Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Investigating IP-Related Alerts in the

Security Operations Center (SOC)

Purpose: To establish a standardized process for investigating IP-related alerts to ensure

timely detection, analysis, and mitigation of potential security threats.

Scope: This SOP applies to all SOC personnel, including security analysts, network
administrators, and IT support staff responsible for monitoring and responding to IP-related
alerts.

Responsibilities:

 Security Analysts: Responsible for initial investigation, analysis, and documentation

of IP-related alerts.
 Network Administrators: Assist in further investigation, remediation, and network
configuration adjustments as needed.
 IT Support Staff: Provide additional support for resolving issues identified during
the investigation.

Procedure:

1. Alert Identification:
o Receive Alert: Monitor security tools such as Intrusion Detection Systems
(IDS), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, and
firewalls for IP-related alerts.
o Verify Alert: Ensure the alert is valid and not a false positive by cross-
referencing with network baselines and historical data.
2. Initial Assessment:
o Alert Classification: Determine the type and severity of the alert (e.g.,
suspicious IP traffic, IP address conflict, unauthorized access attempt).
o Gather Information: Collect relevant information about the alert, including
IP addresses involved, timestamps, affected devices, and nature of the activity.
3. Preliminary Investigation:
o Source Identification: Identify the source and destination of the suspicious IP
activity. Determine if the IP addresses belong to internal assets or external
entities.
o Contextual Analysis: Review network logs, device logs, and historical data to
understand the context of the alert. Look for patterns or anomalies associated
with the IP addresses.
4. Detailed Analysis:
o Behavior Analysis: Analyze the behavior of the IP addresses involved in the
alert. Look for signs of malicious activity such as port scanning, brute force
attempts, or data exfiltration.
o Reputation Check: Perform a reputation check on the IP addresses using
threat intelligence sources to determine if they are associated with known
malicious activity.
o Correlation: Correlate the IP-related alert with other security events or alerts
to identify potential relationships or broader attack campaigns.
5. Containment and Mitigation:
 oContainment: If the alert indicates a potential threat, take immediate steps to
contain the activity. This may include isolating affected devices, blocking IP
addresses, or implementing network segmentation.
o Mitigation: Implement appropriate mitigation measures based on the nature
of the alert. This may involve updating firewall rules, applying security
patches, or adjusting network configurations.
6. Root Cause Analysis:
o Identify Root Cause: Conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root
cause of the IP-related alert. Identify any vulnerabilities or misconfigurations
that contributed to the alert.
o Document Findings: Document the findings of the root cause analysis,
including detailed descriptions of the investigation process, identified issues,
and corrective actions taken.
7. Reporting and Documentation:
o Incident Report: Prepare a comprehensive incident report summarizing the
IP-related alert, investigation process, findings, and actions taken. Include
recommendations for preventing similar incidents in the future.
o Update Documentation: Update relevant documentation, including network
diagrams, IP address inventories, and security policies, to reflect any changes
made during the investigation.
8. Follow-Up:
o Review and Analysis: Conduct a post-incident review to evaluate the
effectiveness of the investigation and response. Identify any gaps or areas for
improvement.
o Implement Improvements: Implement any identified improvements to
security processes, tools, and training based on lessons learned from the
investigation.
o **Regular Training

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Investigating User-Related Alerts in the

Security Operations Center (SOC)

Purpose: To establish a standardized process for investigating user-related alerts to identify

and mitigate potential security threats involving user accounts within the organization's
network.

Scope: This SOP applies to all SOC personnel, including security analysts, network
administrators, and incident response teams.

Responsibilities:

 Security Analysts: Primary responsibility for investigating user-related alerts and

conducting initial analysis.
 Incident Response Team: Responsible for deeper investigation, containment,
eradication, and recovery from security incidents.
 IT Support Staff: Assist in identifying user-related issues and implementing changes
to user account configurations as needed.
Procedure:

1. Alert Triage:
o Receive Alert: Monitor the Security Information and Event Management
(SIEM) system or other monitoring tools for user-related alerts.
o Initial Triage: Determine the severity and priority of the alert based on
predefined criteria (e.g., unusual login location, multiple failed login attempts,
anomalous behavior).
o Assign Analyst: Assign a security analyst to investigate the alert.
2. Data Collection:
o Gather Information: Collect all relevant data related to the alert, including
user ID, timestamps, associated logs, and any other contextual information.
o Login Logs: Retrieve login and authentication logs for the user account in
question.
o User Activity: Collect data on recent user activities, such as file accesses,
system changes, and application usage.
3. Initial Analysis:
o User Profile Check: Verify the user's role, access levels, and typical behavior
patterns.
o Contextual Analysis: Analyze the collected logs and data to understand the
nature of the alert. Look for patterns or anomalies that indicate potential
threats.
o Correlation: Correlate the alert with other alerts or incidents to identify any
broader attack patterns or campaigns.
4. Deep Investigation:
o Behavioral Analysis: Use user behavior analytics (UBA) tools to identify
deviations from the user's typical behavior.
o Endpoint Investigation: If applicable, perform an endpoint investigation to
analyze the behavior of the device used by the user.
o Credential Analysis: Check for potential credential compromises, such as
passwords exposed in data breaches or phishing attacks.
5. Containment and Mitigation:
o Account Suspension: If necessary, temporarily suspend the user's account to
prevent further unauthorized access.
o Password Reset: Force a password reset and ensure multi-factor
authentication (MFA) is enabled for the affected account.
o Remediation: Apply patches, remove malicious files, and take other
remediation steps to address the threat.
6. User Communication:
o Notify User: Inform the user about the suspicious activity and actions taken.
Provide guidance on securing their account and recognizing phishing attempts.
o User Verification: Verify the user's identity and confirm if the activity was
legitimate or unauthorized.
7. Documentation and Reporting:
o Incident Documentation: Document all findings, actions taken, and evidence
collected during the investigation in an incident report.
o Summary Report: Prepare a summary report for stakeholders, highlighting
key findings, impact, and recommendations for future prevention.
 oPost-Incident Review: Conduct a post-incident review to identify lessons
learned and improve future response processes.
8. Follow-Up:
o Monitor: Continue monitoring the affected user account and related activities
for any signs of residual or renewed threat activity.
o Update Threat Intelligence: Update threat intelligence databases with new
information discovered during the investigation.
o Training and Awareness: Share insights and findings with the SOC team to
enhance their knowledge and improve response capabilities.

Approval and Revision:

 This SOP is approved by the SOC Manager.

 Review and revision of this SOP will occur annually or as needed.

Effective Date: [Insert Effective Date]

Revision History:

 [Insert Date] - Initial SOP created.

 [Insert Date] - [Insert brief description of revisions]