The neurology of SOC teams

I’ve been piecing together the neurobiological responses to threat in a cybersecurity context and believe there are now several models which explain, for example, the hypervigilance we see in SOC analysts. One of the most interesting and seemingly persuasive is the distinction between expected versus unexpected threats, with the former giving rise to fear-based responses and the latter more in terms of anxiety. The research, which usually relies on fMRI studies to map functional stimulation, consistently implicates the amygdala which precipitates what we commonly call the flight or fight response. The premise is that constant exposure to massive incoming potential threats results in a reorganisation of the brain structure and function and leaves individuals reporting what we commonly encounter as the inability to switch off. Interventions such as the iRest protocol which we apply in Cybermindz.org training is effective in resetting the response threat stimuli and over time would be expected to produce more resilient and happier SOC teams. Let us know if this is a topic of interest.