The frontlines of cybersecurity operations include many unfilled jobs and exciting career opportunities. A transition to a security operations center (SOC) analyst position could be the start of a new path for you. Learn to actively analyze threats, protect your enterprise from harm, and kick-start your road to cybersecurity success with this one-of-a-kind book.

Authors Tyler E. Wall and Jarrett W. Rodrick carefully and expertly share real-world insights and practical tips in Jump-start Your SOC Analyst Career. The lessons revealed equip you for interview preparation, tackling day one on the job, and setting long-term development goals.This book highlights personal stories from five SOC professionals at various career levels with keen advice that is immediately applicable to your own journey. The gems of knowledge shared in this book provide you with a notable advantage for entering this dynamic field of work.

The recent surplus in demand for SOC analysts makes Jump-start Your SOC Analyst Career a must-have for aspiring tech professionals and long-time veterans alike. Recent industry developments such as using the cloud and security automation are broken down in concise,understandable ways, to name a few. The rapidly changing world of cybersecurity requires innovation and fresh eyes, and this book is your roadmap to success. It was the winner of the 2024 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards in the category of "Best Cybersecurity Book".

New to this edition:

This revised edition includes three entirely new chapters: Roadmap to Cybersecurity Success, The SOC Analyst Method, and ChatGPT for SOC Analysts. In addition, new material includes a substantially revised Cloud chapter, revised pre-requisite skills, and minor revisions to all chapters to update data.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the demand for SOC analysts

• Know how to find a SOC analyst job fast

• Be aware of the people you will interact with as a SOC analyst

• Be clear on the prerequisite skills needed to be a SOC analyst and what to study

• Be familiar with the day-to-day life of a SOC analyst, including the tools and language used

• Discover the rapidly emerging areas of a SOC analyst job: the cloud and security automation

• Explore the career paths of a SOC analyst

• Discover background-specific tips for your roadmap to cybersecurity success

• Know how to analyze a security event

• Know how to apply ChatGPT as a SOC analyst

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Demand for Cybersecurity and SOC Analysts

Chapter 2: Areas of Expertise in Cybersecurity

Chapter 3: Job Hunting

Chapter 4: Prerequisite Skills

Chapter 5: The SOC Analyst

Chapter 6: SOC in the Clouds

Chapter 7: SOC Automation

Chapter 8: ChatGPT for SOC Analysts

Chapter 9: The SOC Analyst Method

Chapter 10: Roadmap to Success

Chapter 11: Real SOC Analyst Stories

Who This Book Is For

Anyone interested in starting a career in cybersecurity: recent graduates, IT professionals transitioning into security, veterans, and those who are self-taught.

About the Authors

Tyler Wall is CEO of Cyber NOW Education, which specializes in global cybersecurity training and certification that’s accessible and affordable. He is an accomplished security professional with a decade of experience in security operations at some of the world’s largest corporations. Tyler’s education includes: Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management from Purdue University, CISSP, CEH, CSSK, Terraform Associate, CFSR, LRPA, Security+, Network+, and A+. He enjoys spending time with his son and being creative.

Jarrett W. Rodrick is the Senior Manager of Security Operations at Omnissa and was formerly the Senior Manager of the Security Operation Center at VMware. He is a retired Cyber Network Defender and Cyber Warfare Specialist from the US Army and has over eleven years of Defensive Cyber Operations experience between US Army Cyber Command and leading world-class security programs at Fortune 100 companies. Jarrett’s education includes a Bachelor of Science in Applied Cybersecurity from SANS Technology Institute and 17 GIAC cyber security certifications. Jarrett lives in Melissa, Texas, and enjoys golfing with his son and board games with his family.