Cyberthreats are among the most pervasive dangers to businesses today. As they can strike at any moment, you need to be able to monitor your network and address incidents quickly to minimize risk to your operations. This is exactly why many organizations need a full-fledged security operations center (SOC) as part of your overall cybersecurity program.
What is a SOC?
A SOC is a team dedicated to identify, analyze, and respond to cybersecurity threats. It typically has three components that enable it to perform these functions:
- People – These are cybersecurity specialists whose role is to investigate and respond to anomalies, cyberattacks, and other potential incidents.
- Tools – SOC analysts employ a host of tools that enable them to accurately detect and collect data about potential threats. These tools also enable analysts to determine the appropriate response to security risks.
- Processes – These are the policies, strategies, and best practices that analysts follow to perform their tasks. SOC processes must be as clear as possible to ensure that analysts can respond quickly and properly should they encounter a potential threat.
Why do you need a SOC?
Your IT staff can implement countermeasures against common cybersecurity risks like spam and generic phishing scams. These measures, however, may prove insufficient against more advanced risks such as ransomware and targeted threats like distributed denial-of-service attacks or business email compromise. Having a SOC augments your cybersecurity in the following ways:
Continuous monitoring
According to research, a hacking incident occurs every 39 seconds. For your company’s protection, you should have someone who will watch out for and respond to such incidents at any hour. A SOC can monitor your systems outside of business hours and even during holidays.
Real-time response
A common misconception is that all types of malware instantaneously wreak havoc on a system the moment they’re downloaded and executed. In fact, some ransomware can stay hidden in your system for weeks or months, undetectable using conventional tools. During this period of dormancy, the ransomware can move laterally across your IT infrastructure, infecting more systems as it goes. The longer ransomware stays in your system, the greater and costlier the resulting damage tends to be.
This is just one of many reasons why you need a team that can respond to potential threats right away. The moment a SOC’s tools detect and analyze incoming danger, the team can deploy measures to neutralize it and prevent it from damaging your IT systems.
The moment a SOC’s tools detect and analyze incoming danger, the team can deploy measures to neutralize it and prevent it from damaging your IT systems.
Why should you consider outsourcing your SOC?
Outsourcing your SOC to a managed IT services provider (MSP) like Fidelis will help you address the following challenges:
Specialized team members and tools
To become a SOC analyst, it’s not enough to have basic knowledge of IT systems. The role calls for a specialized skill set and background. These factors alone make finding the right people to man your SOC difficult, and the pandemic is not making the situation any better.
Furthermore, operating a SOC requires the use of specialized security event management and data collection tools, among others. Compared to personnel with general knowledge of IT, SOC specialists are better equipped to take full advantage of these tools’ capabilities.
High overall costs
Notwithstanding the upfront costs of recruiting and compensating personnel and purchasing high-end applications, owning and operating a SOC is quite expensive. Just think of the additional equipment, office space, software tools, salaries, and benefits needed to properly staff a 24/7/365 dedicated security team.
When you outsource your SOC to a managed service provider like Fidelis, you’re sharing the cost of running the SOC with other organizations. An MSP either staffs an in-house SOC team or contracts with a dedicated team of IT professionals who possess the skills and experience critical to effectively managing your company’s cybersecurity. Outsourced SOC services are typically bundled with all of the tools that the team will need to effectively monitor, respond, and remediate security issues identified within your systems.
The greatest benefit of outsourcing your SOC has to do with cost. MSPs operate remotely, so they don’t take up any space in your office. You don’t have to worry about compensating their expert staff. You only need to pay a monthly fee that’s much lower than the cost of operating your own SOC.
If you want stronger cybersecurity for your company but do not have the resources to run your own SOC, Fidelis would be glad to talk with you about the services that they can provide. Our experts have years of experience managing the IT systems of clients from a wide variety of industries. Discover the security-related and other benefits of working with an MSP by downloading this free eBook.
