Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Silent Alarm • CPTED • Emergency Response

Security Operations

Term from Security industry explained for recruiters

Security Operations (often called SecOps) is like having a digital security guard team for an organization's computer systems and data. These teams monitor, defend against, and respond to any security threats or suspicious activities. Think of them as the combination of a surveillance team, emergency responders, and security patrol, but for computer networks and digital assets. They use various tools and processes to keep an organization's digital environment safe, much like how a physical security team uses cameras, alarms, and guard patrols to protect a building.

Examples in Resumes

Led Security Operations team of 5 analysts in monitoring and responding to cyber threats

Improved incident response time by 40% through SecOps process optimization

Managed Security Operations Center (SOC) daily operations and threat detection activities

Implemented new tools and procedures for Security Operations team to enhance threat detection

Typical job title: "Security Operations Analysts"

Also try searching for:

Security Operations Analyst SOC Analyst Security Operations Engineer Cyber Security Analyst Information Security Analyst Security Operations Manager SOC Engineer

Where to Find Security Operations Analysts

Professional Organizations

Online Communities

Job Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you build and manage a Security Operations team from scratch?

Expected Answer: Should discuss creating standard procedures, selecting monitoring tools, building incident response plans, training team members, and establishing metrics for success. Should emphasize communication with management and budget considerations.

Q: How do you handle a major security incident?

Expected Answer: Should explain the incident response process: identification, containment, investigation, recovery, and lessons learned. Should mention stakeholder communication and documentation requirements.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What's your process for investigating a security alert?

Expected Answer: Should describe steps to validate alerts, gather evidence, determine impact, and recommend actions. Should mention documentation and communication with team members.

Q: How do you prioritize multiple security incidents?

Expected Answer: Should explain how to assess threat levels, potential impact on business, and available resources. Should mention using established frameworks for incident classification.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basic components of a Security Operations Center?

Expected Answer: Should mention monitoring tools, incident tracking systems, communication channels, and basic security tools. Should understand 24/7 operation concept.

Q: What would you do if you noticed unusual network activity?

Expected Answer: Should describe basic incident response steps: documenting the activity, checking against known threats, escalating to senior team members when needed.