Splunk skills path for SOC analysts

Cisco Networking Academy has launched a Splunk-branded Cybersecurity Defense Analyst path that trains learners for Security Operations Center work and the Splunk defense analyst certification. (netacad.com) The path teaches Security Information and Event Management work in Splunk, then points learners to the Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Analyst exam. Splunk says that exam covers analytics, threat hunting, risk-based alerting, and other practices used by Security Operations Center analysts. (netacad.com) (splunk.com) Cisco and Splunk are presenting the rollout as a joint academic program expansion. In an April 14, 2026 post, Splunk said the collaboration adds Cisco networking courses to Splunk’s academic portfolio so learners can study how data, networks, and security operations connect in real environments. (splunk.com) A Security Operations Center is the team that watches logs and alerts for signs of attack. A Security Information and Event Management tool is the system that collects those machine records in one place so analysts can search, sort, and investigate them faster. (netacad.com) (splunk.com) Cisco’s course lineup shows how that training is being packaged. One course covers Security Operations Center operations and defense metrics, another covers data sources and analyst tools, and the final listed course in the path is a six-hour threat-hunting class built around hands-on Splunk exercises and the PEAK framework. (netacad.com 1) (netacad.com 2) (netacad.com 3) Splunk tied the timing to hiring demand after Cisco’s acquisition of the company. In the same April 14 post, Splunk said demand for Splunk practitioners had doubled since the acquisition and interest in building Splunk skills had risen 107% year over year, citing its 2025 Career Impact Report. (splunk.com) Cisco Networking Academy gives the program reach that most vendor training programs do not have on their own. Cisco says the academy, founded in 1997, has served more than 20 million learners in 190 countries. (netacad.com) The certification target is not pitched as a beginner badge. Splunk lists the Cybersecurity Defense Analyst exam as intermediate, with 66 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes at $130 per attempt, even though it has no formal prerequisite. (splunk.com) The bet is that employers want analysts who can move from raw logs to triage and threat hunting inside one toolset. Cisco and Splunk are now turning that workflow into a standard course sequence, then attaching it to a named exam. (splunk.com 1) (splunk.com 2)