Book excerpt: Security Operations Center Guidebook: A Practical Guide for a Successful SOC provides everything security professionals need to create and operate a world-class Security Operations Center. It starts by helping professionals build a successful business case using financial, operational, and regulatory requirements to support the creation and operation of an SOC. It then delves into the policies and procedures necessary to run an effective SOC and explains how to gather the necessary metrics to persuade upper management that a company's SOC is providing value. This comprehensive text also covers more advanced topics, such as the most common Underwriter Laboratory (UL) listings that can be acquired, how and why they can help a company, and what additional activities and services an SOC can provide to maximize value to a company. - Helps security professionals build a successful business case for a Security Operations Center, including information on the necessary financial, operational, and regulatory requirements - Includes the required procedures, policies, and metrics to consider - Addresses the often opposing objectives between the security department and the rest of the business with regard to security investments - Features objectives, case studies, checklists, and samples where applicable