SOC as a Service (SOCaaS): What It Is, Why Need, and Who Needs What is SOC as a Service (SOCaaS)?

Security Operations Center (SOC) is the nerve center of an organization’s cybersecurity efforts. SOC monitors, detects, and responds to security threats. It’s possible to build an in-house SOC, opt for Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS), or combine both.

What is SOC as a Service?

SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) is like renting a security team to work with your security tools and improve them. The primary purpose of such a “rented” team is to simplify security management for the core team and increase the ROI from SOC.

Comparing SOCaaS with In-House SOC

Shortly, SOCaaS eliminates the burden of maintaining in-house SOC and helps you ensure 24/7 security monitoring and compliance.

Why Need: How SOCaaS Increases ROI From SOC

You pay only for the services you use.

What is a managed SOC price? Well, it’s predictable, subscription-based, and depends on your team’s size, security tools, and industry. 

You can find custom SOC as a service solutions for various security and risk profiles — from a fully managed SOC for a small retail business or tech startup to compliance consultancy for a digital bank or health insurance firm.  

You see results earlier.

Time to triage and contain incidents is accelerated due to automation and orchestration. For instance, an average 6 hours to respond to an incident can turn into 15 mins with Underdefence Managed SOC. 

It also takes less time to prepare for a compliance audit, as SOCaaS providers typically have all the document templates and experienced consultants. Some of them partner with auditors to get first-hand updates. Just compare 18 months of self-preparation vs. from 4 months if you prepare with Underdefence SOCaaS.

You get 24/7 monitoring.

24/7 in-house monitoring would require hiring extra staff and paying them for night shifts. In the U.S., night shift workers earn a 10% premium. For example, an entry-level cybersecurity analyst making $121,444 annually would get an extra $12,000 for working nights. 

A solid staff expansion is an unaffordable luxury for many companies. At the same time, one of the SOC as a service benefits is round-the-clock monitoring, threat detection, and response.

You get cloud-native protection 

SaaS teams use SOC cloud security tools to cut down on manual work, helping avoid mistakes and lessen the financial hit from security issues. Tools like Cloud IDS and DLP keep an eye out for threats and stop data leaks, while cloud-based SIEM systems provide real-time updates on potential risks. SOCaaS also comes with Cloud Incident Response, which means quick actions are taken if there’s a breach, minimizing any damage. Plus, there’s Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) to help businesses stay on top of regulations, steering clear of costly fines. 

You access experts who remain ahead of the curve.

By serving many clients and aiming to work without a single client breach, SOCaaS teams constantly learn about new threats and improve their skills. This saves you the time and cost of training your own team.

Your SecOps advance as your business grows.

By outsourcing security, you don’t need to expand your security team when your business matures and, accordingly, becomes more lucrative for hackers.

Your threat detection tools are fine-tuned and empowered with AI 

Basically, SOC automation streamlines security operations, yet it also can overcomplicate your security infrastructure.

Instead of increasing the security tech stack, an outsourced SOC team fine-tunes the tools you already have to work well together. It means both, better threat visibility and more comfortable threat management.

Altogether, an outsourced SOC service operations center will, most likely, integrate an AI analyzer to your cybersecurity ecosystem to identify and mitigate sophisticated threats. Such analyzers learn from your data and improve all the time. 

How Does Managed SOC as a Service Work?

The general SOCaaS meaning suggests you can delegate a wi-i-de range of security operations to third parties, depending on your contract.

The higher the SOC service tier, the more options the provider covers. 

How a Client Interacts with a SOC as a Service 

Engagement of a managed SOC as a service requires minimum effort from a client.

A client:

• Grants the SOCaaS provider access to the necessary systems, networks, and data for monitoring and analysis;
• Maintains security hygiene (strong passwords, regular software updates, and employee security training);
• Addresses any questions or concerns to the SOCaaS provider.
• Reviews and approves service level agreements (SLAs) with the SOCaaS provider, which define service expectations and performance metrics.
• Participates in incident response activities, providing necessary information.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a SOCaaS Provider

What is SOCaaS price that fits into your budget?

Think about how much you can afford to spend on setting up and keeping SOC as a service running. If your budget is tight, focus on the essential SOC functions like threat detection, incident response, and log management. Then, gradually invest in a stronger security posture as your resources grow. Many providers offer tiered packages, allowing you to scale up to advanced features as needed.

SOC service type: Full-Fledged or Augmented

Full-fledged SOCaaS is a comprehensive solution where the provider manages all aspects of the SOC, from monitoring to incident response. Augmented SOCaaS model enhances an existing in-house SOC by providing additional resources or expertise. It’s ideal for organizations that need to bolster their current security capabilities.

SOC as a Service: Full-Fledged Vs. Augmented

When it Makes Sense to Leverage a Full-Fledged SOCaaS 

• SMBs benefit from SOCaaS as it offers enterprise-level security without the high costs.
• Companies lacking skilled cybersecurity experts or resources can rely on SOCaaS for comprehensive security coverage.

When it’s Better to Augment an In-House SOC

• Companies with substantial budgets and in-house expertise may prefer to have a dedicated SOC manager for more control.
• Companies with advanced security needs may turn to a managed SOC when their in-house SOC is overloaded.

4 Challenges of a Managed SOC and How to Overcome Them

What can become a bottleneck when you go for security operations as a service? 

Integration Complexities

Define the best tools to strengthen your security posture, like:

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems, which aggregate and analyze activity from different resources across the IT infrastructure;
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), which monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and take action to prevent breaches;
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Tools, which provide visibility into end-user devices to detect and respond to threats;
• Threat Intelligence Platforms, which gather and analyze information about current and emerging threats.

Various managed SOC solutions can cover your security stack whether it’s large or small, common or uncommon — just request the necessary coverage. 

Dependence on Provider

Relying on a third-party provider for critical security functions may be risky if the provider fails to deliver. However, if your SOCaaS provider works with multiple trusted vendors, you get a strong and flexible security system. The best part is that the fine-tuned monitoring, threat detection, and incident response system remains fully owned by the client. 

Data Privacy Concerns

Organizations must ensure that sensitive data is handled securely by the SOCaaS provider.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)Clearly defined SLAs should mention the expected service quality and response times. Otherwise, you are buying a pig in a poke.

Roadmap to a smoothly running SOC as a service

So, what is a SOC as a service that will not add up headaches to a company management? It is flexible, vendor-agnostic, compliant, and scalable.