10-Step Detection Engineering Checklist for SOC Teams

This document is a guide that outlines a 10-step checklist for Security Operations Center (SOC) teams focused on detection engineering. It begins by emphasizing the importance of starting with a clear strategy that defines the purpose and scope of detection efforts. The guide details the necessity of building with appropriate tools and technology, ensuring that the tech stack aligns with detection goals. It stresses the need for context-rich alerts and the measurement of key performance indicators (KPIs) to enhance detection effectiveness. The document differentiates between SOC rules and threat hunting rules, advising on the use of threat prevalence to prioritize detections. Furthermore, it highlights the significance of leveraging analyst feedback and committing to a continuous detection engineering lifecycle. The guide concludes by addressing the optimization of performance and cost, as well as the management of third-party versus internal rules. Overall, it provides practical advice based on field experience to improve SOC operations.