Defending the Digital Campus: My Journey as a Student SOC Analyst

In today’s cybersecurity landscape, threats evolve faster than ever and so must the defenders. As a graduate student pursuing my Master’s in Computer Science with a concentration in Cybersecurity at Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS), I was fortunate to be part of the front lines as a Student SOC Analyst.

This role wasn’t just a student job it was a launchpad into the real-world operations of a Security Operations Center (SOC). Here’s what I learned, faced, and achieved along the way.

Day-to-Day in the SOC

Every day started with one question: What does the threat landscape look like today?

Using tools like Splunk, SOAR, Microsoft Defender, and Entra ID, I monitored security alerts, analyzed suspicious activities, and helped contain potential threats. Whether it was identifying an unusual login location or investigating phishing emails, my role taught me that detection is only half the battle, response is what truly matters.

I reviewed dozens of alerts daily. One memorable case involved an impossible travel alert: a user logged in from two distant countries within minutes. A deeper dive revealed a new browser and OS fingerprint followed by a password reset attempt. Though no execution occurred, we flagged and contained it quickly. That was the first time I realized I had caught a true positive.

Key Skills and Takeaways

This hands-on experience helped sharpen both my technical and soft skills:

• Log Analysis & Threat Detection
  Learned to write and tune SPL queries in Splunk and identify behavioral anomalies in real time.

• Incident Response Playbooks
  Followed structured response steps using SOAR automation and ticketing tools to streamline incident handling.

• Team Communication
  Collaborated with fellow analysts and supervisors, learning to escalate with clarity and precision.

• Real-World Threat Landscape
  Understood how university networks differ from enterprise environments—and how attackers don’t discriminate.

Certifications & Growth

During my time at the SOC, I earned Comptia Security+ and Comptia CySA+, and I’m currently preparing for Network+ and OSCP this summer. The role didn't just build my resume it built my mindset as a security practitioner.

Gratitude

I’m deeply thankful to LSUS for offering students like me a real-world platform to contribute to campus security while learning from industry-standard tools and threats.

What’s Next?

I aim to dive deeper into Blue Teaming, Red Teaming and Offensive Security, combining this strong foundation in Blue Team operations with adversary emulation and ethical hacking. My end goal? To be a versatile cybersecurity professional who understands both the attacker and defender mindset.

If you’re a student interested in cybersecurity, don’t wait. Dive in. Learn the tools. Ask questions. Get your hands dirty. Because there’s no better way to learn than by doing—and defending.