Here’s a curated reading list organized by skill level and focus area—essential for building SOC competency from fundamentals to advanced operations: Core SOC Operations & Career Development Incident Response & Digital Forensics Threat Hunting & MITRE ATT&CK Technical Skills & Tooling For Enterprise Architects / Senior Practitioners An Enterprise Architect with a security focus, prioritize […]
Recommended Books for SOC Analysts Read Post »
Evidence Type Description / Example Location / Format Retention Period Agent Status Report Snapshot of all endpoints with agent status = “Active” and “Connected” from EDR console (e.g., CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint). Filtered by last 24–48 hours. PDF or CSV export from console; stored in secure SharePoint or GRC platform 3 years Signature
Evidence for Antivirus and EDR Read Post »
Daily Checks Weekly Checks Monthly Checks Quarterly Checks
Check list for AV/EDR Read Post »
IT/OT convergence risks represent one of the most critical and rapidly evolving governance challenges facing boards of directors—especially in energy, utilities, manufacturing, transportation, and critical infrastructure sectors. As industrial operations increasingly integrate with enterprise IT systems (for efficiency, data analytics, and remote management), the attack surface expands, and traditional IT security models often fail to
IT/OT convergence risks Read Post »
Purdue Model Implementation Guide for OT Cybersecurity The Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture (PERA), or Purdue Model, provides a hierarchical framework for segmenting Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) networks. It ensures secure IT/OT convergence while protecting critical processes from cyber threats. Widely adopted in standards like ISA/IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82, and Cisco/Rockwell’s
Purdue Model Implementation Guide Read Post »
Purdue Model Levels: Detailed Breakdown The Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture (PERA), widely known as the Purdue Model, is a hierarchical framework for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) networks. Developed in the 1990s for manufacturing, it remains the gold standard in 2026 for secure IT/OT segmentation (referenced in ISA/IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82,
Purdue Model levels Read Post »
Implementing an IDMZ is a critical investment in OT cybersecurity, particularly for metals/mining operations amid rising threats (e.g., ransomware incidents like Norsk Hydro’s $70M impact). Costs vary widely based on site size (single facility vs. multi-site), complexity (legacy systems, number of data flows), vendor (e.g., Palo Alto, Cisco/Rockwell), and scope (basic macro-segmentation vs. advanced with
Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ) Implementation Steps with Cost Estimates Read Post »
tripwire.com linkedin.com cisco.com subscription.packtpub.com oreilly.com tripwire.com Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ) Implementation Steps The Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ), often called Level 3.5 in the Purdue Model, is a secure buffer network between the Industrial Zone (OT – Levels 0-3) and the Enterprise Zone (IT – Levels 4-5). It prevents direct traffic between IT and OT, terminating
Explain IDMZ implementation steps Read Post »
claroty.com paloaltonetworks.com bxc-security.com researchgate.net linkedin.com oreilly.com Purdue Model Segmentation Details The Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture (PERA), commonly known as the Purdue Model, is a hierarchical framework developed in the 1990s for computer-integrated manufacturing and widely adopted for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) network segmentation. It guides secure IT/OT convergence by dividing networks
Purdue Model segmentation details Read Post »
Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity incidents have surged in recent years, particularly in industrial sectors like mining, metals, and manufacturing. Ransomware remains the dominant threat, often spilling from IT into OT due to poor segmentation, leading to production halts, financial losses, and safety risks. Reports from Dragos (2025 OT Cybersecurity Year in Review), MM-ISAC, and others
OT Cybersecurity Case Studies: Real-World Incidents and Lessons Read Post »