When it comes to effective cybersecurity risk mitigation, “early threat detection” is critical. It takes companies on average over six months to identify a data breach once it’s occurred, and by then, the damage is already done. This grim reality has forced businesses into adopting more advanced methods of dealing with cybersecurity threats such as Security Operations Center (SOC).

SOC services are the standard go-to solutions for organizations looking to improve their cybersecurity posture. These advanced systems provide real-time monitoring of company assets and report on any suspicious network activity currently taking place. This proactive system plays a vital role in an organization’s ability to protect itself from today’s most advanced forms of cyberattack.

Establishing a SOC framework can be a complex process, involving careful planning and coordination of operations, staff, and technology. However, there are many benefits to investing adequate time and resources into making it a crucial part of your cybersecurity plan. Here are some pros and cons associated with SOC software implementation and the key elements that make it an effective cybersecurity solution.

What are the Pros?

Integrating SOC into your business infrastructure has a variety of benefits. Below are a few of the advantages that SOC can provide:

1. Efficient Log Management

SOC automates the collection and correlation of all system logs under one unified platform. This makes it possible to analyze all the network information in real-time while looking for signs of suspicious activities.

2. Intelligent Threat Detection

Through continuous monitoring and AI-enabled behavioral analysis, SOC services identify potential threats early, giving you the ability to respond to events before they impact your business.

3. Countermeasure Deployment

SOC services use sophisticated methods to identify and remove threats as they surface. Using advanced, AI-technology and behavioral monitoring systems, SOC automatically recognizes when “seemingly” harmless activities have hazardous potential and automate investigative countermeasures to support. Then goes to work quarantining and removing harmful malware or dangerous network activities before they cause irreparable damage. This ensures you maintain the highest level of endpoint protection across your entire network.

What are the Cons?

While SOC tools and services provide several cybersecurity benefits, companies can experience certain roadblocks during integration. This is especially the case when companies opt for an on-premise or off-the-shelf security solution.

1. Complex Configurations

Due to the sheer scale of SOC frameworks, some organizations may find it difficult to set up an on-premise SOC solution. This can lead to misconfigurations that trigger false alarms when monitoring system events. False positive alerts are a very common occurrence, and one of the many issues people experience when using a self-managed and self-configured security solution.

2. Bandwidth to Manage

Most organizations don’t have endless resources or large teams of dedicated IT staff to operate and manage an on-premise SOC solution. This can lead to wasted investments in enterprise security as well as a larger chance that data breaches go undetected.

3. On-premise Solutions are Costly

Developing SOC tools in-house can require significant investments in new equipment, training, and staff resources. In most cases, companies prefer to use managed SOC services to help mitigate large upfront expenses while given the ability to scale their security solutions over time.

What are the Five Key Elements of an Effective SOC?

While SOC tools come in different shapes and sizes, the functionality and value of these solutions stay the same. These can be summarized in the following five areas:

1. Log Management Systems

A critical part of creating an effective SOC solution is the efficient collection and organization of all system and network logs. SOC services take the manual effort out of this process by automating log retrievals and correlating them for proper threat analysis.

2. Detection and Response

Proactive monitoring and threat response is a key function of SOC software. In real-time, these systems analyze all data and detect anomalies as they surface. Once detected, response teams can then immediately go to work addressing the issues.

3. Incident Management

SOC tools give businesses the ability to protect their digital assets while addressing potential breaches along the way. Using a combination of pre-defined rules and staff-supported response procedures, SOC ensures that businesses can reduce any potential downtime or damage caused by malicious sources.

4. Regulatory Compliance

Modern SOC tools deploy the latest technology to provide real-time infrastructure mapping, topology, and reporting. This allows companies to streamline their regulatory compliance needs, giving them the ability to produce on-demand compliance reports and ensure they are always meeting industry standards.

5. Next-Generation Antivirus

SOC services use the latest in next-gen antivirus tools, including User and Entity Behavioral Analytics (UEBA), Network Traffic analysis (ATM), and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR). By using root cause analysis to recognize both the intent and motivation of attackers, SOC tools can locate potential security risks before they materialize into damaging events. These tools then go to work alerting administrators of the potential security risks present, isolating the compromised systems and devices, and removing malicious files where necessary.

How Do Most Organizations Use This Technology?

The advanced capabilities of SOC technology make these security features a significant asset to companies of all sizes. Most organizations benefit from SOC software integration in the following areas:

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

Depending on the industry that an organization represents, there are a variety of compliance standards that companies need to maintain and report on. This can include HIPPA, SOX, GDPR, and PCI DSS. SOC tools not only help companies maintain these standards, but they also automate compliance auditing and reporting.

Internal and External Threat Response

SOC tools give companies the full-scale security protection they need against internal and external threats. Using advanced technology and real-time data analysis, SOC stays up-to-date with the most advanced forms of cyberattack and helps organizations combat them effectively.

IoT Security

With more and more companies adopting Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies for their employees, it’s essential that organizations are able to identify security risks from “seemingly” trustworthy sources. SOC services use data flow monitoring and IoT vulnerability management to recognize compromised devices while alerting administrators of suspicious activity.

SOC software plays a critical role in an organization’s ability to detect and respond to all network threats as they surface. SOC tools provide companies with the security automation they need while minimizing the disastrous impacts of data breaches that go undetected.

ArmorPoint is a managed SIEM solution that incorporates the best of SOC and NOC capabilities. This provides businesses with advanced endpoint protection and is designed to actively monitor and respond to today’s most dangerous emerging network threats. Managed by a team of dedicated security staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, ArmorPoint is an affordable solution that provides businesses with the security automation they need. Call today for your free trial of ArmorPoint’s managed detection and response solution.

About ArmorPoint

ArmorPoint is a security information and event management solution that provides a cost-effective and reliable way to continually protect your business from emerging threats. Through its customizable service pricing model, ArmorPoint’s cost-effective packages and dynamic levels of expert management support the security strategies of all companies, regardless of available budget, talent, or time. And since ArmorPoint offers 24/7 security support with a team of dedicated specialists, they can provide you with the manpower you need to expertly manage all of your cybersecurity initiatives. See how ArmorPoint can make a difference in your security posture with a risk-free 30 day free trial