Choosing the Right SOC Model

In the face of today's advanced cyber threats, having a security operations center (SOC) is an essential function of any organization's cybersecurity plan. SOCs play a crucial role in coordinating the response to security issues, and they often take on other specific security missions and goals based on your industry and risk tolerance.

There are several different types of SOC models to choose from. The right one for your organization will depend on several factors. Let's break down some of the basics when it comes to choosing a SOC model, and how to measure its effectiveness.

What is a SOC?

A SOC is an organizational function dedicated to managing processes for identifying, investigating, and remediating security incidents. Specific responsibilities may include asset management, change management, vulnerability management, security event management, incident management, as well as the incorporation of threat intelligence and various DevOps activities such as automations and quality assurance. At a high level, there are three types of SOCs:

• Internal SOCs: Typically found in well-funded organizations, internal SOCs are dedicated internal teams that support continuous security operations.
• Hybrid SOCs: These SOCs combine internal resources with external services to create a tailored security function in a partnership model in which the security vendor is commonly responsible for 24/7 monitoring and investigations.
• Fully Outsourced SOC: This is a third-party service that provides all cybersecurity monitoring and response capabilities.

What SOC is Right for You?

Determining the right SOC for your organization depends on multiple factors specific to you. Start with these questions:

1. What is your overall risk profile?
2. What is your organization's acceptable risk level?
3. What is your cybersecurity budget?
4. How much of your cybersecurity do you want to own and how much are you willing to outsource?

Comparing your answers with the different SOC descriptions will give you a good sense of what may be the best fit for your organization. Given the global cybersecurity talent shortage and budget constraints, many organizations are opting for a hybrid approach that gives them 24/7 coverage but still allows them to retain strategic control over their cybersecurity efforts.

Measuring SOC Effectiveness

To measure the effectiveness of your SOC, you will need a set of metrics that reflect both the security landscape and the efficacy of the SOC's resources. These metrics should be summed up in a dashboard to show real-time counts, plus weekly, monthly, and quarterly stats to track trends over time, with a focus on SOC responsiveness and investigation quality.

Key metrics include (but are not limited to):

• Scope and volume of potential threats
• Your vulnerability points
• Investigation triage time
• Number of investigations with corrective actions taken
• Number of patched vulnerabilities sorted by severity

That's just a sampling, and your specific metrics should track performance against stated policy and posture goals, which are tied to business outcomes such as reduced risk and regulatory compliance.

Learn More

If your organization is serious about its cybersecurity, it needs access to a SOC. If you want to dig deeper into choosing the right SOC for your organization, including best practices for measuring SOC effectiveness, our white paper "Navigating Cybersecurity with an Effective SOC" can help.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.