According to a recent study, 7 out of 10 companies say they plan to increase their cybersecurity budget in the next 12 months. One way to stretch your security budget is to outsource your Security Operations Center (SOC). Many organizations today are looking to outsource their SOC to a third party in order to save money. For example, in Boston, Massachusetts, a chief information security officer is saving over $1 million annually by moving his security operations to managed security service providers (MSSP) like Sentree Systems, Corp.
This is possible because MSSP’s are typically more cost effective than in-house security operations centers because MSSP’s have greater economies of scale and they use fewer resources than in-house SOC’s do. In addition, MSSP’s often have access to the latest security technology because they need to keep up with the latest threats in order to keep their customers safe.
A SOC as a Service is a comprehensive, remote security solution that offers many benefits, including:
1. Increased security: A SOC can provide increased security for your organization by monitoring for threats 24/7 and responding quickly to any incidents.
2. Cost savings: A SOC can save your organization money by reducing the need for in-house security staff and resources.
3. Improved compliance: A SOC can help your organization meet compliance requirements by providing comprehensive security reporting.
4. Enhanced visibility: A SOC can give you greater visibility into your organization’s security posture, helping you to identify potential vulnerabilities and risks.
5. Faster response times: A SOC can help you respond more quickly to security incidents, minimizing the impact of any breaches.
6. Reduced downtime: A SOC can help reduce downtime by quickly identifying and resolving any issues that may arise.
7. peace of mind: Knowing that your organization’s security is being monitored and managed by a team of experts can give you peace of mind and allow you to focus on other aspects of your business.
What Is a Security Operations Center?
A security operations center (SOC) is a facility where organizations can monitor and respond to security threats. SOCs are typically staffed by security SOC analysts, who use a variety of tools and techniques to detect and investigate potential threats. In some cases, SOCs may also be responsible for managing security incidents and coordinating with other incident response teams.
SOCs are typically staffed by an MSSP which employee’s security analysts, cyber security engineers, and threat hunters.
What is an MSSP?
An MSSP is a Managed Security Service Provider. These are third-party companies that provide SOC-as-a-service to their clients. In other words, they manage the entire security operation for their clients. This includes providing the necessary tools, staffing the SOC, and managing incidents.
MSSPs typically offer a variety of services such as intrusion detection and prevention, malware removal, firewalls, and more. They may also offer consulting services to help organizations improve their overall security posture.
What are the benefits of an MSSP?
The main benefit of hiring a third-party MSSP is, cost savings: Building and staffing a SOC can be expensive. Outsourcing this function to an MSSP can save organizations lots of money. The second benefits is that MSSPs have the expertise and resources to effectively manage a SOC.
Why is a security operation center important?
A security operation center (SOC) is a central location from which an organization monitors and manages its security risks. A SOC is important because it allows an organization to proactively identify and respond to security threats. By monitoring its network for suspicious activity, an organization can detect threats early and take steps to mitigate them. A SOC also enables an organization to respond quickly to security incidents, minimizing the impact of any breaches that occur. The SOC team will not only identify security risks that exist in an organization’s IT environment, but also implement steps to mitigate them. This can include deploying new security technologies and processes or updating existing ones.
The benefits of a SOC are numerous. An effective SOC can help an organization improve its overall security posture, reduce the likelihood of security incidents, and minimize the impact of any incidents that do occur. In addition, a SOC can help an organization save money by reducing the need for reactive responses to security incidents and by improving the efficiency of its security operations.
Security Operations Center: In-House or Outsourced?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of whether a security operations center (SOC) should be in-house or outsourced. The decision depends on the specific needs and resources of the organization. However, there are some general pros and cons to each option that can guide the decision-making process.
In-house SOCs offer greater control and visibility over security operations, but they also require more resources and expertise to maintain. Outsourcing SOC services can save on costs and free up internal resources, but it can also lead to loss of control and increased risk.
The best decision for an organization will depend on its specific needs and circumstances. Factors to consider include the size and complexity of the organization, the availability of internal resources, and the level of risk tolerance. But, in my opinion, I would say outsource. Why you ask? Because, in the end, it’s the best way to ensure that you get what you want.
Outsourcing allows you to focus on your company’s core competencies and leave the non-core or less important tasks to someone else.
There are several reasons why this is advantageous:
1) It saves you time and money.
2) You can get access to expert knowledge and skills that you may not have internally.
3) It allows you to free up internal resources to focus on more important tasks.
4) It reduces your risk because you are not relying on a single individual or department to get the job done.
SOC vs SIEM: What’s the Difference?
SOC (Security Operations Center) and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between the two. SOC is a team of security professionals who are responsible for proactively monitoring endpoint security and responding to security threats. SIEM is a software platform that aggregates and analyzes alerts against your data from multiple sources in order to detect security threats. While SOC and SIEM both play an important role in security, they are very different things.
What Is Cyber Threat Hunting in a SOC?
Cyber threat hunting is the proactive process of identifying and investigating potential threats within an organization’s network. This can be done manually or through the use of automated tools. Cyber threat hunting is often conducted by security analysts within a security operations center (SOC).
The goal of cyber threat hunting is to identify threats that have evaded detection by traditional security measures, such as antivirus software and firewalls. By proactively using threat intelligence and searching for signs of malicious activity, organizations can better protect themselves against cyber attacks. Threat intelligence is the practice of gathering, analyzing and responding to information about threats to an organization’s security.
Common techniques used in cyber threat hunting include analyzing system logs, network traffic data, and user behavior. This analysis can help to identify unusual or suspicious activity that may indicate the presence of a threat.
Organizations should consider implementing a cyber threat hunting program if they want to improve their ability to detect and respond to potential threats. Cyber threat hunting can be an effective way to complement traditional security measures and help organizations better protect themselves against today’s sophisticated threats.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many benefits to outsourcing a SOC solution including reducing the overall cost of running a security operation, accessing world-class security expertise, and freeing up internal resources to focus on other priorities. When done correctly, outsourcing a SOC solution can be a strategic move that helps organizations improve their overall security posture.
IT managers and small business owners are struggling to keep up with their ever-growing technology footprint. There are no perfect solutions for small businesses to protect their data and digital assets. Sentree365 is our 24/7 SOC with real-time detection and response designed for small businesses, offering time and cost savings.
Â
Â
