What is SOC-as-a-Service?

For many companies, a SOC (Security Operations Center) is a central part of cybersecurity operations, employing a team of professionals tasked with detecting, preventing, investigating, and responding to cyberthreats across the entire organization. However, with round-the-clock monitoring a prerequisite for robust SOC programs, some companies struggle to effectively meet the demands required as cyberattacks continue to evolve and become more sophisticated.

Often, cost is a central factor in an organization's ability to operate a Security Operations Center. Along with other issues such as scalability and compliance factors, many companies are turning towards managed SOC solutions. This type of SOC service enhances an organization's technologies and expertise without the need for expensive and time-consuming in-house recruitment and training and provides total coverage over networks and operations.

But how does a Security Operations Center as a service work, and how does it help companies of all sizes maintain security and compliance despite ever-growing cybersecurity threats? Here, we explore what SOC-as-a-Service is and how it can help your organization meet its security requirements.

Why SOC Compliance Matters 

While improving your organization's network security is critical to operations, ensuring your company meets its compliance conditions is equally important. Put simply, if your organization fails to prove it is taking a proactive approach to compliance in line with the latest regulations, it is likely to fall foul of regulating bodies, leading to fines and/or suspension of operations.

Achieving and demonstrating compliance using on-site SOC teams can be both costly and time-consuming. However, SOC-as-a-Service excels in this task, providing ongoing and methodical reporting for frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, PCI-DSS, and NIST as well as aligning itself with ISO 27001 or SOC II Type 2 regulations.

In addition, compliance enhances a company's reputation, with the flipside being that non-compliance can seriously damage your reputation in the eyes of customers and clients. This is because it is also their data that is at risk, and as high-profile breaches over the past decade have proven, even the biggest organizations live and die by their ability to meet the highest standards defined by regulating bodies.

Finally, outsourcing compliance tasks to third-party SOC services can benefit productivity while allowing IT teams to focus on operations-based tasks that may potentially minimize the risk of in-house breaches. 

SOC vs. Managed SOC

The differences between an in-house SOC and managed SOC service lie less with their relative functionality and more with how they operate and provide the requisite services. As previously mentioned, a managed SOC solution operates off-site, shifting away from conventional in-house SOC models that require resources and highly trained staff.

Managed SOC services provide access to fully trained security analysts, SOC Managers, SIEM content authors, and engineers that work 24x7x365. This provides round-the-clock coverage that is often a major stumbling block for in-house SOC teams, particularly for smaller organizations or those with restrictive security budgets. 

This allows organizations to access the tools, talent, and transparency required to meet compliance and instantly increase threat protection, with on-demand services with zero entry costs and reduced launch times. It also allows for tailor-made solutions to your organization's specific needs, with turnkey SOC services accessed through a dedicated cloud-based portal at any time. Depending on your managed SOC provider, they offer expertise to help respond during a cyberattack and can determine the scale of the problem.

Which Cyber Threats Are Monitored by SOCaaS?

Managed SOC services provide continuous security monitoring to detect, analyze, and respond to a wide range of security threats across an organization’s IT environment. These services focus on identifying potential compromises quickly and minimizing their impact through a combination of automation, expert analysis, and advanced security tools.

Endpoint and Network Threats

SOC-as-a-Service providers closely monitor endpoint security threats such as malware, ransomware, and suspicious activity on employee devices. They also watch for network intrusions, including attempts to access internal systems or exfiltrate sensitive data, often using SIEM and IDS/IPS systems to flag potential issues before they escalate.

Cloud and Insider Risks

Cloud infrastructure has become a prime target for attackers, so SOCaaS includes monitoring for unauthorized access, configuration errors, and other cloud threats that could expose critical data. Insider risks, whether accidental or malicious, are also tracked, with SOC teams alerting organizations to risky behavior or intentional misuse of systems by employees and contractors.

Phishing, Credential Attacks, and Major Security Events

Email-based threats such as phishing campaigns and credential-harvesting attacks are among the most common vectors for breaches. SOC-as-a-Service solutions provide early detection and response, preventing these attacks from escalating into larger incidents. Additionally, providers track critical security events such as DDoS attacks, privilege escalation attempts, and other activities that may require rapid escalation to a SOC analyst for investigation and remediation.

By combining automation with up-to-date threat intelligence, SOCaaS providers deliver timely security alerts and actionable recommendations. This approach enables faster containment and remediation of cyber attacks, protecting business operations and reducing the overall risk profile.

Why a Managed SOC is Important

A managed SOC allows businesses to operate with enterprise-level protection without the heavy costs of building and maintaining an internal SOC. Its importance lies in three main areas:

• 24/7 Coverage: Continuous detection and response ensures that no security event is missed, even outside normal business hours.
• Expertise on Demand: Organizations gain access to experienced SOC analysts, engineers, and threat hunters who specialize in advanced attack detection and response.
• Improved Security Posture: Proactive threat hunting, vulnerability analysis, and automated responses allow businesses to stay ahead of attackers and meet compliance needs.

In short, a managed SOC is not just a cost-saver — it is a force multiplier for IT and security teams, helping prevent breaches and minimize dwell time during an active security incident.

SOC Services Benefits

SOC services that are managed by third-party providers deliver a range of benefits to organizations of all sizes, bringing functionality that goes beyond conventional managed detection and response (MDR) services.

• Cost efficiency: Managed SOC services are usually provided on a month-by-month subscription model that falls within your business expenses. Not only does this reduce the overall cost of operating an advanced SOC center, but it also requires zero capital to implement and can easily be factored into your operating costs.
• Reduced cyber risks: Cyberthreats are constantly evolving, and staying up to date with the cybersecurity landscape is a challenge for even the most experienced in-house SOC teams. However, using managed SOC services, your company can access a vast pool of knowledge and experience spread across a significantly higher number of experts in the field. This reduces the risks of a breach, associated costs, and potential brand damage.
• Faster detection: The detection and subsequent remediation of cyberattacks is a core function of SOC-as-a-Service. In fact, using automation and data science, it speeds up detection and provides trustworthy alerts that allow effective remediation without draining resources from your existing security team.
• Easier scalability: Scaling an in-house SOC team is fraught with issues, from sourcing the right talent to staying up to date with the latest software. Managed SOC services, on the other hand, provide fast and simple scalability that grows alongside your organization. Agility in the face of fast-changing cybersecurity landscapes is also assured.

SOC Services Drawbacks

While the benefits of a managed SOC service are clear, a few drawbacks must also be factored into your decision-making. These include:

• Transitioning: The onboarding process usually requires deploying and configuring a SOC company's security stack on your servers. While this process is made as simple as possible, it can take some time to complete, leaving your organization vulnerable to attack as you transition.
• Compliance: While general compliance with well-known regulations is assured using SOC-as-a-Service, industry-specific regulations will require close consultation between your organization and your provider. Additionally, with the regulatory landscape constantly shifting, third-party providers have the potential to complicate the process. Using a trusted provider here is key.
• Log delivery: Naturally, with log files and other network data being "shipped out" of your network to a third-party provider, accessing this data can become an issue. Managed SOC service providers generally use data feeds and network taps to gather this data which is then stored on external servers. This means it can be expensive to gain full access to your own data, with associated costs often outside the remit of your subscription.
• Data security: Again, since data is being transferred from your organization to a third party, the potential for breaches is slightly increased, and enterprise data security and risk management can be more challenging. The deep insight into your network required by a provider means highly sensitive data will always be at an elevated risk.

SOC-as-a-Service Best Practices 

For organizations looking to leverage the benefits of SOC-as-a-Service within existing frameworks, there is a range of best practices that can help optimize functionality and reduce the effects of any drawbacks. Best practices involve carefully researching and validating any service offerings from SOC providers and asking for case studies on previous work to see how they may fit within a specific organization.

Additionally, understanding how a managed SOC service approaches compliance within your industry is essential, as the intricacies of this element of SOC can be challenging to navigate without significant experience. The same is true for the specific way data is extracted from your network and gathering a deeper understanding of how this may affect your organization is crucial.

Finally, ensuring a smooth transition to managed SOC services is key to reducing associated threats. Be sure to discuss how this will be achieved and minimize any risk by disconnecting servers from the Internet while installation and configuration occur.

Frequently Asked Questions about SOC-as-a-Service 

How does SOC-as-a-Service differ from a traditional SOC?

A traditional SOC is built and staffed internally, whereas SOCaaS is delivered by a service provider on a subscription basis. The provider hosts the infrastructure, manages the security tools, and supplies the staff to analyze security alerts and respond to incidents.

Can SOCaaS integrate with my existing security stack?

Yes. Most managed security service providers integrate with SIEM, EDR, and other existing endpoint security solutions to provide unified visibility and reporting.

Is data sent offsite during monitoring? 

Typically, yes. Security events and log data are collected and securely transmitted to the provider’s platform, where they are analyzed. Reputable vendors follow strict data handling practices to maintain compliance and protect sensitive information.

Will this replace my internal security team? 

No. SOCaaS is designed to complement internal IT or security teams by handling 24/7 security monitoring and alert triage, allowing in-house teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

How quickly can SOCaaS be deployed?

Deployment timelines vary, but many providers offer rapid onboarding within weeks, giving organizations faster access to expert monitoring and reducing exposure to potential cyber attacks..