In today’s digital world, organizations are exposed to hundreds or even thousands of cyberattack attempts every day. The Security Operations Center (SOC) is a specialized center that operates 24/7 to provide continuous protection against the most serious security threats. A team of security analysts monitors, detects, analyzes, and responds to cybersecurity incidents in real time. But what are the most common threats that the SOC detects? In this article, we will examine exactly what the biggest cyber threats that organizations are exposed to every day.

Why is SOC crucial in detecting threats?

The Security Operations Center (SOC) is a team of people, processes, and technology tasked with monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and responding to security threats in real-time. The SOC serves as a command center that ensures the organization’s continued protection from cyber attacks by:

  • Monitoring – tracks activity on the organization’s network, analyzes logs and telemetry data
  • Threat detection – identifies anomalies that may indicate attempted attacks
  • Responding to incidents – takes appropriate action to minimize impact
  • Threat analysis – performs a detailed analysis after each incident

The most common threats that the Security Operations Center (SOC) detects

1. Ransomware attacks

Ransomware is one of the most serious threats that SOC detects. A ransomware attack involves malware infecting the system, encrypting files, or blocking access to systems. Cybercriminals demand a ransom, usually in cryptocurrencies, offering a decryption key in return.

Ransomware spreads in several ways – most commonly through phishing, or malicious email attachments, but also by exploiting software vulnerabilities, infected websites, and advertisements (known as URL malvertising), and by clicking on dangerous links.

SOC detects ransomware attacks using heuristics and signature-based detection – endpoint protection tools analyze files for known malware patterns. In addition, anomaly analysis is used to detect unusual system behavior, such as mass file encryption. Network activity is also monitored to identify suspicious traffic. Finally, AI and machine learning algorithms play a key role, analyzing vast amounts of data in search of patterns typical of ransomware attacks.

Ransomware is particularly dangerous because it can lead to permanent data loss, especially when an organization does not have up-to-date backups. Business downtime caused by such an attack generates serious financial losses, while also negatively impacting a company’s reputation. In addition, the organization can incur high costs, both in paying the ransom and in repairing the damage and recovering the data.

2. Phishing and spear phishing

Phishing is an attack in which cybercriminals impersonate credible institutions such as banks or online services to phish for sensitive data. Spear phishing is a more targeted version, targeting specific individuals or organizations.

Phishing attacks are characterized primarily by the sending of fake emails that urge recipients to “verify their account.” They are often accompanied by fake login pages that deceptively resemble the original sites. Text messages containing suspicious links are also increasingly used. In the case of spear phishing, these attacks are precisely tailored to the specific victim, significantly increasing their effectiveness.

The SOC detects such threats by comprehensively monitoring e-mails, analyzing attachments, links, and message content using anti-virus systems and tools based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. At the same time, user behavior is analyzed – for example, unusual logins from new or suspicious locations are detected. Scanning websites to identify fake sites and analyzing network traffic to block suspicious sources and detect domains impersonating the original addresses (typosquatting) is also an important component.

Why phishing is effective: Phishing and spear phishing are based on exploiting human error and trust. Attackers often create highly realistic messages that prompt victims to reveal sensitive data. With spear phishing, the risk increases because the attack is precisely tailored to a specific person.

3. DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service)

DDoS attacks are attempts to overload a server, application, or infrastructure by using multiple computers or devices to generate large amounts of network traffic to make it unavailable.

Types of DDoS attacks:

  • Volumetric attacks (e.g., ICMP flood, UDP flood) – fill up the network bandwidth
  • Protocol attacks (e.g., SYN flood) – deplete server resources
  • Application attacks – target web applications by sending HTTP requests

How the SOC detects DDoS attacks:

  • Network traffic monitoring – analysis of overcrowded links and excessive incoming traffic
  • Detecting traffic patterns – identifying unusual queries that signal an attack
  • AI and ML-based security – quick detection and response
  • Log analysis – excessive queries and errors suggesting an attack on the system
  • DNS traffic monitoring – identification of this type of attack

Threats of DDoS attacks: DDoS attacks can quickly lead to the blocking of access to key Internet services and applications. Unlike other types of attacks, the goal of DDoS is not to steal data, but to block it. They can also provide a smokescreen for other, more sophisticated threats.

4. Advanced persistent threats (APTs)

APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats) are some of the biggest threats to organizations. They are attacks carried out by organized cybercriminal or state groups to gain long-term access to an organization’s systems for data theft, industrial espionage, or other malicious activities.

APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) attacks are characterized by the use of advanced techniques, prolonged and deliberate actions aimed at stealing data or conducting espionage. They often involve the theft of intellectual property, state-sponsored espionage activities, and politically motivated operations aimed at destabilizing organizations.

Stages of an APT attack:

  1. Reconnaissance – gathering information about the organization
  2. Hacking – exploiting security vulnerabilities
  3. Maintaining access – installing tools for further control
  4. Data exfiltration – theft of confidential information
  5. Hiding traces – manipulation of logs, deactivation of intrusion detection systems

SOC detects APT threats through the use of user behavior analysis (UBA) systems, which monitor unusual activities that deviate from everyday activity. System log and metadata analysis also play a key role in identifying suspicious activity. SIEM systems collect and correlate data from multiple sources, which speeds up incident detection. It is also important to analyze indicators of compromise (IoC), or traces left by APTs, using malware databases and information from cyberthreat intelligence systems.

APTs are particularly dangerous because of their longevity – they can go unnoticed for months. Their subtlety means that they often go undetected at an early stage. In addition, because of their scalability, they can lead to the theft of huge amounts of data, with business and reputational consequences that are difficult to quantify.

SOC’s response process to threats

Regardless of the type of threat, SOC takes systematic action:

1. Detection and analysis

The first stage involves continuous real-time monitoring of the IT infrastructure, during which security analysts track all events occurring on the organization’s systems. The SOC team conducts a detailed analysis of alerts and anomalies, using advanced analytical tools and SIEM systems to identify potential threats. Determining the threat level and prioritizing incidents according to their potential impact on the organization’s security is also crucial at this stage.

2. Immediate reaction

Once the actual threat is identified, the SOC takes prompt action to limit the spread of the attack. The first step is to isolate infected systems from the rest of the network to prevent further malware propagation. At the same time, the team blocks suspicious IP addresses, domains, and communication ports used by the attackers. A key element of this phase is also to immediately secure the organization’s critical data by activating additional protection mechanisms.

3. Analysis of the incident

In this phase, SOC specialists conduct an in-depth analysis of the incident to fully understand its nature and scope. The team carefully determines the scope of the attack, identifying all the systems that may have been compromised and the data that may have been vulnerable to theft. Analysts identify the methods and tools used by the attackers, allowing them to better understand how the attack was carried out. Equally important is a detailed assessment of the incident’s impact, including potential financial, operational, and reputational losses.

4. Corrective actions

Once the systems have been secured and an analysis has been performed, the SOC proceeds with actions to restore the organization’s normal operations. This includes comprehensive removal of malware from all infected systems, using specialized decontamination tools. The team then restores data from previously prepared backups, ensuring the continuity of critical business processes. At the same time, additional security and system updates are implemented to prevent similar attacks in the future.

5. Post-mortem analysis

The final stage of the process involves detailed documentation of the entire incident, which serves as a resource for future security activities. The SOC team prepares comprehensive reports describing the course of the attack, the defense methods used, and the lessons learned. Based on lessons learned, existing security procedures are improved, incident response plans are updated, and new protection mechanisms are introduced. These activities allow the organization to continuously improve its security level and better prepare for future threats.

Importance of SOC in protecting the organization

The most common threats that SOC detects are ransomware, phishing and spear phishing, DDoS attacks, and advanced persistent APT threats. Each of these threats can cause serious financial and reputational damage to an organization. Therefore, SOC plays a key role in:

  • Protecting data and resources – securing sensitive information
  • Minimize losses – quick response to limit potential damage
  • Meeting regulatory requirements – compliance with GDPR, ISO 27001, NIS2
  • Building trust – creating an image of a reliable business partner

Summary

The most common threats that SOC detects pose serious challenges for today’s organizations. Ransomware, phishing, DDoS attacks, and APTs are just part of the spectrum of cyber threats that enterprises face. An effective Security Operations Center, operating 24/7, is essential to protect against these threats. With advanced technology, skilled personnel, and appropriate processes, an SOC can effectively detect, analyze, and respond to security incidents, keeping organizations safe in a dynamically changing cyber threat landscape.

Investing in an SOC, whether by building an in-house team or outsourcing services, is crucial for any organization that wants to effectively protect its data, systems, and reputation from the most common cyber threats.