Human skills are essential to the success of SOCs

Security operations centers have become a key part of threat handling for many enterprises, but it's the human element that is key to success, according to a new report.

The SOC Skills Survey from training platform Cyberbit reveals that just 33 percent of respondents feel that HR understands the requirements needed to work in a cybersecurity team.

On average, respondents believe that SOC teams are only about 50 percent prepared across the entire range of skills provided. Least prepared are intrusion detection (55 percent unprepared) and network monitoring (58 percent unprepared). The majority of these teams rely on on-the-job training (41 percent) or off site courses (26 percent) to advance their skillsets, with the rest turning to a variety of simulation exercises.

"This first annual SOC Skills Survey sheds a critical light on how companies are fulfilling -- and falling short -- on cyber team requirements to maintain a strong cyber defense posture," says Steve Burg, director of product marketing at Cyberbit. "We've explored everything from enterprise team preparations for real world security incidents, to how they deploy security program integrations within their organizations -- all to discover the breakdowns and best practices to bridge skills gaps."

To benefit SOC team building and skills in future, Cyberbit advises organizations to specifically focus on improving recruiting processes, upskilling the existing workforce, and upgrading current training and assessment practices.

"The insights revealed in the Cyberbit 2020 SOC Skills Survey point to tactical improvements across the recruitment cycle, as well as the need for better training for cyber employees," says Adi Dar, CEO of Cyberbit. "Bringing together key organizational players, such as HR and cyber leadership, and shifting to more effective training practices will dramatically improve the risk posture of every enterprise. Such collaboration ensures their digital assets are protected using the best tools, manned by top-tier cyber professionals."

You can get the full report from the Cyberbit site.

Image credit: Gorodenkoff/depositphotos.com