Entry Point
No Experience Required
“You don't need a degree. You need curiosity and the discipline to build it. Everyone starts here.”
Tools & Stack
Core Skills
- Networking — TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, subnetting
- OS fundamentals — Windows & Linux
- Security concepts — CIA triad, common threats
- Scripting basics — Python or Bash
Certifications
Recommended
Alternatives
L1 Triage Analyst
First Line of Detection
“07:45. You open the SIEM dashboard. 4,200 alerts overnight. Your job is to find the three that matter.”
Tools & Stack
Core Skills
- SIEM log analysis and search query writing
- Alert triage, classification, and prioritisation
- IOC lookup and contextual enrichment
- Incident ticketing and escalation procedures
Certifications
Recommended
Alternatives
L2 Advanced Analyst
Pattern Recognition & Correlation
“Three events. Each harmless alone. But you see them together — and you see the attacker's hand.”
Tools & Stack
Core Skills
- Threat correlation and attack pattern mapping
- Malware triage — static and dynamic analysis
- MITRE ATT&CK framework and TTP identification
- SOAR automation and playbook development
Certifications
Recommended
Alternatives
L3 Forensic Analyst
Deep Forensics & Incident Lead
“You pull the disk. You find the malware. You trace it to its first byte. This is where the story ends.”
Tools & Stack
Core Skills
- Disk and memory forensics — full acquisition
- Malware reverse engineering and binary analysis
- C2 infrastructure profiling and attribution
- APT tracking and threat intelligence production
Certifications
Recommended
Alternatives
SOC Lead
Operations Command
“The team responds as fast as the system you built for them. Your job: make the next incident take 10 minutes, not 15.”
Tools & Stack
Core Skills
- SOC architecture design and tool strategy
- MTTD / MTTR KPI definition and reporting
- Analyst mentoring and career development
- Executive stakeholder communication
Certifications
Begin
Next Actions
Start building your detection workflow today.
Start in a Lab Today
Build a Portfolio
- Write lab walkthrough reports in PDF format
- Document your homelab with screenshots
- GitHub: scripts, tools, and detection rules
The SOC is the heart of security operations. Your vigilance keeps the business alive.