Checklists 🇮🇳 Indian Mandate Aligned 11 min read

24x7 SOC Implementation Project Plan & 90-Day Deployment Blueprint (CERT-In Aligned)

A battle-tested 90-day phased roadmap for standing up an enterprise Security Operations Center (SOC) in India. Covers telemetry architecture, log ingestion, SIEM correlation, SOAR automated response, Indian NPL clock sync, and sub-15 minute incident containment SLAs.

By BlueCiphr SOC Engineering Desk • Lead CEH & PenTest+ Auditors

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Interactive Technical Checklist (9 Verification Checkpoints)

[Days 1-15: Architecture & Discovery] Inventory all enterprise log sources: Firewalls, AWS Mumbai CloudTrail, Active Directory, EDR, VPNs.

Mandate: Asset Inventory
[Days 1-15: Architecture & Discovery] Configure NTP synchronization across all infrastructure with NPL (samay1.nplindia.org) or NIC NTP servers.

Mandate: CERT-In NTP Mandate
[Days 1-15: Architecture & Discovery] Establish log tiering: Hot searchable SIEM (30 days) vs Immutable WORM cold storage in India (180+ days).

Mandate: 180-Day Log Rule
[Days 16-45: Telemetry Ingestion] Deploy lightweight log forwarders (Fluentbit, Vector) with mutual TLS authentication.

Mandate: Secure Forwarding
[Days 16-45: Telemetry Ingestion] Normalize log events to Open Cybersecurity Schema Framework (OCSF) or Elastic Common Schema (ECS).

Mandate: Data Normalization
[Days 46-70: Detection Engineering] Deploy MITRE ATT&CK correlation rules: Kerberoasting, Beaconing, Credential Dumping, and abnormal UPI volume.

Mandate: Threat Detection
[Days 46-70: Detection Engineering] Configure SOAR playbooks for automated host isolation during confirmed ransomware outbreaks.

Mandate: Sub-15 Min Containment
[Days 71-90: 24/7 Handoff & Dry Runs] Conduct simulated incident injection drill: Verify alert triage within 60s and containment within 15 mins.

Mandate: Incident Drill
[Days 71-90: 24/7 Handoff & Dry Runs] Go live with 24/7/365 continuous eye-on-glass monitoring and weekly CISO posture reviews.

Mandate: 24/7 Live Operations

🇮🇳 Indian SOC Operational Architecture: NPL Clock Sync & 180-Day Storage

A SOC operating in India must align with CERT-In directions: All system clocks synchronized with National Physical Laboratory (NPL) or NIC, and 180-day logs stored strictly within sovereign Indian territory.

### The 90-Day Enterprise SOC Implementation Blueprint Standing up a 24/7 SOC in India requires balancing compliance requirements with operational efficiency. - Phase 1: Architecture & Log Discovery (NPL NTP sync, 180-day storage tiering) - Phase 2: Ingestion & Normalization (Fluentbit, TLS forwarders) - Phase 3: Detection Engineering (MITRE ATT&CK rules, SOAR playbooks) - Phase 4: 24/7 Go-Live (SLA validation, adversary injection drills)

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