A SOC analyst monitors an organisation’s systems for security threats, investigates alerts and helps respond to incidents. It is a common entry point into cybersecurity for graduates and IT professionals.
1. Build the fundamentals
- Networking: TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, common ports and protocols.
- Operating systems: Windows event logs, Linux basics and permissions.
- Security concepts: common attacks, malware types, authentication.
2. Learn a SIEM
Practise searching logs, building simple dashboards and understanding how alerts are written. Splunk is a strong choice because it is used both as a SIEM and for IT operations.
3. Practise investigations
Work through realistic scenarios: failed-login bursts, phishing clicks, suspicious PowerShell. Write short investigation notes for each — this mirrors real SOC work and gives you material for interviews.
4. Prepare for interviews
Expect questions on fundamentals, your SIEM experience and scenario-based triage. Practise explaining your reasoning clearly. See our interview questions guide to get started.
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