A Security Operations Centre (SOC) is a centralised unit that is responsible for monitoring and analysing an organisation’s security posture and helps to reduce the impact of cyber security breaches. The primary objective of a SOC is to identify, investigate, manage, and respond to security incidents within a business’s digital infrastructure. 

How Does a SOC Work?

A SOC comprises people, processes, and technology, and is responsible for monitoring and analysing security events, identifying security incidents, and responding to them in a timely and effective manner. 

Cyber threats can happen at any time of day, but more often than not, hackers tend to operate when a business is offline. This is why SOCs operate on a 24/7 basis, allowing them to offer rapid responses to emerging cyber threats. 

Not only do security operation centres collect and analyse an organisations data to prevent suspicious activity, but they also offer support on how an organisation can improve their digital security. 

How Does a SOC Enhance Cyber Security?

Business Assets

Security operation centres look into all the hardware, software and technologies used within a business to ensure all assets are closely monitored. 

Behaviour

SOCs analyse and monitor the behaviour of a business’s digital infrastructure 24/7 to detect any unusual or suspicious activity. 

Alerts and Rapid Response

Alerts are set up so SOCs can pick up any cyber threats and take immediate action. These alerts allow a SOC to detect a threat quickly, respond to the threat, offer recovery and swiftly restore operations – all of which reduce the impact on the targeted organisation. 

Improvements

Through analysis, security operations will look at existing security solutions and offer strategies organisations can take to improve their digital security. 

Experts in Security

As mentioned before, a SOC comprises technology and processes, but it also requires a team of people who are security experts. These teams have the knowledge and expertise to keep a business’s data and infrastructure safe from cyberattacks. 

Different Types of SOCs

Not every security operations centre runs the same, but they all contain technology resources and a team of experts who are on hand at any given time to detect, prevent and respond to cyberattacks. 

Depending on the size and needs of a business, there are a range of SOCs to choose from: 

In-house

An in-house SOC is owned and operated by the organisation. The in-house SOC is staffed by the organisation’s employees, who are responsible for monitoring and responding to security incidents. 

In-house SOCs are typically found in larger organisations that have the resources to build and maintain their own security operations centre. These SOCs are often staffed by highly trained security personnel who are experts in their field. 

Due to the requirements of resources and expertise, an in-house SOC can be expensive to build and maintain. 

Co-managed SOC

A co-managed SOC is jointly owned and operated by the organisation and a third-party service provider. The co-managed SOC is staffed by a combination of the organisation’s employees and the service provider’s employees. 

Co-managed SOCs are typically found in mid-sized organisations that do not have the resources to build and maintain their own security operations centre. These SOCs are often staffed by a combination of the organisation’s IT team and the service provider’s security experts. 

A co-managed SOC provides organisations with the benefits of an in-house SOC while reducing the cost and complexity of building and maintaining their own SOC. 

Managed SOC

A managed SOC is a security operations centre that is owned and operated by a third-party service provider. The managed SOC is staffed by the service provider’s security experts, who are responsible for monitoring and responding to security incidents. 

Managed SOCs are typically found in mid-to-smaller organisations that do not have the resources or team required to build and maintain their own security operations centre. These SOCs are operated by highly trained security personnel who are experts in their field. 

A managed SOC offers organisations the advantages of a dedicated security operations centre without the expenses and challenges associated with establishing and managing one in-house. 

Managed Cyber Security from 848 and Arctic Wolf

An effective cyber security strategy is critical for businesses to protect their assets, comply with regulations, maintain operational efficiency, and foster customer trust and loyalty. 

As an Arctic Wolf Partner, 848 can offer expanded cyber security to customers and gain them access to market-leading security solutions that proactively improve the way they protect themselves against cyber threats.