For many IT professionals, the term “SOC” is used often when discussing IT infrastructure and services. But it’s not always clear whether the term SOC is widely understood, nor is it clear whether businesses realize how SOC and SOC-as-a-Service can benefit them. So, we wanted to give a little more insight into exactly what SOC is and how it can impact your IT infrastructure.
The acronym SOC stands for “security operations center.” In essence, an SOC is the combination of the essential components of a cybersecurity platform: the personnel needed to run the center; the processes to identify and respond to threats; and the supporting technologies needed to maintain these cybersecurity measures. Many companies, even those in high-risk industries such as finance and healthcare, aren’t completely prepared to handle a cybersecurity incident which can lead to them falling prey to a cyberattack.
With many companies, specifically SMB, having an internal SOC is not something that is possible, either due to financial constraints or lack of resources and manpower. In a situation like this, one option that many companies consider is SOC-as-a-Service. What this means is that an outside company provides all of the services of an SOC to that business from an offsite location. There are several benefits associated with outsourcing your SOC, but these are some of the biggest:
- Specialized professionals:
Often, it can be difficult for a business to find and employ the best cybersecurity professionals, which is where one of the main benefits of SOC-as-a-Service comes in. These providers typically have a staff of trained professionals who specialize in recognizing, responding to, and avoiding cybersecurity threats. Since these individuals are employed through the SOC-as-a-Service provider, the burden of finding the right people and training them on cybersecurity best practices is no longer a responsibility that your business needs to manage.
- Up-to-date cybersecurity protection
Many businesses have a limited IT and cybersecurity budget, which means that it can be difficult to dedicate the right amount of resources to ensuring that any and all network vulnerabilities are patched and updated to defend against the most current cybersecurity threats. With a dedicated SOC-as-a-Service provider, businesses can be confident that their network is secured with the most up-to-date protections so that cybersecurity threats can be avoided in real time.
- Lower overall costs
Keeping your SOC in-house requires a significant amount of capital, not just when it comes to purchasing hardware and equipment, but also finding the right people to keep your SOC up and running. When businesses choose to outsource and utilize an SOC-as-a-Service provider, the overall costs of maintaining a strong cybersecurity infrastructure are lower since those costs are being shared by all of the provider’s customers, instead of being kept completely in-house.
- Continuous monitoring
One of the biggest challenges for many businesses is allocating the right amount of time and manpower to maintaining a safe and secure network. With an in-house SOC, the professionals in charge of running this program often have other duties within the IT department, which means they can’t devote as much time to cybersecurity measures as they need to. With an outsourced SOC, you are working with a partner who will provide constant monitoring and protection for your network and digital assets without placing additional demands on your existing workforce. This allows your business to focus its attention on other priorities, such as expanding business offerings or improving customer service.
- Compliance with industry-specific regulations
In addition to providing businesses with a dedicated cybersecurity provider, an SOC-as-a-Service company is typically well-versed in the regulations and compliance requirements that various industries need to maintain with regards to customer data and sensitive information. Cybersecurity is not just about protecting your company from the financial repercussions of a cyberattack. For industries that handle extremely sensitive information, such as customer health data or financial records, the prospect of this information falling into the wrong hands can lead to consequences including local, state, and federal penalties; loss of revenue; permanent damage to the company’s reputation; and even the closure of the company itself.
With so much on the line, cybersecurity is a necessity for every business. By utilizing the SOC-as-a-Service model, businesses are able to remain confident that they are protected from cybersecurity threats and attacks, without having to spend the amount of money that would be needed to maintain a full-time, on-premises SOC. To learn more about how TAG Solutions can help you find the right SOC-as-a-Service option for your business, contact us today!