TSOC provides an opportunity for senior undergraduate and graduate students to obtain valuable work experience in an operational SOC while supporting real-world clients. Students will learn how to apply various concepts, protocols and practices from cybersecurity classes when tackling real-world cyber attacks.
Before starting their work at TSOC, students must complete our onboarding process and required training for how to manage TSOC services and support clients.
TSOC training is organized into two courses. During each term, registered students are assigned three working shifts per week and are required to be present at TSOC and manage the tasks associated with their assigned function under the supervision of assigned instructors and engineers. Students rotate between different functions throughout the term to gain experience with all aspects of TSOC operations.
Program Structure
Students in the TSOC program will be assigned shifts that are structured to simulate the demands of a real-world SOC.
- TSOC structure: TSOC will be offered as a quarter program, which students will rotate through the major set of services offered to clients.
- Pre-requisites: Students are required to complete certain courses as part of their curriculum, along with vendors’ online trainings that introduce the SOC tools used in TSOC.
- Hours of operation: TSOC will operate from 9 am to 5 pm local time Monday through Friday to provide services to clients.
- Shift structure: Each student will work three shifts per week, each lasting three hours, totaling nine hours per week. The shifts overlap to develop a work hand-off culture between student shifts.
- Shift duties: Students will monitor alerts, investigate potential incidents, and escalate as necessary. Throughout the term, students will be exposed to scenarios, including both real-world and simulated attacks, that cover the functionalities of an SOC and ensure students meet their learning outcomes.
- Team collaboration: Students will collaborate in teams, mirroring the environment of an SOC. This will help build communication skills with both teammates and clients.
- Services: The list of services provided to clients includes network monitoring, incident response, vulnerability management, threat intelligence, and much more.
Learning Outcomes
Students can enroll in the TSOC program via three course offerings, constituting a college year. Students will spend about 9-10 hours per week working in shifts and engaging with clients to provide necessary services. Key learning outcomes include:
- Log analysis
- Incident response
- Network monitoring
- Risk assessment
- Threat intelligence
- Penetration testing (future offering)
- Threat hunting (future offering)
- Ethics and compliance (future offering)