The 3 Tiers of SOC Analysts: Roles, Focus, and Key Cybersecurity Practices

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Introduction

A Security Operations Center (SOC) is the frontline defense against cyber threats, structured in three tiers—L1 (Alert Monitor), L2 (Incident Responder), and L3 (Threat Hunter). Each tier plays a critical role in detecting, analyzing, and mitigating security incidents. This article explores their responsibilities and provides actionable cybersecurity commands and techniques used at each level.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the distinct roles of SOC tiers (L1, L2, L3).
  • Learn essential cybersecurity commands for monitoring, investigation, and threat hunting.
  • Apply best practices for incident response and threat mitigation.

1. L1: Alert Monitoring & Initial Triage

Command: `grep “Failed password” /var/log/auth.log` (Linux)

Purpose: Identifies brute-force SSH login attempts.

Steps:

1. Open a terminal.

  1. Run the command to extract failed login attempts.

3. Escalate repeated failures to L2 for investigation.

Command: `Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName=’Security’; ID=4625} | fl` (Windows)

Purpose: Checks Windows Security logs for failed logins.

Steps:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.

  1. Execute the command to review Event ID 4625 (failed logins).

2. L2: Incident Investigation & Response

Command: `volatility -f memory_dump.raw pslist` (Memory Forensics)

Purpose: Lists running processes from a memory dump (malware analysis).

Steps:

1. Install Volatility Framework.

  1. Run the command against a memory dump file.

3. Analyze suspicious processes (e.g., unknown binaries).

Command: `tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap` (Network Forensics)

Purpose: Captures live network traffic for analysis.

Steps:

1. Run `tcpdump` on a Linux system.

2. Filter traffic (e.g., `port 80` for HTTP).

  1. Open the `.pcap` file in Wireshark for deeper inspection.

3. L3: Threat Hunting & Advanced Detection

Command: `YARA rule to detect malware:`

rule RAT_Detection { 
meta: 
description = "Detects Remote Access Trojans" 
strings: 
$s1 = "C2_Server" 
$s2 = { 6A 40 68 00 30 00 00 6A 14 } 
condition: 
any of them 
}

Purpose: Scans files for malware signatures.

Steps:

1. Save the rule as `rat_detection.yar`.

2. Run `yara rat_detection.yar suspicious_file.exe`.

Command: `Sigma Rule for SIEM Detection:`

title: Suspicious PowerShell Execution 
description: Detects encoded PowerShell commands 
logsource: 
product: windows 
service: powershell 
detection: 
selection: 
CommandLine|contains: "-EncodedCommand" 
condition: selection

Purpose: Detects obfuscated PowerShell attacks.

What Undercode Say

  • Key Takeaway 1: SOC tiers ensure scalable threat detection—L1 filters noise, L2 investigates, L3 hunts proactively.
  • Key Takeaway 2: Automation (SIEM rules, YARA, Volatility) reduces response time and human error.

Analysis:

The tiered SOC model optimizes resource allocation, but challenges like alert fatigue (L1) and evolving threats (L3) persist. Future SOCs will integrate more AI-driven analytics to enhance detection accuracy. Cross-tier collaboration and continuous training remain critical for cybersecurity resilience.

Prediction:

AI-powered SOCs will automate L1/L2 tasks, allowing analysts to focus on strategic threat hunting. Expect increased demand for cloud-security expertise as attacks shift to hybrid environments.

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Priombiswas Itsec – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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