ERIC Number: EJ1361332
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1055-3096
EISSN: EISSN-2574-3872
Available Date: N/A
SOC It to 'Em: Bringing a Security Operations Center onto a University Campus
Marquardson, Jim
Journal of Information Systems Education, v33 n3 p300-305 Sum 2022
Employers want applicants with experience, even for entry-level cybersecurity roles. Universities traditionally help students gain cybersecurity experience by hiring them for on-campus jobs or by matching job seekers to employers for off-campus work. A third option is described in this paper in which universities bring external companies on campus. Recently, our institution partnered with Novacoast to open a security operations center on campus that employed university students as analysts. Novacoast develops NovaSOC--a security information and event management platform that captures and analyzes information gathered from server and client devices. Interns in our campus security operations center used NovaSOC to monitor security events for Novacoast customers who chose to outsource monitoring to Novacoast. While the security operations center has been a success, establishing it required that the institution address technical issues such as network connectivity and organizational changes like requiring background checks for student employees. Students reported that they would choose to work in the security operations center again but were generally underworked. Administrators reported that the security operations center was aligned with the university's mission but felt that few people at the university truly understood the work conducted in the security operations center. Institutions looking to bring external entities on campus for similar partnerships should engage risk management early, ensure that student staffing matches the expected workload, and develop plans for financial sustainability. This paper delves into the details of bringing a security operations center onto our campus and gives actionable advice for institutions seeking to establish similar partnerships.
Descriptors: Information Science Education, Information Security, Campuses, Computer Security, Universities, Student Employment, School Business Relationship, Outsourcing, Computer Networks, Student Attitudes, Undergraduate Students, Administrator Attitudes, Risk Management, Work Environment, Majors (Students), Career Development, Internship Programs, Work Experience, Program Descriptions
Journal of Information Systems Education. e-mail: editor@jise.org; Web site: http://www.jise.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A