Student Security Operations Center (SOC)

The Student SOC is a partnership between the School of Cybersecurity and University Information Security Office (UISO) to provide our students with hands-on experience in real world settings.

The Student SOC is a command center where you work alongside professional security analysts and engineers to monitor, detect, and respond to live cyberattacks. This isn't a simulation—you will use industry-standard tools like CrowdStrike, QRadar, PagerDuty to protect thousands of users and devices across our campus.

• Real-World Experience: Transition from theory to practice by triaging real security alerts and conducting threat hunting.
• Master Professional Tools: Gain hands-on proficiency with SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) and EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) platforms used in industry.
• Mentorship: Work under the guidance of seasoned cybersecurity experts who will help you refine your technical analysis and incident response workflows.

You will receive invaluable hands-on training that equips you with the skills to step confidently into the workforce.

The Student SOC program is one calendar year starting in fall semester and ending in summer semester. During this period, the students are expected to dedicate at least 10 hours per week to the program. The students will receive 12 credit hours in total including four (4) credit hours in fall, five (5) credit hours in spring, and three (3) credit hours during summer.

The students will have to register for nine (9) credit hours during the academic year (four (4) credit hours in fall semester and five (5) credit hours in spring semester). The course numbers will be shared with the students who are selected for the program. During the summer, you will register for CYSE 368 Cybersecurity Internship (three (3) credit hours).

The students go through a training program and initially shadow and then work under the supervision of a full-time UISO staff member with the goal of becoming a self-sustaining member of the team as the program progresses.

As a Student Security Analyst, you will

• Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity or unauthorized access.
• Analyze potential threats to determine their severity and impact.
• Collaborate with the UISO team to neutralize malware, phishing attempts, and system vulnerabilities.
• Report on emerging trends to help harden the university’s overall security posture.

We are looking for motivated students with a passion for problem-solving and a keen interest in cybersecurity. While the program is open to all students enrolled at the School of Cybersecurity programs, rising juniors and seniors are the best fit for this program.