SOC Analyst Appreciation Day Landing Page

About SOC Analyst Appreciation Day™

SOC analysts are too often overworked and underappreciated. That leads to burnout and turnover. In fact, 78% say working in the SOC is “very painful” — yikes! Devo is establishing SOC Analyst Appreciation Day™ to pay some long-overdue kudos to YOU and to encourage organizations to improve SOC analyst job satisfaction and mental well-being. Join us as we celebrate SOC analysts around the world and provide opportunities for personal and professional development, all while we unwind with programming specifically designed to help you de-stress!

Learn About Our Analyst Awards

Send an e-card

Win Prizes

Virtual events schedule and registration

Being hunched over in front of a screen — pretty common for SOC work — can really do some damage to your posture and overall comfort.

Starts:

Desk Decompression

Partners

Your chance to win a nintendo Switch!

#SOCAnalystDay —

From October 18-22, we'll reward three lucky winners with a Nintendo Switch. All you have to do is follow @devo_inc and use #SOCAnalystDay on Twitter for a chance to win!

Official Terms and Conditions.

You can tell us your most or least favorite part about working in the SOC, advice you’d give to SOC analysts just starting out, or anything else cyber-related. We can’t wait to hear from you — good luck!

11 a.m. EDT / 8 a.m. PDT

11:20 a.m. EDT / 8:20 a.m. PDT

Starts:

Based on 25+ years in the security industry, Product Security Group CISO Marc French has created a series of career ladders to help guide infosec professionals through their career journeys, including the illustrious CISO position. Marc will be joined by Paul Asadoorian, Chief Innovation Officer of the Cyber Risk Alliance, and they will provide an overview of the general and security skills needed to move up in the SOC, including insights on what you SHOULD be paid.

Security Ladders

Join Liz Padula and Natalie Tull Greene, certified yoga instructors from Artemis Yoga, for a decompression session that you can do right at your desk. You’ll walk away standing taller and feeling like a million bucks.

12:55 p.m. EDT / 9:55 a.m. PDT

Starts:

Enterprise Security Weekly is one of the top podcasts for security pros, and their October 20 episode is dedicated to SOC Analyst Appreciation Day! Recorded Future will join for a segment called “Lessons Learned from Real Attack Groups.” This will be an educational session on the techniques hackers are using, why they are successful, and what to look out for. Stay tuned for more information on exclusive guest interviews!

ESW Podcast Live Show

12:10 p.m. EDT / 9:10 a.m. PDT

Starts:

Laughter is the cure to all work-related suffering. Join comedian Dwayne Perkins for a 30-minute comedy set during your well-deserved lunch break. Dwayne has made appearances on Conan, Comedy Central, and was a regular correspondent on The Jay Leno Show. You’re bound to bust a gut.

Lunch and Laugh

3:20 p.m. EDT / 12:20 p.m. PDT

Starts:

A great mentor can be invaluable to your career, but how do you find one? What can they help you with? What does the ideal mentor/mentee relationship look like? Join this panel to get the answers to these questions and more.

Demystifying Mentorship

2:30 p.m. EDT / 11:30 a.m. PDT

Starts:

Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli of ITSPmagazine will be joined by a panel of three individuals who work in the SOC: an analyst, a manager, and a leader. They’ll discuss what happens day to day and the challenges of SOC work.

A Day in the Life in the SOC

1 p.m. AEDT

Starts:

This panel is directed toward SOC analysts and managers located in APAC. It's designed to explore job opportunities for aspiring analysts, share pathways to success, and develop ideas for SOC career advancement. Some of Asia Pacific’s preeminent cybersecurity leaders will join us for a riveting discussion that you won’t want to miss!

SOC Analyst Career Development Session — APAC

(This is an APAC Region Event)

Watch the SOC Analyst Appreciation Day™ live stream below and join the discussion on Discord.

Award Winners

Thanks for joining SOC Analyst Appreciation Day™! On-demand content is coming soon!

About SOC Analyst Appreciation Day™

SOC analysts are too often overworked and underappreciated. That leads to burnout and turnover. In fact, 78% say working in the SOC is “very painful” — yikes! Devo established SOC Analyst Appreciation Day™ to pay some long-overdue kudos to YOU and to encourage organizations to improve SOC analyst job satisfaction and mental well-being. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us this year! Until next year, you can enjoy all the content from our #SOCAnalystDay live stream below.

Send an e-card

On-Demand Sessions

Being hunched over in front of a screen — pretty common for SOC work — can really do some damage to your posture and overall comfort.

View

Starts:

Desk Decompression

Partners

Your chance to win a nintendo Switch!

#SOCAnalystDay —

From October 18-22, we'll reward three lucky winners with a Nintendo Switch. All you have to do is follow @devo_inc and use #SOCAnalystDay on Twitter for a chance to win!

Official Terms and Conditions.

11 a.m. EDT / 8 a.m. PDT

View

11:20 a.m. EDT / 8:20 a.m. PDT

Starts:

Based on 25+ years in the security industry, Product Security Group CISO Marc French has created a series of career ladders to help guide infosec professionals through their career journeys, including the illustrious CISO position. Marc is joined by Paul Asadoorian, Chief Innovation Officer of the CyberRisk Alliance, and they provide an overview of the general and security skills needed to move up in the SOC, including insights on what you SHOULD be paid.

Security Ladders

View

12:10 p.m. EDT / 9:10 a.m. PDT

Starts:

Adam Janofsky from The Record by Recorded Future joins the Enterprise Security Weekly podcast to discuss what he and his team learned from interviewing cybercriminal groups like REvil and BlackMatter.

Enterprise Security Weekly Interview: Adam Janofsky, EIC, The Record by Recorded Future

View

3:20 p.m. EDT / 12:20 p.m. PDT

Starts:

Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli of ITSPmagazine are joined by a panel of three individuals who work in the SOC: an analyst, a manager, and a leader. They discuss what happens day to day and the challenges of SOC work.

A Day in the Life in the SOC

View

2:30 p.m. EDT / 11:30 a.m. PDT

Starts:

Josh Copeland, SOC director at AT&T, joined the Enterprise Security Weekly podcast to discuss how you can break into the cybersecurity industry.

Enterprise Security Weekly Interview: Josh Copeland, SOC Director AT&T

View

1 p.m. AEDT

Starts:

This panel explores job opportunities for aspiring analysts, shares pathways to success, and develops ideas for SOC career advancement. Some of Asia Pacific’s preeminent cybersecurity leaders joined us for a riveting — check it out.

SOC Analyst Career Development Session — APAC

(This is an APAC Region Event)

Award Winners

View

3:20 p.m. EDT / 12:20 p.m. PDT

Starts:

A great mentor can be invaluable to your career, but how do you find one? What can they help you with? What does the ideal mentor/mentee relationship look like? Rick Holland, CISO of Digital Shadows, hosted a panel of cybersecurity experts to get the answers to these questions and more.

Demystifying Mentorship

Learn About Our Awards Program

SOC analysts are the unsung heroes of their organization. This award program recognizes analysts who go above and beyond the call of duty and handle their pressure-packed job exceptionally well. Included below are the award categories. Click here to learn about the 2021 SOC Analyst Award Winners.

The Knowledge Sharer

This award is for a SOC analyst who dedicates time to sharing knowledge across business borders and looks to help the broader SOC analyst community. They invest time in industry communities and thought leadership opportunities and are always willing to share what they've learned. The winner will be someone who has gained a deeper level of industry knowledge and applies it in their SOC.

SOC analysts must stay up to date on the latest trends, technologies and certifications. However, it can be challenging to carve out time for continuous learning in such a demanding, time-consuming role. The recipient of this award will be a SOC analyst with a thirst for knowledge and a curious mind. Someone who goes above and beyond their work and takes time to proactively learn new skills and stay current on the latest industry trends.

The Continuous Learner

The role of a SOC analyst is — to state the obvious — highly demanding and stressful. It often seems there are not enough hours in the day to complete all of the necessary tasks of the role. SOC analysts are under pressure to perform their important work of defending their organization. This award recognizes an analyst who keeps calm in the face of chaos and thrives in their role — despite the daily pressures.

The Unflappable Analyst

Collaboration is a critical skill for all SOC analysts. This award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond in their role to ensure the group's success. This person prioritizes the success of their SOC team by ensuring everyone works together effectively.

The Best Collaborator

The SOC Dream Team is a group of SOC analysts that embodies all the skills and attributes that create a productive and supportive work environment. This team communicates effectively with each other to make their work seamless. They’re always hungry to learn more and share their knowledge with both their colleagues and the industry.

The SOC Dream Team

Categories include:

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Show your appreciation to your SOC colleagues by sharing one of our e-cards with them.

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Learn About Our SOC Analyst Awards Program Winners

SOC analysts are the unsung heroes of their organization. This award program recognizes analysts who go above and beyond the call of duty and handle their pressure-packed job exceptionally well. Click here to review the award categories and learn more about winners below.

The SOC Dream Team

HOME

Akhil Kumar

Janice Chen

Billy Kajos

Selene Gonzalez

Jeff Schmidt

Pedro De Jesus

Joshua Copeland

Saurabh Jangid

Zachary Blandford

Mark Willis

Alex Moore

Jasneet Dhingra

Helen Bell

Riduan Gan

Clay Weeks

Chris Gurney

John Sample

Jane Sample

Knowledge sharer Award Winner

Akhil is well-educated in all things cybersecurity, and he’s happy to share that knowledge with the rest of his team!

Nominated by Mehan Kasinath, Vice President, Enterprise Information Security "Akhil joined the SOC team 4+ years ago. He holds a dual master’s degree in cybersecurity and computer science from George Mason. His technical knowledge is highly valuable and his willingness to share knowledge with the team is amazing. Akhil will normally lead technical presentations to other IAC subs and IT departments."

Senior SOC Analyst, IAC

Akhil Kumar

Mitch Brandone

Chris Phillips

Nathan Weatherford

Fabian Moreno

Art Rebultan

John Sample

Unflappable Analyst Award Winner

Janice is known for being an unshakable force in her SOC and has handled many high-impact security incidents. If you need a calm force in stressful times, you want Janice on your SOC team.

Nominated by Ajish John, SOC Head “Janice is like a Zen master, juggling multiple things at any given time. She has been instrumental in securing our remote workforce during the pandemic, leading multiple high-impact security incidents, and driving forensic and historical investigations.”

Information Security Analyst III, Momentive

Janice Chen

Knowledge sharer Award Winner

Not only is Billy always willing to share his security knowledge with his FanDuel SOC teammates, but he’s also full of interesting facts and information. He truly embodies what it means to be a knowledge sharer.

Nominated by Star Smith, Director of Security Operations “Billy started at FanDuel this June and is a consummate intellectual. He learns quickly and loves gaining new skills and knowledge. Billy shares knowledge from his prior experience with security tooling to improve utilization at FanDuel and provides areas for new feature requests to the vendor. As a big Jeopardy fan, Billy is always full of facts and is a valuable member of the FanDuel SOC.”

Security Analyst, FanDuel

Billy Kajos

Continuous Learner Award Winner

At AT&T, Mitch has a reputation for quickly becoming an expert on new topics and tools. He is a very well respected, popular colleague.

Nominated by Josh Copeland, Director of Security Operations “Mitch is one of those analysts everyone loves to work with. He will see a problem and seek out every bit of information he can find about it. If a customer has a service, application or tool, Mitch is the guy who is going to rapidly become the subject matter expert. He figures out all the quirks that even the vendor doesn’t know about, but they document it based on Mitch’s feedback. If there is something new, you can be sure that not only does Mitch know about it, but he KNOWS about it.”

Tier 3 Security Analyst, AT&T

Mitch Brandone

Unflappable Analyst Award Winner

Despite facing a constant barrage of security alerts, Selene is known for staying steady and calm. Her peers applaud her incredible strength.

Nominated by Joe Wilson, Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager “As a lead for SOC functions, Selene remains unfazed and steadfast against a constant torrent of security alerts. She has consistently shown incredible strength against the never-ending fire we all face in the security industry."

IT Engineer — Threat Intelligence, Ulta Beauty

Selene Gonzalez

Knowledge sharer Award Winner

Jeff recently joined the team at Ulta and has made an immediate impact on its SOC. He was nominated for quickly coming up to speed on new tools and also for his willingness to grab onto new responsibilities.

Nominated by Joe Wilson, Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager "As a recent addition to our team, Jeff continues to act as a knowledge sponge, quickly onboarding to tools that are new to him and eagerly pursuing more tasks and responsibilities. As someone who came from a non-security background, he has given new meaning to the phrase ‘hit the ground running.'"

Engineer, IT Threat Intelligence, Ulta Beauty

Jeff Schmidt

Best Collaborator Award Winner

Pedro is known for going above and beyond, even working during off-hours and when he isn’t on call. According to his peers, he has an amazing work ethic!

Nominated by Mehan Kasinath, Vice President, Enterprise Information Security "Pedro joined the SOC team 3+ years ago and his dedication to keeping the team together and making sure everyone has the same mindset is amazing. He provides coverage and support to the team during off-hours or in situations where he is not on call. It is highly appreciated by the team. He has a great work ethic and will work on an investigation until it’s resolved."

Information Security Analyst, IAC

Pedro De Jesus

Continuous Learner Award Winner

Chris is known for his training and mentoring capabilities. He leads the Ulta Beauty red team effortlessly.

Nominated by Joe Wilson, Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager "As the OSCP-certified red team lead, Chris has proven to be an invaluable member of our team. In addition to his core responsibilities, he has also provided key training/mentorship to newly onboarded members of the team. He continues to go the extra mile, working to improve not just himself but the team as a whole."

Senior Engineer, IT Threat Intelligence, Ulta Beauty

Chris Phillips

Knowledge Sharer Award Winner

Josh is a life-long learner. He has been a guest or contributor to numerous podcasts, a presenter at local cybersecurity conferences and meetings, and is even published in industry journals. Josh works hard to build up the cybersecurity and SOC communities on platforms like LinkedIn, sharing both his technical and career growth knowledge with his peers. He uses his background as an instructor to engage and mentor people not only in his own SOC, but within the larger IT/cybersecurity community.

Nominated by TBD "TBD"

SOC Director, AT&T

Josh Copeland

Best Collaborator Award Winner

Saurabh understands the phrase, “teamwork makes the dream work.” While he’s only been at Momentive for a short period of time, he’s made an immediate impact.

Nominated by Ajish John, SOC Head "While fairly new to the team, Saurabh is the go-to guy for collaboration. He quickly picked up our process and technology and helped shoulder the team’s workload. He constantly documents and communicates feedback both internally and externally to improve our security services."

Information Security Analyst II, Momentive

Saurabh Jangid

Continuous Learner Award Winner

Zachary embodies what it means to be a continuous learner. According to his managers and peers, he is constantly looking for ways to learn new skills and improve the organization’s security operations.

Nominated by Andrew King, Managing Director "Zachary is a quintessential continuous learner. He is consistently looking at new ways to improve his skills in a proactive, self-taught manner. From regex, LINQ, and API syntax, he is always looking at ways to create and tune alerts."

Senior Information Security Analyst, OneMain Financial

Zachary Blandford

Continuous Learner Award Winner

Nathan’s wide range of security skills makes him a unique asset to the Momentive security team. He’s entirely self-taught, so he clearly exhibits what it means to truly be a continuous learner.

Nominated by Ajish John, SOC Head "Nathan is one of the few analysts who have a unique mix of detection and offensive security capabilities. He has been instrumental in driving our phishing detection and protection program, driving detection engineering improvements, and overseeing penetration testing efforts."

Information Security Analyst, Momentive

Nathan Weatherford

Unflappable Analyst Award Winner

Mark’s peers know they can count on him — no matter what. Whether it’s a tough task or a challenging customer, Mark is the man.

Nominated by Josh Copeland, SOC Director "Mark is the center of our ‘brain trust.’ He is continuously looking for new and exciting information to share with the team. He is the lynchpin for developing new alerts, threat intelligence, and processes. When other analysts get out of their depth, it is Mark who dives in and gets things done. He is the ‘calm in the storm’ that is our multitenant SOC. If there is an analyst that is going to be trusted for the most demanding task with the most demanding customer, it is Mark Willis.”

Tier 3 Security Analyst, AT&T

Mark Willis

Best Collaborator Award Winner

Alex is known for his ability to achieve success and drive interdepartmental collaboration. It’s people like Alex who help SOC teams achieve greatness!

Nominated by Joe Wilson, Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager "As our incident response lead, Alex is required to interface with any number of different departments within the organization — a function he excels at. Alex is a consistent example of how IT departments can achieve greatness through interdepartmental collaboration and a desire to see those around you succeed.”

Senior IT Engineer, Threat Intelligence, Ulta Beauty

Alex Moore

Best Collaborator Award Winner

Relentless is a good word to describe AB. According to his peers, he works tirelessly to make sure the entire team is operating at peak performance.

Nominated by Frank Griffits, Cybersecurity Manager "Since joining our SOC in early 2020, AB has engaged with all our security platforms to provide automation solutions for everything from EDR to SIEM to email monitoring. He has an in-depth understanding of workflow integrations and labors tirelessly to provide better response times and mitigation strategies for the whole team.”

SOC Analyst II, AMEX GBT

Continuous Learner Award Winner

Before Fabian worked in the SOC at IAC, he studied psychology. Now working on an advanced degree in cybersecurity, he brings tremendous value to IAC’s SOC every day.

Nominated by Mehan Kasinath, Vice President, Enterprise Information Security "His hunger and desire to learn is above and beyond the norm. He joined the SOC team just over 3 years ago and his work ethic and dedication have brought tremendous value to IAC. Prior to joining the SOC, Fabian was a psychology major and did not work in security. He is almost near completion of a master’s in cybersecurity from NYU.”

Security Analyst, IAC

Fabian Moreno

Continuous Learner Award Winner

Jas is consistently knowledgeable and keeps up with current security issues. He spends considerable amounts of his personal time to better understand and improve the systems he is responsible for and then shares this knowledge back within the workplace.

Nominated by Nick Lown, Mater "Jas deserves this and lives and breathes his craft. He has a great reputation for being 'addicted to certifications' and regularly spends his nights and weekends studying for various exams or honing his security skills in out-of-hours events.”

Senior IT Security Analyst, Mater

Jasneet Dhingra

Unflappable Analyst Award Winner

Helen has been a SOC analyst for the better part of a decade. This kind of long-term dedication to the profession makes her a valuable asset to any SOC she works in.

Nominated by Prescott Pym, Deloitte Australia "Helen is one of those analysts who toils away on 24x7 shifts. She is always reliable and provides good support to the team. SOC analysts like Helen are the heart of the SOC team, but often go unnoticed. They get the job done without fuss, help others and provide outstanding customer service.”

Security Analyst, Verizon

Helen Bell

Best Collaborator Award Winner

Riduan navigates this complex landscape without breaking a sweat. He exhibits foresight and continually works on improving AMP Limited’s cyber detection use cases and response playbooks.

Nominated by Steve Espino, AMP Limited "Riduan embodies the unflappable analyst, working calmly and tirelessly through tough and challenging conversations with the rest of the team, the broader business, and our support partners.”

Cyber Incident and Forensics Specialist, AMP Limited

Riduan Gan

Knowledge Sharer Award Winner

Art is known for being very proactive and self-sufficient. Since he joined Envision Digital, the team has made strides in improving their cyber readiness because of how well he’s mitigated security gaps.

Nominated by Moran Tomer, CISO "Art is the definition of a professional team player. He is at the top of his field and goes out of his way to keep everyone updated with the latest happenings. Art has done lectures at various conferences, schedules brown bag sessions, and keeps everyone on their toes with dynamic, evolving knowledge.”

Principal DFIR and Counter Intelligence, Envision Digital

Art Rebultan

Best Collaborator Award Winner

Clay is the master of information sharing. He makes sure more than 30 analysts have what they need to do their jobs. Anyone working in a SOC knows that’s quite a tall order!

Nominated by Josh Copeland, Director of Security Operations "Clay is the leader, trainer and mentor to his fellow analysts. Clay not only goes above and beyond when it comes to sharing information, but he also sets up an environment in which collaboration is assured. He doesn’t just pass off information bi-directionally. His efforts directly reach across three separate Tier 2 teams, and four distinct Tier 3 teams to synergize efforts by this massive group of 30+ analysts working in a dozen different toolsets.”

Tier 3 Security Analyst, AT&T

Clay Weeks

Unflappable Analyst Award Winner

Chris paved the way for other analysts to join FanDuel’s SOC, which is why he’s being recognized in this category.

Nominated by Star Smith, Director of Security Operations "Chris started at FanDuel this April as our first SOC analyst! He hit the ground running and began to build a strong foundation for the SOC as new analysts were onboarded. Amidst the chaos, he learned through trial by fire and passed on his knowledge to swiftly bring analysts up to speed. He is an undeniable leader and has supported the FanDuel team during critical periods of on-call shifts. As an Aussie rules ‘footy’ player, Chris thrives under pressure and is a valuable member of the FanDuel SOC.”

Security Analyst, FanDuel

Chris Gurney

Riduan Gan

Art Rebultan