The Human Element - Why Expert Analysts are the Soul of PJ Networks Fortinet-Powered SOC

In the cybersecurity universe, technology is potent but people dominate. At PJ Networks, in spite of the sophisticated new Fortinet technologies we bring to bear in our SOC, it’s our highly-trained human analysts who make all the difference. You may find it strange that, in our so-called age of artificial intelligence and machine learning, human judgment remains the most valuable commodity. Let’s break it down.

Technology is Awesome, but People Make the Difference

It’s the Fortinet technology that provides us with amazing capabilities. It can sense danger, spot a trend and move quickly. But here’s the thing — technology doesn’t translate everything perfectly. It’s sort of like having a fast car; without a skilled driver, you’re not going to get very far.

• Automated tools are generating thousands of alerts each day, but many are nuisance alerts.
• A few attacks are so subtle, they are immune from scrutiny.
• AI can have a difficult time with context — parsing the fine points of why something is happening.

We at PJ Networks feel that technology should serve analysts, not supplant them. Our humans have that invaluable human judgment and intuition and adaptability.

Outside the Alerts: SOC Analysts’ Tasks

Our SOC analysts spend quite a bit of their time doing more than monitoring alerts. Think of them as cybersecurity detectives. When we get an alert from a Fortinet system, our analysts try to drill down and see what’s going on behind the scenes.

Here’s what they do:

• Their false positive filtering is to prevent wasting time chasing down things that are perhaps harmless.
• They cross-reference several sources of data for a fuller picture.
• They spot new attack trends when they are attacks rather than breaches.
• They respond rapidly to contain attacks and mitigate damage.
• They are always retooling detection mechanisms to deal with evolving threats.

You can’t automatize empathy, experience or critical thinking and those are a big deal in an effective SOC. Our writers read the signals that artificial intelligence is blind to.

PJ Networks Investment In Knowledge – Training & Certification

We don’t just hire analysts with a cookie-cutter set of skills. Training is in our DNA at PJ Networks.

• All analysts are formally trained through Fortinet certifications to achieve mastery with the tools.
• We offer ongoing training on new threat landscapes.
• We support up-skilling in incident response, malware analysis and ethical hacking.
• We keep our team sharp under pressure with regular simulation exercises.
• Never stop learning: Our analysts keep at the cutting edge by attending cybersecurity conferences and webinars.

It’s this dedication that makes sure you’re not just picking up a SOC that features some Fortinet technology. You’re receiving a SOC powered by passionate experts who know how to beat every last bit out of those tools.

How Fortinet Tools Help Our Analysts, Not Replace Them

Fortinet and all its security products are very good. Here at PJ Networks we also make full use of these tools, but here’s the thing – They are tools to assist human decision making, not to replace it.

• Fortinet provides real-time intelligence and an automated process to accelerate response times.
• It ingests information from firewalls, end point protections and cloud operations.
• Analysts visualize complicated incidents in Fortinet dashboards.
• Automation is good for boring tasks and allows analysts to work on tough problems.
• Volume is handled by Fortinet’s AI, valued context and precision is handled by the analysts.

Everything we build is built around our analysts’ workflows. The combination of technology and people makes for a more capable defense than either one could provide by itself.

The Thought of Risk Hunting: Human Instinct & Practical Experience

“This is like looking for needles in a haystack before an attacker gets the chance to do any harm.” It takes deep knowledge, curiosity, and sometimes, just gut feel.

Our analysts:

• Learn from patterns of previous attacks to predict what builds of new attacks might look like.
• Make use of threat intelligence feeds, but also add local knowledge.
• Catch aberrations in network behavior, which automated tools sometimes tag as though they were “normal.”
• Work together to assemble seemingly unrelated clues as fast as possible.
• Warning signs, while acknowledging that sometimes the danger doesn’t resemble a textbook case at all.

This art — something you can’t program — is what makes PJ Networks’ SOC special. It’s where our knowledge transforms from cyber chaos to actionable intelligence.

Meet (Some of) the PJ Networks Team

Despite being powered by Fortinet, at the heart of PJ Networks’ SOC is a team of analysts who genuinely enjoy what they do. They hail from diverse backgrounds — security engineers, ex-military cyber specialists, ethical hackers — with a variety of perspectives.

What you find in our team:

• Love to solve hard problems.
• A commitment to safeguard your business around the clock.
• Willing to work hand in hand with clients.
• Double down on defense, rather than responding to breaches.
• A commitment to lifelong learning and innovation.

Our analysts are more than just employees, they’re partners in protecting your digital assets, and I couldn’t be more proud to say that.

Cybersecurity is both a technological and a human practice. At PJ Networks, we rely on Fortinet tools—not to make up for an analyst’s lack of understanding—but to provide a tool to our knowledgeable analysts. They are what make up the meat and potatoes of our SOC. So if you’re looking for a security operations center where technology meets intelligence, where humans make the ultimate decision PJ Networks is it!

In cybersecurity, technology is strong, but people are stronger — which is why our Fortinet-powered SOC and our human analysts are a team that you can count on.