The term SOCaaS refers to a managed security service where the resources of a Security Operations Center (SOC) can be outsourced. This would typically include the systems and software needed to collect logs, store them, create business rules and apply logic to identify potential threats, and the staff to monitor and address threats 24/7 every day, weekends and holidays included. Why do you need this type of service? Let’s look at some of the challenges you will face if you try to do this on your own.
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Challenge 1: Cyber threats are constantly evolving
Keeping up with the latest threats is a challenge. Applying outside threat intelligence and having security analysts on staff that are focused on identifying new indicators of compromise greatly increases the chances to identify a new exploit and stop it in its tracks.
Challenge 2: Compliance requirements for monitoring make it difficult for internal staff to cover the need.
Your IT director has other things to do, including keeping the network in good shape and helping staff with issues. It also takes a minimum of three full-time employees to monitor 24/7 365 days a year, and you still have to account for sick days and vacations.
Challenge 3: Remote work and hybrid environments have expanded cyber risk
Remote and hybrid work arrangements have created a wealth of new security challenges for organizations. Remote access deployments via VPN and ZTNA both have security considerations and configurations. Solutions for patch management change when devices and assets aren’t on the same network. A SOCaaS provider will have the tool and experience to be able to help organizations deal with these diverse challenges.
Challenge 4: SOC staff needs to be able to validate threats.
You can purchase Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools to ingest logs from your firewall, key servers, endpoints, and cloud services to alert on potential threats, but many of those alerts will be false positives. In many cases, the sheer volume of alerts overwhelms the internal staff as they simply don’t have the time to investigate them all, and they may fail to detect an actual incident. Security analysts are trained to investigate the alerts, validate threats, and take action.
Challenge 5: Security Analysts are in high demand and difficult to find.
SOCaaS provides access to these resources without having to hire, train and retain them internally. An entry level security analyst has an average annual salary of more than $75,000 — before benefits and other associated costs — and you’ll need a team of analysts and managers if you’re looking for 24/7 coverage.
Key benefits of SOCaaS:
- Improved Visibility: 24/7/365 continuous centralized monitoring of logs from a variety of sources to detect indicators of compromise
- Improved Efficiency: Validation of alerts to cull out false positives and provide action steps for threats
- Reduced costs: Access to the systems, tools and staffing of a full SOC without a large capital investment and ongoing costs to maintain. SOCaaS provides a much lower operating cost scaled to the organization’s assets.
- Specific expertise: SOCaaS providers are specialized security experts. While having your in-house team handle your security is possible, it is unlikely your existing staff has the in-depth security experience that is required to best protect yoru organization. Leveraging a SOC as a Service provider gives you access highly trained and specialized security professionals.
- Scalability: SOCaaS can easily scale up or down to meet the changing needs of an organization. As your organization grows, your provider can adjust their services to meet your needs.
Should you choose SOCaaS?
Overall, SOCaaS provides businesses with a comprehensive and cost-effective security solution that can help them stay ahead of potential threats and minimize the impact of security incidents. Foresite Cybersecurity operations a 24/7 Security Operations center located in Overland Park, Kansas to help customers achieve their security and compliance goals through managed security services. Contact us today to learn more about our SOCaaS offerings.
