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SOC: Security Operations Center?

Today, there is a real possibility of your business being hacked and valuable company information being stolen and exploited. Cybercrime is becoming one of the biggest problems for business owners, costing businesses millions of dollars each year. That’s where a Security Operations Center (SOC) comes in, offering your company the best chance of protecting itself from cyber-attacks. We’ll discuss what SOC is, why you might need one and how to set one up.

An SOC is a place for your technical department to monitor and combat cyber-attacks. This area will store all their equipment and provide space for people trained in dealing with defending the company from hackers. This area should allow SOC team members to work with security staff to make sure that any potential threats are eliminated. The point of the SOC is to identify, contain, investigate and report on potential cyber threats to protect your business from being the victim of a cyber-attack. Now that we know what an SOC is, let’s look at why you might need an area like this.

Cybercriminals are focussing on business owners, trying to exploit a lack of defences to steal valuable information. The key to protecting yourself from these threats is to reduce the amount of time between the time the threat enters the system and the time it is detected. Many studies have shown that the faster an organization reacts to threats, the less likely the attack is to succeed. For larger businesses it can be difficult to monitor all the networks and severs at once. However, the SOC can monitor everything 24/7. Now that we know some of the benefits of SOC automation and orchestration, let’s look at how to set one up in your organization.

Many large organizations can benefit from establishing an SOC to monitor cyber threats. However, there are a few factors to considering when setting one up. The first is how strong your in-house team members are. To run an SOC will require many highly skilled people. If your in-house team members don’t currently have the skills, consider providing them with the training they will need. You might need to hire new people to help you run the center. You should also consider how much security your business requires. For example, larger organizations might decide that they will need 24/7 monitoring while a smaller business might only need a part-time monitoring service. Finally, it is very expensive to establish an SOC. Some expenses will include; purchasing new equipment, hiring new people, adapting your systems and setting the space up. Before you start building an SOC it is recommended that you figure out a budget to see how much you can afford to spend.

As cybercrime becomes more prevalent, businesses need to find ways of protecting their assets. For this reason, many businesses are choosing to create SOCs. We’ve discussed what an SOC is and the benefits they provide to help you decide if your organization needs to create a center.