Security Operations Centers (SOCs) are the backbone of modern cybersecurity defense. With the rapid growth of threats, organizations and analysts need strong reference material to stay ahead. Whether you are a beginner SOC analyst, an experienced blue-teamer, or someone preparing for a SOC interview, the right guides can make all the difference.
Here’s a curated collection of Top SOC SIEM Guides available for free download. These resources are practical, hands-on, and designed to help you sharpen your skills in log analysis, detection engineering, and incident response.
- 20 CVE Exercises With SIEM
- Advanced Threat Modeling
- Critical Logs To Monitor
- Cybersecurity Attacks Playbook 2025
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Essentials
- Firewalls & Network Security In SOC
- How To Build a SOC on a Budget
- SOC Analyst Now
- SOC Concepts
- SOC Technical Interview Guide
1. 20 CVE Exercises With SIEM
A hands-on workbook designed to simulate real-world attacks using well-known CVEs. Learn how vulnerabilities are exploited, what logs they generate, and how to detect them inside a SIEM. Perfect for SOC analysts who want practical detection experience.
2. Advanced Threat Modeling
This guide goes beyond the basics, covering frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK, STRIDE, and DREAD. It shows how to anticipate attacker tactics, map detections to kill chain stages, and build threat scenarios relevant to your organization.
3. Critical Logs To Monitor
Not all logs are equal. This resource explains the must-monitor log sources for SOCs including Windows Event Logs, Linux syslog, firewall traffic, EDR telemetry, DNS queries, and cloud audit logs. A quick-reference checklist for analysts.
4. Cybersecurity Attacks Playbook 2025
A modern playbook that documents the latest attack vectors, from ransomware double extortion to AI-driven phishing campaigns. Each attack is mapped with detection rules, log sources, and response workflows.
5. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Essentials
Endpoints are the frontline. This guide explains how EDR tools work, what telemetry they provide, and how SOC analysts can use EDR alerts for threat hunting and incident response.
6. Firewalls & Network Security In SOC
This guide revisits the basics of firewalls, IDS/IPS, and network visibility while linking them to modern SOC operations. Learn how to analyze firewall logs, detect anomalies, and integrate them into SIEM dashboards.
7. How To Build a SOC on a Budget
Not every organization has enterprise budgets. This resource outlines free/open-source SIEMs, log collectors, EDR tools, and incident response utilities that can help you establish a SOC without breaking the bank.
8. SOC Analyst Now
A quick-start guide for aspiring SOC analysts. Covers analyst responsibilities, shift operations, triage process, and real-world scenarios. Designed as a crash course to land your first SOC role.
9. SOC Concepts
A foundational guide that explains the SOC architecture, SIEM role, tiers of analysts, use case creation, alert lifecycle, and escalation paths. Ideal for beginners or anyone reviewing fundamentals.
10. SOC Technical Interview Guide
Preparing for a SOC analyst or SIEM engineer interview? This guide compiles frequently asked technical questions on logs, detection rules, threat hunting, Linux/Windows basics, and SIEM correlation logic.
These Top SOC SIEM Guides are designed to give you both theoretical knowledge and hands-on exercises. Whether you’re building your career, running a team, or improving your detection engineering, these resources will help you stay sharp in 2025 and beyond.
