What Does a NOC Engineer Do?

In today’s highly connected and competitive business environment, network availability and performance have become crucial for organizations to succeed. A reliable and high-performing network infrastructure is necessary for companies to deliver their products and services effectively, communicate with customers and employees, and support business processes and operations. However, network downtime or poor performance can lead to lost revenue, productivity, and trust.

As part of their IT and security strategy, organizations need to prioritize network availability, performance, and sustainability. As a result, they need highly qualified Engineers for Network Operations Centers (NOCs). NOC Engineers are responsible for maintaining an organization’s network infrastructure, which is why they play a crucial role in the success of modern organizations.

In this article, we will delve into the role of NOC Engineers in modern digital organizations and explore their job outlook and various responsibilities, skills, and tools necessary for success in this critical role.

Job Outlook for NOC Engineers

The growth of cloud computing and IoT is driving demand for NOC engineers. Despite the volatile economy, NOC engineers will have a positive job market in 2023 with prospects for higher salaries, increased benefits, and promising career growth. The NOC engineer salary for entry-level positions is way above the median annual salary in the US. As technology evolves, NOC engineers who stay up-to-date with the latest tools and technologies will have better job prospects.

NOC engineers are in high demand as organizations look to ensure their network infrastructure’s availability and optimal performance and public, private, or hybrid clouds. Since NOC engineers play a vital role in maintaining the stability and security of an organization’s IT infrastructure, they are highly valued by their employers. Moreover, the increased work-from-home trend has compelled businesses to invest in sustainable network infrastructure, creating additional demand for NOC engineers.

How Can You Become a NOC Engineer?

Considering an increased demand for NOC engineers in diverse settings, you can plunge into the vast field of NOC engineering by acquiring degrees, certifications, and skill-enhancing training programs. Here’s how you can become a NOC engineer:

Educational Background

The specific skillset includes appropriate educational background, such as a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field. Some employers may accept equivalent experience in place of a degree. On top of that, you must have a strong understanding of networking technologies, protocols, and security best practices.

Certifications and Courses

There is no specific certification required to become a NOC engineer. However, obtaining certifications can demonstrate expertise and knowledge in the field and help you advance your career. For this purpose, you can opt for various certifications, including:

  • CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
  • CompTIA Network+ certification
  • CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)
  • CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
  • CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)

Soft Skills

Apart from the above technical skills, a NOC engineer preferably has the following:

  • Strong problem-solving skills
  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail

What Do NOC Engineers Do?

NOC engineers play a vital role in maintaining and managing an organization’s network infrastructure. They have a comprehensive and complex set of responsibilities related to information technology infrastructure inside and outside the organization. Here are some of the key roles and responsibilities of a NOC engineer:

1.  Network Monitoring

Monitoring network infrastructure, including servers, switches, routers, and firewalls, to ensure network availability and performance is among the core responsibilities of a NOC engineer. For this purpose, NOC engineers use various hardware and software tools related to network management and monitoring.

Software tools such as Nagios, SolarWinds, and Zabbix provide centralized monitoring and alerting capabilities that allow NOC engineers to monitor the health and performance of network devices and services. NOC engineers are responsible for implementing a variety of network protocols, including SNMP, Syslog, and NetFlow/sFlow, that enable NOC engineers to:

  • Monitor the performance and status of network devices, servers, and workstations, and
  • View logs saved on central servers to monitor network activity, traffic flow, and patterns

NOC engineers use performance dashboards to analyze real-time network performance metrics and use a variety of visual representations of network performance to identify and address issues quickly.

2.   Network Troubleshooting

The goal of NOC engineers is to restore network availability and performance as quickly as possible while minimizing the impact on the organization. NOC Engineers use various methods and tools to troubleshoot networks and resolve unexpected network incidents, outages, and other issues. They perform a sequence of steps to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve network issues.

NOC engineers employ network management tools to diagnose any problems in the network infrastructure or power outages. Once an issue is detected or pointed out, NOC engineers use their expertise and knowledge to identify the underlying cause.

They analyze the problem by gathering information from system logs, performance dashboards, and other relevant data. This helps them develop a plan for resolving the issue and delegate tasks to other internal or external resources.

Once a plan is developed, NOC engineers use their technical skills and expertise to implement solutions and resolve the issue. Subsequently, they test the resolution to ensure that the issue has been resolved and that the network is functioning correctly.

3.   Technical Support

NOC engineers are responsible for providing technical support to internal stakeholders like employees and end-users and external customers and vendors. They provide technical support both on-site and online. They may use various platforms like phone calls, chat support, email, and remote access tools to provide technical support. NOC engineers listen to the customer’s issues, diagnose the problem, and offer quick and concise solutions.

They may also provide detailed responses through emails that include step-by-step instructions, diagrams, or other relevant information. NOC engineers also use remote access tools to provide technical support to customers with network-related issues. Remote access tools allow system access to NOC engineers irrespective of their location and enable them to identify any technical or non-technical issues in the client’s system and provide support as needed.

4.   Network Security

Network security implementation and maintenance is a primary duty of NOC engineers, who utilize different tools and techniques to ensure the most sophisticated protection across an IT infrastructure. Firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), intrusion detection/prevention systems, network penetration testing, ethical hacking technologies, anti-malware software programs, and vulnerability scanning instruments are some of their go-to methods for ensuring optimal defense against malicious threats.

NOC engineers continuously monitor network traffic, looking for any unusual or suspicious activity that may indicate a security breach. They ensure that all software and systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches. This helps to prevent security vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit.

NOC engineers work with network administrators to implement access controls and encryption technologies, like SSL or TLS, to prevent unauthorized access and secure data transmission over public and private networks. They regularly review security logs, looking for any signs of suspicious activity and identifying security threats.

5.   Routine Maintenance and Upgrades

Network Operations Center (NOC) Engineers perform regular maintenance and upgrades to network infrastructure to ensure compatibility, security, reliability, and performance. Regular maintenance and upgrades are required to ensure industry regulations and standards compliance. This includes applying firmware and software upgrades that address security and privacy regulations and that meet industry standards for network infrastructure, such as HIPAA and PCI DSS. HIPAA audit controls are crucial because they help ensure that the business and technical demands of modern care providers for regulatory compliance and information security are met.

NOC engineers plan maintenance and upgrades by determining the scope of the work, identifying any potential risks to network operations, and developing a schedule for the work to be completed. They plan, implement, and test data backup systems and notify all stakeholders beforehand about scheduled maintenance.

By performing regular maintenance and upgrades, NOC engineers help ensure that the network infrastructure continues to meet the organization’s and its users’ needs. They help minimizes disruption to network operations and maximize workplace efficiency.

Final Thoughts

NOC engineers hold pivotal importance in any organization due to their critical role in maintaining network operations and guaranteeing seamless network performance. The scope of a NOC engineer’s responsibilities varies for each organization, depending on the type of industry it operates in and the complexity of the IT infrastructure.

NOC engineering is a lucrative career path that offers promising growth opportunities. You can enroll in on-campus and online degree programs to equip yourself with the right knowledge and tools and start a stellar career in this field.

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