How Using an SOC-as-a-Service Can Allow You to Focus On Your Core Business
What Is SOC-as-a-service?
A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a carefully formed internal cybersecurity team within an organization that operates together to monitor applications, networks and devices. It can be a costly endeavor featuring frequent personnel turnover and a lack of appropriate talent. The monitoring they’re tasked with is 24/7 and they’re expected to actively look for vulnerabilities, malicious behavior and security risks within a business that could result in an embarrassing and damaging security breach or a loss of critical data.
With these personnel-related complexities, the appeal to turn to others is not only a necessity, but the best decision for the organization. After all, focusing on what an organization does best is appreciated by customers and employees alike. As a result, more businesses are opting to outsource their security needs to an external provider that supplies SOC-as-a-Service. SOCaaS delivers all of the security benefits of a dedicated SOC but without the associated headaches, and financial burden that comes with managing a full staff in-house,
What are the benefits of an SOCaaS and why would you need it?
Unfortunately for many businesses, it is often financially impossible to hire enough cybersecurity professionals to effectively handle 24x7x365 coverage alone. Working from home has also become an incredibly attractive requirement for many employees, but that creates added hurdles in many cases – at least in regard to creating an internal SOC. With that adjustment comes an influx of new digital devices, computers and drives being taken from the protective office firewall and into someone’s home where the internet is less safeguarded, and clouds are accessed from less secure locations. Therefore, turning to an SOC vendor provides organizations with the internal security team it needs while effectively detecting and deflecting potential breaches and threats around the clock – and around the world.
SOC-as-a-Service is unique in that it provides businesses and organizations with various alternatives to managing its own security operation. Delivered as a cloud-based service, it goes beyond what traditional managed security service providers (MSSPs) and managed detection and response (MDR) vendors offer. It takes these conventional expectations one step further by providing more flexible, comprehensive, and effective approaches to threat detection and response. SOCaaS takes the pressure of responsibility off businesses by handling software patches and certificate training while staying up to date on the most critical security technology advances, compliance changes and new attacker landscapes.
By reducing the burden on in-house security teams through the detection and delivery of high-confidence alerts, efficient remediation can bolster cybersecurity while strengthening long-term strategies that will help the business move forward. Working with an SOC-as-a-Service provider also greatly reduces the risks of financially damaging breaches due to incurring costs of ransom fines and the brand damage that follows a successful attack.
Additionally, SOCaaS is flexible in its scale as it can be altered to fit businesses as they expand through acquisitions, personal growth, and remote work. Choosing a provider in lieu of building your own provides unparalleled benefits in the form of compliance and effectiveness while significantly decreasing the cost of acquiring, fitting, and securing a space for staff.
How do you choose the right SOCaaS provider?
Organizations often underestimate the specific cybersecurity challenges of a cloud environment and because of that, are often left exposed to hackers and malware scams. Choosing the right subscription-based SOC-as-a-Service provider can eliminate these fears if chosen correctly. To begin with, it is preferable to opt for a global SOC provider with multiple locations so that the business can ensure it is reached in all areas with expert support on a 24/7 basis. The threat landscape changes continuously and requires a watchful vendor that is able to adapt and mitigate threats with the latest technology. SOC-as-a-Service are also unique in their abilities to customize and create a security framework that provides businesses with the highest standards of security and data privacy. Leading SOC-as-a-Service providers are leaning into advanced methods of detection that incorporate behavioral analytics with machine learning and AI to keep up with the growing volume of data that is required for effective analysis.
Flexibility in SIEM, advanced detection capabilities and remediation approaches should also be examined with a keen eye. Not all SOCaas provide full remediation, but by observing what is offered and understanding how well their analyst investigates and identifies any malicious activity will set up your business and security team for ultimate success. Customers across various industries can benefit from a managed security service model, from financial institutions to critical infrastructure management. By providing your organization with optimal tools for cyber success, you can be confident that effective cybersecurity protection is being delivered efficiently throughout your organization’s expanding environment.