The Role of NOC Security Services Alongside SOCs

Network management is expensive, but organizations need them to stay ahead in their business. Outsourcing NOC professionals can help them maintain control and safety while assessing their network features. NOCs provide support to micro-services while …

NOC Security Services

Network management is expensive, but organizations need them to stay ahead in their business. Outsourcing NOC professionals can help them maintain control and safety while assessing their network features. NOCs provide support to micro-services while maintaining control of their network.

A Network Operations Center or NOC checks whether the network in an organization performs well. The NOC checks if the IT infrastructure in the corporate complies with the SLAs or service level agreements. It ensures to maintain normal business activities by focusing on the performance of the IT infrastructure. NOC engineers identify problems by monitoring the network infrastructure. Then, they introduce specific changes within the network ecosystem. The Network Operation Center works on the performance and productivity of the IT infrastructure.

The SOC or Security Operations Center protects different IT infrastructures and networks from cyber threats. Its primary focus lies on security and monitors the possibility of cybersecurity incidents over operational problems. In addition, the developments in the designs and upgrades can improve visibility, detection, and protection from cyber-attacks. Now let’s look at the distinctions between NOC and SOC.

The Difference between NOC and SOC

Network Operations Center handles natural events which can influence normal network activities. Their efforts ensure the highest operational efficiency of an organization. In addition, NOC covers issues ranging from system failures to natural disasters. In addition, NOC ensures the IT infrastructures maintain operational efficiency for students’ assignment help them meet their deadlines.

Security Operations Centre manages the factors like intelligent threats. Unlike the NOC, SOC analysts handle active threat conditions that can overrule the defenses. Thus, they can normalize operations and serve their purpose. In addition, SOC detects and protects organizations on issues that threaten cybersecurity.

Collaboration between NOC and SOC

But, to achieve optimal functionality, the IT infrastructure should support NOC and SOC. In addition, organizations should possess teams that can give attention and access to network performance and security expertise.

The collaboration between NOC and SOC can improve efficiency while ensuring that upgrades and similar network modifications don’t compromise performance. Now, let’s look at the various attributes of NOC.

Components of NOC

The leading role of NOC is to offer complete infrastructure visibility, including components and equipment within an enterprise. Some of its features include –

  1. Firewalls
  2. Servers
  3. Databases
  4. Network devices
  5. Wireless systems
  6. Virtual machines
  7. IoT or Internet of Things
  8. Software and services

Functionalities of the NOC

It is a common practice for organizations to set up their premises inside the data centers. Some companies involving smaller IT teams that work in a simple network environment might hire a third party to hire NOC professionals. The main focus of the NOC assignment can help students to monitor and maintain the infrastructure-related extensions and network environments.

Some of the activities carried out by NOC staff members are –

  1. Monitor and update the features in a network.
  2. Facilitate communications management.
  3. Firewall management.
  4. Report on quality and performance
  5. Install, patch, and troubleshoot software.
  6. Provide assured quality control.
  7. Offer policy enforcement.
  8. Implement changes in infrastructure and policies.
  9. Analyze threats
  10. Intrusion prevention systems
  11. Incident response
  12. Email management
  13. Data backup and storage.

Vast data centers require round-the-clock support through the NOC. But, there are considerable expenses involved in setting up the NOC. Hence, smaller data centers often use automated monitoring software. This way, they can keep track of their network with less human interference and expenditure against a NOC staff working full-time.

Read Also: Web Development in Manchester Top Rated Company

The benefits of NOC as a Service

Let’s look at how NOC can benefit your organization as a service.

  1. Risk Administration – Installs the network software, troubleshoots the problem, and patches it.

 

  1. Decreases downtime and running expenses – Outsourcing NOC can provide additional resources for different projects to better handle attrition and replacement.

 

  1. Offers prompt treatment each time – The firm’s IT team can focus and prioritize business operations. In addition, students working on their NOC assignment can get help from professionals on time.

 

  1. Protects from cyber threats – Experience protection with the security team providing antivirus support that prevents viruses from accessing and spreading throughout the network. In addition, it identifies and handles security problems like different threats and protects the system from cyber-attacks.

 

  1. Improved round-the-clock network monitoring – The firewall management system ensures 24×7 protection for constant business security.

 

  1. Facilitates prompt incident treatment – reports on the network conditions through optimization and obtaining solutions for a problem.

 

  1. Frees IT tools to attend other activities – Improving optimal productivity and complete operational efficiency.

 

  1. Customizable with a scalable and flexible model complies with the company’s requirements.

Problems with the NOC and SOC

Although companies burden their IT teams with additional responsibilities, there are specific challenges to the potential of NOC and SOC.

  1. Covers a broader IT area – Modern-day networking options facilitate additional devices and requirements like mobile phones, tablets, IoT (like connected printers and television), and operational technology (like air conditioners or pumps). The increased number of devices forces the requirements for online traffic and bandwidth. The NOC teams strive to meet past infrastructure with present-day demand in bandwidth and an increasing number of devices. The SOC team monitors and tracks every additional device and network traffic.

 

  1. Increased urgency in NOC and SOC – The NOC teams constantly feel the brunt of downtime expenses where they have to fix network disruptions faster while covering additional devices with increasing virtual and physical distance. The SOC has to provide prompt assistance to prevent further damage. But artificial intelligence and machine learning tools improve the team’s response time through repetitive analysis. Systems automation reduces the dependence of organizations on limited human labor and substitutes it with better and more efficient productivity.

 

  1. Problems with recruitment – Employers who up-skill NOC or SOC staff members to train well-equipped IT and security engineers; end up competing with other organizations. But, there remains a shortcoming in the supply that can meet the company’s requirements. Thus, organizations keep the position vacant and increase the load on the existing team members. Or, they can also provide training to inexperienced staff members. Such a situation can balance the skill-gap at the cost of time.

 

  1. Outsourcing the NOC – Most companies prefer outsourcing their NOC, which can free various valuable internal resources to manage the network. In addition, placing new projects can automate the various processes, manage operational issues and decrease operational expenses. Outsourced NOC hires an external service to perform the task. These people will install and maintain the equipment for prompt emergency response. Outsourcing reduces the burden of an organization to hire additional employees to manage its network operations. Firms can also access a better range of professional talents with modern technologies.

Conclusion

NOC security services scrutinize the network performance within an organization. It checks if the IT infrastructure complies with the service level agreements or SLAs. In addition, NOC manages regular events, which can affect normal networking operations with databases, servers, firewalls, etc. This blog discusses everything you need to know about NOC security services.

Author Bio

Thomas Bloom is a professional IT support service provider at a private firm. He offers technical essay writers to students working on Computer Hardware and Networking course. Thomas is also a passionate photographer.

Leave a Comment