The Pros and Cons of an Outsourced SOC – The Security Operations Center (SOC) has become increasingly critical to businesses in today’s data-driven world, as hackers are becoming more creative and sophisticated and intrusions more common. Unfortunately, a security SOC team can be hard to staff.
However, so many businesses are opting to outsource the function of their SOC to third-party vendors that can provide SOC as a service (SaaS). This provides an attractive option for companies that don’t have the resources or workforce to build and manage their SOC in-house. Here are some of the pros and cons of hiring SOC services.
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What is Security Operations Center (SOC)?
A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a 24×7 security operations center (SOC) that monitors, manages, and secures computer systems from internal and external threats. Most larger companies have their dedicated security operations center, with a small number outsourcing their monitoring to outside service providers. In any case, these companies are responsible for allocating sufficient resources to ensure that attacks are promptly detected, contained, and eradicated.
What Are Its Benefits?
Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) like ConnectWise work with several partner vendors. Not only do they provide managed incident response services, but they also give companies the following advantages.
Around the Clock Security
Security is as close as your inbox, 24/7. There is no need to spend tens or hundreds of thousands on staffing a team 24/7 when you can have techies on call at much lower costs.
Pay Per Incident Or a Flat Monthly Rate
Most companies charge based on an incident, which means they will bill you each time they investigate an attack or breach. However, a monthly fee would be much more cost-effective for most small businesses.
Monitor Your Security Remotely
Instead of having a full-time team on-site, your vendor will monitor your system from afar, saving you money in both salaries and office space.
Customization
You can customize your service to fit your specific needs. For example, many security vendors provide more than just SOC services. This allows you to combine multiple services into one monthly fee instead of paying for everything separately.
Collaboration
The vendor will work with you to create an effective security strategy protecting your company from external threats. This lets you take advantage of their specialized knowledge without maintaining your team.
What Are the Disadvantages?
You will have to transfer your data somewhere else, which means you won’t manage it as closely. However, if something goes wrong during a breach or attack, there may not be much you can do about it.
If you’re used to having a hands-on approach, switching to relying on someone else for your information security can be challenging. You won’t have as much control over your network. However, you will have to follow any processes put in place by your service provider, so you may not do certain things you would like.
A managed security service is ideal for companies that don’t have in-house security expertise. But it’s not without its risks.
