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Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking · Learning path

SOC Analyst

The knowledge and hands-on habits expected of a junior security operations analyst.

Start lesson 1 See the stages
16
lessons
6
stages
Certified SOC Analyst (CSA), CompTIA CySA+
prepares for
Who it is for
Beginners with networking and operating system basics.
What you will be able to do
You can read common logs, explain how detections map to attacker behaviour and triage a suspicious event.
  1. Stage 1 of 6

    Understand the role

    2 lessons
    1. What Is a SOC Analyst? The Frontline Defender in Cybersecurity
      Explainer
    2. What Are Red and Blue Teams in Cybersecurity? A Beginner Guide
      Explainer
  2. Stage 2 of 6

    Logs and telemetry

    What the evidence looks like and where it lives.

    3 lessons
    1. Types of Security Logs: A Complete Guide for Cybersecurity Monitoring
      Explainer
    2. Windows Log File Locations: Credential Access, Event Logs, Malware Indicators and Persistence Paths
      Explainer
    3. 11 Windows Security Commands for SOC Analysts and What to Look For
      Commands & reference
  3. Stage 3 of 6

    Detection tooling

    4 lessons
    1. What Are IDS and IPS? Intrusion Detection vs Prevention Explained
      Comparison
    2. What Is EDR? Endpoint Detection and Response Explained for Beginners
      Explainer
    3. What Is Splunk and How Is It Used in Cybersecurity?
      Explainer
    4. Best Free and Open Source SIEM Tools Compared
      Tools
  4. Stage 4 of 6

    Think in attacker behaviour

    2 lessons
    1. MITRE ATT&CK Framework Explained | Your Guide to Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence
      Tutorial
    2. Cyber Kill Chain vs MITRE ATT&CK: Comparison and Integration
      Comparison
  5. Stage 5 of 6

    Hands-on triage

    3 lessons
    1. How to Investigate Suspicious URLs Like a SOC Analyst: Tools and Steps
      Tutorial
    2. Blue Team Tools for Beginners: A Starter Stack With Hands-On Tasks
      Lab / project
    3. SOC Analyst Case Study Questions: Six Scenarios With a Method, Evidence and Model Answers
      Explainer
  6. Stage 6 of 6

    Get the job

    2 lessons
    1. How to Become a SOC Analyst: Skills, Tools, Certifications and Path
      Certification preparation
    2. Top 50 SOC Analyst Interview Questions and Answers (With Triage Scenarios)
      Interview preparation

Path order last reviewed 13 Nov 2026. All learning paths