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SOC100

PREPARE DEFEND ADVANCE

The Why Behind the SOC100 Course Series

Many students still find Level Effect after spending tens of thousands on entry-level bootcamps or live training vendors with not a lot to show for, or getting lost in a sea of 20-30 hour high-level courses that were never designed to connect to one another.

Let's change that - together with SOC100:

  1. You invest, We invest. The course is pay-what-you-can with an affordable minimum pricing. Additionally, what ever you pay we'll credit toward CDA or any one of our other courses after completion. 

  2. It's taught by many top professionals in the field and features over 20 modules, 400+ hours of content, and 180+ labs, all instructed live and available on-demand afterward

  3. Go from opening an app to removing malware and using a SIEM, to working in a Virtual SOC as a Tier 1 Cybersecurity Analyst

  4. It readies you for Intermediate training by starting you in Detection Engineering, DFIR, and more

  5. It offers experience to put on your resume as a Community SOC Analyst helping others just like you

Let's make an impact.

Launches October 11th 2024 for Cybersecurity Awareness Month and runs live until Mar 2025 Saturday & Sundays 10-2PM EST outside holidays.

Believe in this mission? Share this page with others to spread the word! ❤️

If you’d like to contribute as an instructor, community member, or sponsor this initiative, fill out the “Get Involved” form below.

Description of Courses

You will start from the very basics of navigating the Windows operating system, to endpoint and enterprise network and server administration, and go all the way to responding to and containing live malware using the latest tools and procedures that SOC Tier 1 Analysts in the field use today.

You will also gain all the adjacent supportive skill sets ensuring you are ready for intermediate to advanced training or experience and draws from requirements set out in the NIST Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework).

🔴 This course is made up of a series of individual courses and a certification. Full course visual roadmap can be seen clicking here.

• Develop the ability to configure and manage enterprise networks, including Domain Controllers, DNS, and GPOs, while implementing security policies to protect IT infrastructures.

• Enhance your troubleshooting skills across Windows and Linux environments, resolving HelpDesk issues and diagnosing technical problems to support both IT and cybersecurity operations.

• Gain practical experience in analyzing network traffic, detecting malware, and triaging security incidents using SIEM tools and packet analysis in a virtual SOC environment.

• Learn to automate security and IT tasks through PowerShell, Bash, and Python scripting, improving efficiency and setting a strong foundation for more advanced security roles like detection engineering and DevSecOps.

• Build a professional portfolio with hands-on projects, open-source contributions, and a home lab that showcases your readiness for IT Sysadmin and cybersecurity analyst positions.

This course has full on-demand content that will also be instructed live fully the first time. Review the Stream Schedule above for timing.

The stream recordings will then be added in as recordings to the course content where the course will remain completely on-demand after that.

The on-demand content will consist of:

  • Video lectures and labs

  • Quizzes and challenges

  • Portfolio projects to build of your own

  • Industry speakers & CDA Alumni

PRE-REQUISITES

  • Willingness to Learn: Strong interest and commitment to learning cybersecurity concepts and practices.

  • Basic Computer Skills: Understanding of fundamental computer and how to open up a browser.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • Complete newcomers looking to get started in IT and Cybersecurity with a clear roadmap.

  • Those with some experience looking to develop entry-level Cybersecurity or Security Engineering skill sets i.e. malware analysis, log analytics, detection engineering, etc. for further training or experience.

  • Current Cybersecurity professionals in the field looking to strengthen their foundations or undertake some additional experience.

  • Managers or those in positions supportive or adjacent to IT that wish to be more knowledgeable about this area or contribute more.

SOC100 students have access to an exclusive Discord help channel.

  • Help is provided during business hours.

  • You will find access to the channel within the SOC100 series of courses.

  • You will receive help from the Level Effect team as well as Community Analysts (see the next tab for more information on this).

Education is not enough. Our students can gain resume volunteer experience as per below and we will provide what you add on your resume:

  1. SOC100 students can submit a form within the course to be Community Jr. SOC Analysts

  2. CDA Students can submit a form to be Community SOC Analysts, and Community Malware & Challenge Developers

The expectations are as follows:

  1. Community Jr. SOC Analysts are expected to help other SOC100 students in the Discord support channel get through the SOC100 series of content

  2. Community SOC Analysts are expected to help SOC100 and CDA Students get through content

  3. Community Malware & Challenge Developers are expected to contribute to our community GitHub

 

Pay what you can (PWYC) with a "You Invest, We Invest" model.

SOC100-1, 2, 3, and 5 are courses:

  • Minimum $19.

  • Suggested $29.

  • What you pay we'll credit toward our CDA course or one other course of your choice.

  • Owned forever after purchase, including updates.

  • Lab time included.

  • Additional lab time is $0.20 - $0.40 per hour and can be used on any courses you own in our platform.

SOC100-4 is the Certification:

  • Minimum $59.

  • Suggested $89.

  • Lab time included and extra hours covered.

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Curriculum

Delivered as individual courses and released over the stream calendar schedule. You can check out the full curriculum clicking here.

DESCRIPTION

Cybersecurity is a subset of IT and good security starts with good system administration. This is where security begins and where you should start before learning how to triage compromised workstations and analyze for indicators of compromise.

MODULES

  • Windows Operating System

  • Linux Operating System

  • Networking

  • Windows Enterprise Administration

  • HelpDesk Analyst & Troubleshooting

  • Career Prep 1 - Home Lab & Portfolio

 

DESCRIPTION

You've now learned how things work, now you can secure them. Develop the competencies required to perform SOC Tier 1 Analyst tasks.

MODULES

  • Cybersecurity Industry

  • Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC)

  • Cryptography & Encryption

  • Log Analytics with SIEMs

  • Email Security

  • Windows Triage & Malware Analysis

  • Cyber Threat Intelligence

  • Report Writing & Communication

 

DESCRIPTION

Put it all together learning how to detect, respond to, and resolve incidents in a Virtual SOC environment for 3 to 4 weeks. You'll be responding to tickets you'll see as a Tier 1 Analyst, using the same types of tools they use.

 

MODULES

  • DFIR (Digital Forensics & Incident Response)

  • Virtual SOC (Security Operations Center) 3-4 Weeks

  • Career Prep 2 - Malware Analysis Lab

 

DESCRIPTION

This course provides some prep material on various attack patterns but is largely just a certification to attempt to put it all to the test.

Test your ability to work through a variety of common Tier 1 attack patterns as it would pertain to the following activity areas along typical attack lifecycles.

This badge is meant to certify your ability to readily assess the following:

  • Persistence Activity
  • Process Activity
  • Network Activity

DESCRIPTION

This section consists of a series of fundamentals modules to prepare you for intermediate and advanced training or experience in the field. The order may change a bit by the time we get to this course.

You should be able to start any Tier 1+ training after completion of this course.

 

MODULES

  • Career Prep 3 - Open Source Contribution

  • Defensive Scripting

  • Detection Engineering

  • DevSecOps & Cloud Security

  • Reverse Engineering

  • Threat Hunting

  • Pentesting & Application Security

  • Python Programming

 

Why the SOC100 Course Series?

From Basics to Breaches 

Go from opening up a browser to hunting down malware while learning all relevant IT skills along the way, with no need to stitch together different content and courses to accomplish this.

Senior Instructors, Proven Track Record, Community

You have more than one top experienced professional teaching you here, and a Discord community where you can reach them directly for support. Level Effect has also been doing this for 4 years now - check out our testimonials.

SOC Training & 5 Technical Certifications

Gain experience in a virtualized Security Operations Center (SOC) environment triage incidents just like on the job, and complete 5 challenging certifications.

Pay What You Can for "Content" not Marketing

We're tired of overpriced content & bootcamps where you're paying for their marketing budget, and we bet that you are, too. This is our effort to put out a solid course with far better value, that shouldn't break your bank.

Lifelong Access & Experience

Once you own the content, you own it forever! This includes the updates we'll make to this course. The best part is once you learn the material, you can ask to help others and put various roles on your resume as Community SOC Analyst, or Malware Developer, and more.

Ready for Intermediate & Advanced

The future of Cybersecurity at a technical level is Engineering. Develop your Tier 1 Analyst skills here to get going, as well as advanced foundations to get started on the needs of what's to come.


John Hammond's Thoughts

This is what John Hammond had to say about our Cyber Defense Analyst Program in its first iteration.

And guess what? It's only gotten better.

 

Sandra - Tech & Lifestyle's Review

Sandra's reviewed a lot of training programs... hear what she has to say about our real SOC experience.

 

Hear From the Co-Founders How We Started

Learn about the origin story of Level Effect, why we made our original Cyber Defense Analyst program, and the problems we aimed to solve in the cybersecurity training landscape.

 

 

Example Classes

Check out the actual live classes happening until March 2025! You're welcome to join them on Twitch until then live.

SOC100 Class 1 Thumbnail

Check out the first live class of content getting into the Windows operating system and kernel!

SOC Class 11 Thumb

See how far you get just in the basics of SOC100-1 doing packet analysis in class 11.

Meet Your Core Instructors 

WARNING - Lots of scrolling ahead. 😅

Led by the Level Effect team - we will be your main Instructors for live and recorded content.

Greg_Ake

Greg Ake

Level Effect Co-Founder

With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and intelligence, including roles such as Principal Detection Engineer at Huntress, Co-Founder of Level Effect, and positions at Booz Allen Hamilton, the NSA, and the U.S. Air Force, Greg Ake is a seasoned professional specializing in detection engineering, signals intelligence, and data analysis.

Rob Noeth-1

Rob Noeth

Level Effect Co-Founder

With over 15 years of experience in cybersecurity and software engineering, Rob is the CTO and Co-Founder of Level Effect. He developed the Level Effect Cyber Learning Platform and designed the Recon security platform (acquired by Huntress Labs), specializing in computer network operations and offensive/defensive network capabilities from his tenure at the U.S. Department of Defense.

Anthony_Bendas

Anthony Bendas

Level Effect Co-Founder

With over 10 years of experience across senior IT management, security consulting, engineering, and GRC roles, Anthony is a Co-Founder of Level Effect. His specialities are in penetration testing, security program development, and management for enterprises, leveraging his deep knowledge of both technical and operational aspects of cybersecurity and IT.

Contributing Instructors

These seasoned Cybersecurity professionals believe in the mission of this course, and will be teaching their specialties to you. We are honored to stand with them together!

Will Nissler

Will Nissler

Infrastructure Lead | Security Engineer

Will has more than eight years of experience in cybersecurity and six years with the Intelligence Community, supporting cyber operations during his time in the U.S. Navy as a Cryptologic Technician. After his military career, Will transitioned into the private sector where he worked as a Systems Administrator and Security Engineer. Will currently works as a Security Engineer and moonlights to handle the deployment and management of Level Effect's cloud infrastructure.

Jordan Linden _ 25

Jordan Linden

SIEM Content Development Engineer | Infrastructure Engineer

Jordan brings a wealth of development and infrastructure knowledge to our team, backed by his extensive experience of close to 5 years in Software Development, and is currently a SIEM Content Development Engineer by day. He has also built and runs a successful language learning platform. Notably, Jordan is the only student in the history of our CDA Program to achieve a perfect 100% score in all areas.

Tom Marsland

Tom Marsland

Director, VetSec

With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and technical leadership, Tom is the Vice President of Technology at Cloud Range, where he leads operations in digital forensics and incident response training. A U.S. Navy veteran who served as a Technical Program Manager and Information Security Manager overseeing classified networks, he is also the Chairman of the Board at VetSec, supporting veterans pursuing cybersecurity careers. Tom’s extensive expertise makes him a highly knowledgeable and impactful instructor.

Daniel Crothers

Daniel Crothers

Founder, Crothers Solutions Group

With over 15 years of experience in cybersecurity and IT solutions, Daniel is a seasoned professional specializing in cloud computing, automation, and enterprise-level system architecture. As a former Solutions Architect at GC&E Systems Group and Chief Technology Officer at Brand Ventures, Inc., he brings extensive expertise to his instruction, making complex concepts accessible to learners.

Luke Rogerson

Luke Rogerson

Director, ogSec Consulting

With over 10 years of experience in cybersecurity, Luke is a seasoned professional who began his career at NCC Group, advancing to Executive Principal Security Consultant. He specializes in security assessments, code reviews, cloud security, and has led large teams in complex engagements, including red team assessments and M&A technical due diligence—bringing extensive expertise to his instruction.

Douglas Kaluhiokalani

Douglas Kaluhiokalani

CEO & Founder of Cyber Kata, LLC | Senior Advisor for NATO Locked Shields

Douglas brings over 10 years of experience in the field. A U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Special Operations Communications and as a Combat Controller, he brings real-world expertise to his instruction. Douglas is the Founder & CEO of Cyber Kata, LLC. Specializing in defensive cybersecurity, and holds experience in penetration testing, and threat assessments. He has also served as a Senior Advisor and Key Leader for the U.S. National Blue Team at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).

Tyler Dupont

Tyler Dupont

Founder, APT-0

Tyler, with nearly 3 years of experience in cybersecurity, is the Founder of APT-0, where he leads a dynamic cybersecurity education initiative. He manages operations, recruits and directs volunteers, organizes industry events, and oversees IT infrastructure, all with the goal of empowering the next generation of security professionals. His specialities lie within Pentesting and Offensive Security.

Summer Rankin-1

Summer Rankin, PhD

AI Solution Architect

Summer has a robust background as an AI Solution Architect and Senior Lead Data Scientist, with significant expertise in managing distributed teams and developing AI and data science solutions for sectors like cybersecurity and federal clients. She also serves as an instructor at GTK Cyber, designing courses focused on Python and Data Science for cybersecurity professionals. Additionally, her academic experience includes teaching at prestigious institutions like The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

Chris Young

Chris Young

Digital Intelligence Analyst

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Chris has addressed information security requirements in joint federal operations, including such entities as the U. S. Department of State and across the Department of Defense. Post-military service, he leans on his 20+ years in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), lead generation and entrepreneurship to bring a unique, purposeful lens to the cyber community. Chris works in consulting and has presented at cybersecurity conferences.

TallisJordan_Headshot

Tallis Jordan

2K Games, Lead DFIR

GREM, GCFA, GCFE, GCIA, GPYC, GPEN, GCIH, GSEC, OSCP, OSWP, PNPT, PJMR, eCTHP, CDCP Gold, BTL1. Needless to say Tallis brings a ton of experience to the field on top of years of experience in the DFIR and Detection Engineering realm across very different industries, and comes from a military background of over 8 years as a Security Operations Manager.

James Jolley Cropped

James Jolley

Cybersecurity Engineer & Assistant Instructor

With 5 years of dedicated experience in the field of cybersecurity, James has honed his skills as a self-taught professional, driven by a passion for defending digital landscapes. His work as a challenge developer for CTF competitions showcases his ability to create engaging, technical puzzles for a variety of audiences. He also holds certifications in Machine Learning and Deep Learning, adding to his diverse skill set. Most notably, James earned the prestigious CDCP Gold certification, marking him as a standout.

you

More coming soon!

Your Title

Do you believe in this initiative and want to part of it? Reach out to us, or use the "Get Involved ❤️" form at the top! Whether you want to be a Contributing Instructor or Guest Speaker or help in other ways, and we'll be happy to hear how you want to help!

FAQ