Effective Threat Investigation for SOC Analysts: The ultimate guide to examining various threats and attacker techniques using security logs

I truly enjoyed the book. I’ve been in a SOC for almost 4yrs and the material is well put together.Mostafa looks to have gained some inspiration from SANS books as his chapters are condensed in small sections but with value.Mostafa introduces common techniques threat actors use regarding malicious emails, how to investigate them, and resources/links to use. This investigation process is repeated throughout the chapters: to understand what is normal and what isn't—the steps to test your theory via looking at event IDs, suspicious artifacts/commands or other logs.He provides a lab set up to follow along with so the material hits home and students can understand his explanations.Ultimately, the book is a valuable resource to reference when investigating cases. Mostafa does a great job at providing areas to consider looking at and multiple resources a SOC analyst should have in their arsenal. Plus, THE HELK has plenty of datasets to keep practicing what was taught in the book.

A must read book for SOC analysts and blue teams to boost their skills in analyzing security logs and threat huntingA piece of art that would add a lot to any cybersecurity enthusiast

Good book to practice and improve skills set.

I work as a SOC Analyst at a "new" SOC. This book gave me a bit of insight into what I could be doing better or the things that we should be doing.This book has a lot of good information. I keep it in the office for the junior analysts to read and use as a reference.I recommend this book for anyone new to the SOC analyst positions or if you just want to learn more about the various threats you may encounter and how to dive into them.

As an Information Security Specialist and Digital Forensic Analyst for many years now this book was a great way to refresh and sharpen my skillset. It was very informative and the breakdown of the scenarios reflects what you will encounter in the field. This book helped me to refresh some skills that I haven't used much and showed me some techniques that can make the investigation process much more efficient. Most Cybersecurity or SOC Analyst books just bombard you with information and it ends up feeling like drinking out of a firehouse. This book does a great job of balancing the information with real-life scenarios to help with the digestion of the data. It breaks down the contents in small ingestable bites instead of cramming everything in at once. This helps to make the reading experience enjoyable. Highly recommend this book for not only beginners but also veterans in the Cybersecurity field.

Effective Threat Investigation for SOC Analysts is an excellent resource and one of the most outstanding additions to my cybersecurity learning library. SOC Analyst roles , even at entry level, require a wealth of knowledge. The books two initial chapters go into email threats and header analysis. Windows event logs, access management and validation, investigating event logs and PowerShell event logs and indicators of persistence and lateral movement are covered with tips on indicators of compromise and investigatory means via event log are detailed in depth. Part 3 of the book covers Firewall and Proxy log analysis, Web proxy logs and Proxy logs to identify C2 communications. Part 4 goes into external threat investigations and network security alerts, using threat intelligence techniques and dynamic and static malware analysis.I have the kindle copy, which is great, but I actually feel this is one of those books I also want in print for quick/easy lookups off the shelf. Highly recommended addition to any Blue teamer library.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of relevant and free tools available to do a decent threat investigation before moving on to more advanced tools mentioned later on. Not only did the author Mostafa Yahia share the tools necessary, he also shared great strategies to perform my investigations. He guided me to know where to look for potential threats and revealed their known hiding places within the operating system. Lastly, he shared all of the log locations you could possibly look and monitor for potential attacks.I highly recommend reading this if you want to pursue a career in CyberSecurity as an SOC analyst or if you simply want the skills necessary to properly investigate your own systems. This is a great and informative read as it is deeply detailed and identifies many potential email, OS, and Network threats!

I've read a lot of books on threat investigation. But "Effective Threat Investigation for SOC Analysts" is by far the best book I've ever read on the subject.The author, Mostafa Yahia, does an excellent job of explaining the entire threat investigation process in a clear and concise way. He covers everything from incident response planning to malware analysis to post-incident analysis.I especially appreciate the way the author emphasizes the importance of using a structured approach to threat investigation. He provides a step-by-step methodology that can be used to investigate any type of incident.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is responsible for investigating security incidents. It's an invaluable resource that will help you to improve your incident response skills and protect your organization from cyber threats.

I recently finished reading "Effective Threat Investigation for SOC Analysts" and I must say, it is an exceptional book. This book has significantly enhanced my understanding of threat detection. The author has done a great job in providing a detailed guide that is both informative and practical. The content is well-organized, making it easy to follow and understand even on complex concepts. The case studies included throughout the book are useful and insightful.Thank you, Mostafa for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us. Your book is an indispensable resource for anyone involved in threat investigation. Highly recommended!

Very good book for soc experts

Absolutely thrilled to share my best investment of 2023: "Effective Threat Investigation for SOC Analysts." This exceptional book not only provides a comprehensive understanding of threat investigation but also delves into real-world scenarios, making the learning experience invaluable.I genuinely appreciate the depth and clarity of the content, shedding light on the intricacies of the field.Hats off to Mostafa Yahia for crafting this piece of art! 🙌 Looking forward to diving into more advanced insights on the same topic in the future. 🚀💡 Thank you for empowering cybersecurity professionals with knowledge that truly matters.

The content is incredibly detailed, spread across four comprehensive parts starting with "Email Investigation Techniques", "Investigating Windows Threats", and so much more. What stands out is the author's approach to the sequence of the content. 🕵️‍♂️ As you delve deeper into the chapters, it feels as if you're navigating through a real-life cybersecurity scenario. The explanations are so vivid that it truly transports you into a live company setting, teaching you each step to be taken in a given situation.If you're into cybersecurity and SOC analysis, this book is a treasure trove. While reading, you'll constantly feel as if you're in the midst of a real-time threat investigation. Highly recommended! 🌟

I was excited to get this in the mail! Highly recommend this reading / reference material. I am a complete beginner and found it easy to understand.Topics covered:📖 Email investigation techniques📖 Investigation of Windows threats by using event logs📖 Investigation of network threats by using firewall and proxy logs📖 Investigation of other threats by usign external resourcesI've only just started with email investigation, email flow and header analysis.Looking forward to diving deeper into the other topics! Thanks to Mostafa for making the content readable and accessible.