(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

What is the purpose of a security operations center (SOC)?

1. A team dedicated to evaluating compliance standards

2. A centralized team responsible for monitoring and responding to security incidents

3. A department focused on employee security training

4. A committee creating security policies

The correct answer is: A centralized team responsible for monitoring and responding to security incidents

A security operations center (SOC) serves the critical purpose of being a centralized team that monitors and responds to security incidents. SOCs are fundamental to an organization's cybersecurity strategy, as they operate continuously to detect, investigate, and respond to potential threats and vulnerabilities in real time. By employing a combination of advanced technologies, processes, and skilled personnel, SOCs can analyze security alerts and use threat intelligence to assess risks, thus enabling swift action to mitigate incidents before they escalate. The focus of a SOC encompasses several key activities, including continuous surveillance of the organization’s networks and systems, incident detection and response, threat analysis, and coordination with other parts of the cybersecurity framework to ensure comprehensive protection. This proactive approach helps organizations minimize the impact of security breaches and maintain a strong security posture. While evaluating compliance standards, employee training, and policy creation are all important aspects of a robust cybersecurity strategy, these functions are typically handled by different teams or departments rather than the SOC itself. The SOC's primary mandate revolves solely around real-time monitoring and incident management, making it a specialized hub for cybersecurity operations.