Land your first SOC analyst job
Learn every cybersecurity basic in plain English, then practise the interview questions SOC teams actually ask. Written by a CISSP-certified security practitioner with hands-on SOC experience, for students, freshers and anyone switching into cybersecurity. Start with Chapter 1 free.
Start your cyber career
Learn the basics in plain English, then practise real SOC analyst interview scenarios with model answers. Free chapter included.
SOC Analyst Interview Kit is live → For security teams & consultantsRun your security program
Operating procedures, KPI tracking and leadership reporting for 16 domains, from SOC and incident response to OT and third-party risk.
See the program kits →Breaking into cybersecurity? Three easy steps.
Career resources from a CISSP-certified practitioner. Learn every SOC basic in plain English, then practise the scenario questions interviewers actually ask.
SOC Analyst Interview Kit + SOC Fundamentals Made Simple
- 179 SOC basics explained in plain English, with everyday stories, quizzes and picture guides
- 33 interview scenarios with model answers, follow-up probes and red-flag answers to avoid
- 10 hands-on drills, a 30-minute mock interview and a STAR story builder
Just want the book on its own? SOC Fundamentals Made Simple, full 149-page PDF
Chapter 1 of SOC Fundamentals Made Simple. The 14 big ideas of security, from the CIA triad to zero trust, in words anyone can follow.
Coming next
Study planners are independent study aids. Certification names are used for reference only and imply no endorsement; no exam content is included.
Security program templates for 16 domains: SOP, KPI dashboard and board decks
For CISOs, SOC managers, GRC teams and consultants: each kit packages how a mature program in that domain is run and reported, with an operating procedure (SOP), a KPI dashboard and leadership decks, aligned to NIST CSF 2.0, CISA and CMMC 2.0.
New: CMMC Level 2 SSP & POA&M Kit · Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise Kit · Information Security Policy Templates · CMMC POA&M & SPRS Tracker (Excel) · SOC Fundamentals Made Simple (full book, PDF)
Free: IR Playbook Template (PDF) · Incident Severity Matrix (Excel) · Ransomware Tabletop Exercise · CMMC SPRS Score Calculator (Excel) · SOC KPI Dashboard (Excel) · SOC metrics — the 12 KPIs every SOC should report · NIST CSF 2.0 in plain English · Incident response playbook template · Incident severity matrix (P1–P4) · Phishing response playbook
An incident response playbook that learns your tools.
26 entities, from user accounts to Kubernetes, each with a clear triage, contain, eradicate and recover path. Add your own security products and they drop into every step that needs them; missing capabilities show up in a gap report. Run real incidents with a P1–P4 blast-radius score and a timestamped log. Mapped to MITRE ATT&CK v20. One offline HTML file: your data never leaves your browser.
Get the SOC IR Navigator Read the free playbook guideStop rebuilding the same security report every week.
Every kit has a live Excel tracker with SLAs, owners and a self-updating dashboard; a ready-to-adopt SOP with RACI, procedures and escalation; five meeting decks from daily stand-up to Steering Committee; and a solution deck to win budget. Aligned to NIST CSF 2.0, CISA guidance, CMMC 2.0 Level 2 and OWASP, with sources in every SOP.
See all 16 kits Free SOC dashboardSecurity Operations Center
Run a 24x7 SOC that detects real attacks early, triages alerts consistently and hands off to incident response on time.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitIRIncident ResponseNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Incident Response
Declare, contain and recover from security incidents fast — with clear severities, roles, notification clocks and governance.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitIAMIdentity & Access ManagementNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Identity & Access Management
Give the right people the right access at the right time, and prove it, with clear SLAs, owners and governance.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitCLDCloud SecurityNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Cloud Security
Keep every AWS, Azure and GCP account inside guardrails, and find and fix misconfigurations and excess access fast.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitEPSEndpoint SecurityNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Endpoint Security
Keep every laptop, server and mobile device protected, hardened and healthy — and contain endpoint threats in minutes.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitEMLEmail SecurityNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Email Security
Stop phishing, BEC and domain spoofing at the inbox — with enforced DMARC, fast triage of reported mail and clear governance.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitDLPData Loss PreventionNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Data Loss Prevention
Know where sensitive data lives, stop it leaving the wrong way, and triage every DLP incident quickly and fairly.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitAPPApplication SecurityNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Application Security
Build security into every release: pipeline scanning, threat modeling, clear fix SLAs and governance developers can work with.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitCTIThreat IntelligenceNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Threat Intelligence
Turn threat data into timely, actionable intelligence that drives detections, patching priorities and leadership decisions.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitGRCGovernance, Risk & ComplianceNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Governance, Risk & Compliance
Run cyber governance that holds up to auditors and the board: policies, risk appetite, tested controls and findings closed on time.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitBCDRBusiness Continuity & DRNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0Business Continuity & DR
Know what must come back first, prove you can recover it on time, and close the gaps that tests and audits find.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitVMVulnerability ManagementNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0NewVulnerability Management
Find, prioritise and fix the vulnerabilities attackers will use first — with clear SLAs, owners and governance.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitNETNetwork SecurityNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0NewNetwork Security
Keep firewall rules tight, segments separated, remote access verified and network devices hardened — with owners, SLAs and governance.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitOTOT / ICS SecurityNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0NewOT / ICS Security
Protect plant operations without putting safety or uptime at risk — inventory, segment, monitor and control access to OT.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitTPRMThird-Party Risk ManagementNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0NewThird-Party Risk Management
Tier, assess, contract, monitor and exit vendors by risk, with clear SLAs, owners and evidence auditors accept.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Cyber Program KitSATSecurity Awareness & TrainingNIST · CISA · CMMC 2.0NewSecurity Awareness & Training
Build secure habits that last — training people complete, simulations that teach and behavior metrics leaders trust.
XLSXDOCX6 × PPTX Tracker · SOP · 6 decksView → Complete libraryALL 16Every security domain in one download144 files · 16 trackers · 16 SOPs · 96 decksBest valueCybersecurity Program Library — all 16 domains
Every kit above in one bundle: run the whole security program — SOC to OT, awareness to third-party risk — with one consistent toolkit.
16 × XLSX16 × DOCX96 × PPTX Complete libraryView →Program kits are working tools, not legal, audit or compliance advice. Sample data is fictional. Framework names are used for alignment reference; no endorsement is implied.
vCISOs, MSSPs and security consultants: stop starting from a blank page
Every engagement needs the same things: a tracker the client can own, an SOP they can adopt and decks their leadership will actually read. The complete library gives you all three for 16 security domains, aligned to NIST CSF 2.0, CISA guidance and CMMC 2.0 Level 2, ready to tailor to each client.
Using the kits across several client organisations? Email us about a consultant license before you do.
Need help with a program area we don't cover yet?
A program area, a report or a career tool we haven't covered yet: tell us what you're stuck on. Requests shape what gets built next, and subscribers hear first.
Tell us what you needHow every program kit is built
Practitioner-built
Written from how security programs are actually run: real SLAs, real escalation paths and the questions leadership really asks, not generic checklists.
Framework-mapped, your policy
Mapped to NIST CSF 2.0, CISA guidance and CMMC 2.0. SLAs, targets and thresholds are starting points: set them to your own policy, risk appetite and contracts.
Leadership-ready
From the daily stand-up to the Steering Committee, every kit includes the decks that turn security work into decisions, and every SOP cites its sources.
Before you buy
Who builds the program kits?
Grey Mouse Studio is led by a CISSP-certified security professional. Each kit reflects how security programs are run and reported in practice, and every SOP cites the frameworks and guidance behind it.
Which frameworks are the kits aligned to?
NIST CSF 2.0 and the relevant NIST SP 800 guidance, CISA recommendations, CMMC 2.0 Level 2 and, for application security, OWASP. Each SOP cites its sources. Alignment is for reference; no endorsement is implied.
Can I use the kits with my clients?
A purchase covers use within one organisation. If you're a consultant, vCISO or MSSP and want to use them across clients, email hello@greymousestudio.com about a consultant license.
What's in each kit?
An Excel tracker with SLAs, owners, KPIs and a self-updating dashboard; a Word SOP with RACI, procedures and escalation; and six PowerPoint decks from the daily stand-up to the Steering Committee, plus a solution deck.
Are there macros?
None anywhere. That means no security warnings, no "enable content" banners, and no problems on locked-down work computers.
Can I adapt the kits to my organisation?
Yes. Everything is editable: rename teams, change SLAs and targets, add your logo and remove what you don't need. Nothing is hard-coded.
Is this legal, audit or compliance advice?
No. The kits are professional working tools that help you run and report a program. Confirm your obligations with your own counsel and auditors.
Security program insights and new kits, occasionally
Practical notes on running and reporting a security program, and an email when a new kit or career resource ships. No daily newsletter.