencia@openline.nl and we will get back to you as soon as possible.