Sentinel Ops: Advanced Blue Team Operations

Basic to Advance Defensive Security training focusing on real-world incident detection, response, threat hunting, and use of SIEM and SOC tools.

15 Modules

5 weeks

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Why This Course Matters

Hands-On Labs: 50+ labs, including cloud-based and CTF-style challenges.
Certification Prep: Aligned with CompTIA Security+, SANS GSEC, GIAC GCIH, and CyberDefenders CCD.
Community Access: Discord/Slack for peer collaboration and instructor support.
Career Building: Guided resume and LinkedIn development for SOC roles.
Capstone Project: Full attack response simulation with professional deliverables.
Regular Updates: Content refreshed for 2025 threats, tools, and TTPs.

Develop elite blue team professionals capable of detecting, responding to, and neutralizing cyber threats. This 16-week course focuses on Security Operations Center (SOC) operations, SIEM analysis, threat intelligence, incident response, and advanced defensive tactics, preparing students for roles like SOC analyst, incident responder, and threat hunter.

Targeted Audience

Beginners with basic technical knowledge (networking, Linux/Windows basics).
Aspiring security analysts, defenders, and future SOC leaders.
Professionals targeting certifications like CompTIA Security+, SANS GSEC, or CyberDefenders CCD.

Job Roles

SOC Analyst (Tier 1/2)
Incident Responder
Threat Hunter
Malware Analyst
Security Engineer (Defensive)
Threat Intelligence Analyst

Tools & Technologies

Course Modules

Module 0: Cybersecurity Foundations

Networking: OSI/TCP-IP models, VLANs, DMZs, firewalls, cloud networking basics (AWS VPCs, Azure VNETs).
Operating Systems: Windows (file systems, services, PowerShell), Linux (permissions, systemd, Bash).
Security Principles: CIA triad, threat/vulnerability/risk concepts, access controls, encryption.
Lab Setup: Configure VirtualBox/VMware, Kali Linux, Windows Server, and cloud-based labs.

Module 1: Introduction to Blue Team Operations

Blue team roles and responsibilities in a SOC.
Defensive tools: Antivirus, firewalls, IDS/IPS, EDR (e.g., CrowdStrike, SentinelOne).
Threat landscape: Common attack vectors (phishing, ransomware, APTs).
Zero-trust architecture principles.

Module 2: SOC Operations & Incident Management

SOC structure: Tiered roles, ticketing systems, escalation protocols.
SOC tools: SIEM, SOAR (e.g., Splunk SOAR, Palo Alto XSOAR), case management.
Incident triage, prioritization, and documentation.
Automating SOC workflows with SOAR scripts.

Module 3: SIEM Fundamentals & Configuration

SIEM overview: Splunk, Elastic SIEM, Microsoft Sentinel.
Deployment models: On-premises vs. cloud-based SIEM.
Log ingestion: Endpoints, firewalls, cloud services (AWS CloudTrail, Azure Monitor).
Correlation rules and alert tuning.
Cloud-native SIEM integration (e.g., Azure Sentinel with Entra ID).

Module 4: SIEM Analysis & Threat Detection

Alert analysis: False positives, attack pattern recognition.
Dashboards and reporting: Visualizing threats and metrics.
Common attacks: Phishing, brute force, lateral movement.
AI-driven anomaly detection in SIEM (e.g., Splunk UBA).

Module 5: Threat Intelligence Fundamentals

Types: Strategic, tactical, operational intelligence.
Sources: Open-source (OSINT), commercial (ThreatConnect, Recorded Future).
Tools: MISP, OpenCTI for threat intelligence sharing.
Integrating threat feeds into SIEM for real-time updates.

Module 6: Advanced Threat Intelligence

Threat modeling: STRIDE, DREAD, PASTA.
MITRE ATT&CK: Mapping TTPs to defenses.
Automating intelligence workflows with Python.
Using ATT&CK Navigator for defense gap analysis.

Module 7: Incident Response Planning

IR plan components: Roles, communication, escalation.
Frameworks: NIST 800-61, SANS incident handling process.
Preparation: Playbooks, tabletop exercises.
Cloud incident response (e.g., AWS IR workflows).

Module 8: Incident Response Execution

Detection and analysis: Log review, IoC identification.
Containment: Short-term vs. long-term strategies.
Eradication and recovery: Patching, system restoration.
Post-incident reporting with lessons learned.

Module 9: Threat Hunting Fundamentals

Threat hunting: Hypothesis-driven vs. data-driven approaches.
Data sources: Logs, network traffic, endpoint telemetry.
Tools: Velociraptor, Sysmon, Zeek.
Hunting in cloud environments (e.g., AWS CloudTrail).

Module 10: Advanced Threat Hunting

Advanced hunting: Detecting lateral movement, persistence.
SIEM-based hunting with Splunk/Elastic queries.
Case studies: APTs, insider threats.
Using machine learning for threat hunting (e.g., Elastic ML).

Module 11: Malware Analysis

Static analysis: Disassembling with IDA Pro, Ghidra.
Dynamic analysis: Sandboxing with Cuckoo, Flare VM.
IoCs: File hashes, network signatures, behavioral indicators.
Analyzing cloud-based malware (e.g., malicious Lambda functions).

Module 12: Advanced Cyber Defense

Deception technologies: Honeypots, decoy systems (e.g., Thinkst Canary).
Red team/blue team collaboration: Purple team exercises.
Advanced EDR: CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender ATP.
Defending zero-trust environments.

Module 13: Capstone Lab – Full Cyber Attack Response

End-to-end response: Detection, containment, eradication, recovery.
Reporting: Executive summaries, technical findings, IoCs.
Simulating a cloud-native attack (e.g., AWS S3 breach).

Module 14: Career Building & Certification Prep

Certifications: CompTIA Security+, SANS GSEC, GIAC GCIH, CyberDefenders CCD.
Career tools: Resume building, interview prep for SOC roles.
Community: CTFs (Hack The Box, TryHackMe), conferences (SANS, Black Hat).
LinkedIn content strategy for blue team branding.