Introducing: Student-Powered Security Operations Center Website
Introducing: Student-Powered Security Operations Center Website
The Security Operations Center (SOC) run by the Information Security Office and sponsored by University Advancement, now has its very own home on the Miami website.
Here, you can find information about the kinds of tools our security analysts use to identify and block threats to the institution, tips on how to identify phishing, and, in the future, profiles of our amazing student employees!
Student powered, security focused
The student-powered SOC has already proven to be a success by several metrics, including the breadth of threats the ISO has been able to identify and by the experience acquired by our student employees.
“To protect the institution, we need to be able to keep an eye on what’s coming in on our networks,” said John Virden, chief information security officer. “In order to detect threats effectively, you need to invest in people or technology. One way is to have a security operations center, and that’s what we’ve done.”
The key benefits of having a SOC are numerous. First, it positions Miami as a leader in threat detection and enhances our cybersecurity posture—a huge win in an increasingly hazardous online world. This also helps us meet regulatory and insurance requirements, as those also grow in complexity.
Real threats, real experience
It’s important to note that though the SOC is operated entirely by student employees, the technologies they’re using and the threats they are identifying are real. They are helping to keep Miami safe and learning a lot while they’re at it—this hands-on, real-world experience with cybersecurity tactics and tools will be critical for them in their future careers.
“We’re leveraging these student employees to create our metrics, we’re giving them goals, and we’re providing them opportunities,” said security analyst Jake Harrison, who works closely with the SOC employees. “They’re the front line in testing and developing our playbooks, they build our metrics, and they create presentations to give to different groups.”
“The SOC has been a brilliant advantage to us in the Farmer School of Business,” said Endres Associate Professor Joseph Nwankpa, from the Information Systems and Analytics department. FSB is one of the key divisions we recruit from for these roles. “It provides experiential learning, which is what the university is all about.”
Visit our new Miami home
If you’re interested in learning more about how the SOC works, visit our website now and don’t forget to check back in as the Fall 2026 semester progresses to see profiles of our new student employees!