How Does It Work?
Under a managed SOC model, an organization outsources some or all of its SOC to a third-party provider. The service provider monitors the organization’s network, operates its security architecture, and responds to potential security incidents. While the customer retains some responsibility for security, working with a third-party provider enables them to more effectively scale their security program or close potential gaps.
Managed SOC Features
A managed SOC provider can offer a range of features and services to an organization, including the following:
- Round-the-Clock Security Monitoring: Cybercriminals don’t keep normal business hours, and a SOC should be prepared to respond to a potential threat at any time. A managed SOC provider will offer 24x7x365 security monitoring and threat detection.
- Threat Detection and Incident Response: If a managed SOC provider identifies a potential threat, they will start the remediation process. This may include the SOC provider’s incident response team (IRT) addressing the issue or coordinating with the customer to do so.
- Security Posture Assessments: During onboarding and periodically afterward, a managed SOC provider may perform an assessment of the organization’s existing security posture and infrastructure. This enables the provider to implement the solutions and protocols necessary to protect the organization against cyber threats.
- Security Tool Management: A managed SOC provider is responsible for managing an organization’s security and will have its own set of solutions for doing so. The provider is responsible for deploying these solutions to protect the customer’s environment and configuring, monitoring, and managing them.
- Security Reporting: A managed SOC provider will generate regular reports for internal and external consumption. For example, a provider may periodically report data to the customer as well as collect the data required to demonstrate compliance with applicable regulations.
Benefits of Managed SOC
Partnering with a third-party SOC provider can offer significant benefits to a company, including:
- Enhanced Security Posture: A managed SOC provider should have proven solutions and processes in place for detecting, investigating, and remediating security incidents. Partnering with a third-party provider may enable an organization to achieve a higher level of security maturity than it could reach or sustain in-house.
- Proactive Threat Prevention: Managed SOC providers have a clear view of the cyber threat landscape and an understanding of best practices for protecting various organizations against cyber threats. This enables them to take steps to proactively identify and prevent threats from reaching and impacting an organization’s IT systems.
- Alert Enrichment and Threat Response: Security teams are commonly bombarded with large volumes of alerts where false positives conceal true threats. Managed SOC providers have access to threat intelligence and additional context that enables them to more quickly and accurately identify true threats to the organization.
- Cutting-Edge Security Tools: The state of the cybersecurity threat landscape changes rapidly, and tools are constantly evolving to keep up. A managed SOC provider will have access to the tools needed to protect its customers’ businesses, which might be cost-prohibitive for an organization to purchase themselves.
- Rapid Security Deployment: A managed SOC provider will have an existing security architecture and a process for deploying it in a client environment. This will enable much faster deployment and time-to-value than building a similar security infrastructure in-house.
- Access to Specialized Expertise: A mature cybersecurity program requires a range of cybersecurity knowledge and expertise, including incident response, cloud security, and threat hunting. While a company may struggle to attract and retain this talent in-house, a partnership with a managed SOC provider offers access to it as needed.
- Cost Savings: Managed SOC providers have multiple customers and can take advantage of economies of scale. As a result, they can offer SOC services at a lower TCO than an equivalent in-house security program.
Challenges of Managed SOC
While a managed SOC can provide significant benefits to an organization, it can also introduce some challenges, including:
- Finding the Right Provider: Different companies have varying security needs and require a managed SOC provider that they can trust. As a result, they may struggle to identify a SOC service provider with the appropriate skills and reputation.
- Privacy and Data Confidentiality: A SOC provider requires deep visibility into an organization’s systems to identify and manage potential threats. This can create privacy and regulatory compliance concerns due to the provider’s access to sensitive and protected data.
- Reduced Security Visibility: A managed SOC provider will deploy and operate security solutions to protect an organization against cyber threats. As a result, an organization may lack the same level of visibility and control that they would have with an in-house SOC.
- Selecting the Right Service Tier: Managed service providers may offer varying service models and tiers. Customers may struggle to identify the model that best suits their unique needs.
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