Security Operations Centers (SOC) are structures that contain cyber security teams who monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats, making them an important factor of any good information security management systems. In this article, I will explain why outsourcing to a managed 24/7 SOC is typically more beneficial than having an in-house staff.

Having an in-house SOC allows a company to take complete control over security threat monitoring. An internal SOC allows a company to adjust security operations to effectively fulfil the needs and requirements of various departments and teams. These benefits come at the expense, and an increasing number of companies are outsourcing their security operations to managed security services providers (MSSPs) that run cloud-based SOCs.

An organization can build and manage its cyber security activities in-house or outsource to a third party. As a result, deciding between an in-house SOC As A Service and an outsourced one is a business-critical decision.

According to industry surveys, more than half of enterprises use IT security outsourcing guidance and consulting services.

Organizations that provide IT security services outsource to third parties.

Pros of SOC

Long term ROI

Outsourced managed security companies who have dedicated their efforts on mastering the security sector, with a strong attention on SOC As A Service and SIEM, are very successful and efficient in their field. They regularly implement SIEM technologies and have more access to specialist expertise. Outsourcing not only reduce the time it would take to become operational, but it also decreases the cost of installation and ongoing maintenance. This produces an excellent long-term return on investment because everything is done at a fraction of the cost if done internally.

24/7 security

Cyber risks and malicious attackers do not take rest, and automated harmful programmes scan for security breaches 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Maintaining 24/7 cyber security activities needs additional team members, while fast threat action is required to isolate a threat and prevent it from spreading through your networks.

A Managed Security Services provider gives an assurance by operating a SOC 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and adhering to a service level agreement (SLA) that defines the role and quality of the services. The SLA (Service Level Agreement) also ensures that the organization receives all appropriate software patches and updates as they become available, or that measures against a new risk are able to be implemented.

Flexibility and scalability

Not every company's requirements are the same. For example, a start-up company may only require a single security expert to spend few hours per day. When a service is outsourcing, the needs of the client are merged with those of others in order to engage a full-time team. The team is also effective via collaborating and creating solutions together in order to respond immediately. A quick and effective response time to cyber-attacks may save a company millions of dollars in legal fees, reputational damage, customer turnover, and business disruption.

Threat Intelligence Access

Since cyber-attacks grow faster than the tools to combat them, an advanced SOC should offer both proactive cyber security and threat information, including investigation and protection against unknown threats.

Only a cyber security services company can afford to maintain a security intelligence department that effectively identifies and detects all types of new harmful code. By implementing an external SOC As A Service solution, a company has gained access to an advanced threat team that not only depends on internal research but also has access to up-to-date threat databases and platforms for information sharing among members of the worldwide community of cyber security professionals.

Security Operations Centers (SOC) are structures that contain cyber security teams who monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats, making them an important factor of any good information security management systems.