SOC Essentials: Introduction to Threat Hunting

Cisco Networking Academy 15+ hours (self-paced) English Free course Digital Badge 4.8 (680+ reviews)

Free course

Course Description

Traditional security tools wait for an alert. Threat hunting goes looking for trouble. This course from Cisco Networking Academy introduces you to the proactive world of threat hunting—searching for hidden threats that have evaded automated defenses.

You'll learn how Security Operations Centers (SOCs) work, the hunting lifecycle (hypothesis, investigation, resolution), and how to use Splunk (a leading security analytics platform) to query logs, visualize data, and uncover malicious activity. The course covers common attacker behaviors, indicators of compromise (IOCs), and how to think like an adversary to find what others miss.

This free, self-paced course takes about 15 hours to complete and includes hands-on labs with Splunk. It's ideal for aspiring SOC analysts, incident responders, and cybersecurity professionals. Upon completion, you'll earn an official Cisco digital badge.

Course Provider

Provider: Cisco Networking Academy, in collaboration with Splunk, a leader in security analytics and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management).

Platform: Cisco NetAcad online platform – fully online, self-paced, with integrated Splunk hands-on labs.

Accreditation: This course is excellent preparation for SOC analyst roles and certifications like Cisco CyberOps Associate, Splunk Core Certified User, and CompTIA CySA+.

Course Syllabus (Key Modules)

Module 1: SOC Fundamentals – Security Operations Center structure, roles (Tier 1,2,3 analysts), and the hunting mindset.

Module 2: Introduction to Splunk – Splunk architecture, searching, filtering, and basic SPL (Search Processing Language).

Module 3: Data Onboarding and Normalization – How logs are collected, parsed, and made searchable. Common log sources (Windows, Linux, firewalls).

Module 4: Threat Hunting Methodology – Hypothesis-driven hunting, intelligence-driven hunting, and the hunting loop.

Module 5: Investigating with Splunk – Creating dashboards, alerts, and reports. Using statistical commands to find anomalies.

Module 6: Common Attack Patterns – Hunting for lateral movement, privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms.

Module 7: Reporting and Documentation – Documenting findings, writing hunt reports, and handing off to incident response.

Learning Objectives

Understand SOC operations and the role of threat hunting.
Use Splunk to search, filter, and visualize security data.
Develop and test threat hunting hypotheses.
Identify common attacker behaviors and indicators of compromise.
Investigate alerts and anomalies to determine root cause.
Document findings and communicate results to stakeholders.
Earn a Cisco digital badge in threat hunting fundamentals.

Course Prerequisites

Technical: Foundational knowledge of networking (TCP/IP, protocols) and basic cybersecurity concepts. Prior experience with SIEM or log analysis is helpful but not required.

Recommended prior courses: Networking Basics, Introduction to Cybersecurity, or Network Defense.

Who should take this: Aspiring SOC analysts, incident responders, cybersecurity students, and IT professionals who want to add threat hunting to their skillset.

User Reviews

★★★★★ Rachel Liu

"This course opened my eyes to proactive security. Before, I only knew how to respond to alerts. Now I know how to go looking for hidden threats. The Splunk labs are fantastic—you get real hands-on experience. The hunting methodology section is gold. I landed a SOC analyst interview partly because of this badge. Highly recommend."

★★★★★ Daniel Okafor

"I've taken several SIEM courses, but this one actually teaches you how to think like a hunter. It's not just about using Splunk (though you learn that too). It's about asking the right questions and knowing what to look for. The labs on lateral movement hunting were particularly good. A must for anyone in security."

★★★★☆ Sophie Martin – June 18, 2026

"Excellent content, but be prepared to work. Splunk has a learning curve, but the labs guide you through it. The course assumes some basic security knowledge, so don't come in as a total beginner. That said, the Cisco badge is legitimate, and the skills are directly applicable to SOC roles. Worth every hour."

Based on 680+ ratings on Cisco NetAcad.

Free courses groups Join Facebook Group Join Telegram Channel

💡 Final Thoughts

Threat hunting is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing areas of cybersecurity. Instead of waiting for an alert, you proactively search for hidden threats—like a detective looking for clues. This Cisco course, built with Splunk, gives you both the mindset and the tools. You'll learn to use Splunk's powerful search language to query massive datasets, spot anomalies, and uncover attacker behaviors. The hands-on labs are realistic and challenging. If you're aiming for a SOC analyst or incident response role, this free course will set you apart from candidates who only know how to react to alerts. Start hunting.

SOC Essentials: Introduction to Threat Hunting (Cisco) – FAQ

Is this course really free?

Yes, completely free. Cisco Networking Academy offers this course at no cost. You just need a free NetAcad account.

Do I need prior experience?

Yes. This is an intermediate course. You need foundational knowledge of networking and basic cybersecurity concepts. Take Networking Basics and Introduction to Cybersecurity first if you're a beginner.

Do I need to install Splunk?

No. The course includes integrated Splunk labs that run in your browser. No installation or license required.

How long does the course take?

The course is self-paced and takes approximately 15 hours. Plan to spend 3-4 weeks if you study part-time.

Will I receive a certificate or badge?

Yes, upon passing the final exam, you'll earn an official Cisco digital badge. You can share it on LinkedIn and other platforms.

Does this course prepare me for Splunk certification?

It provides excellent foundational knowledge and hands-on Splunk experience, which is helpful for the Splunk Core Certified User exam. However, it's not a complete test prep course.