The risk of cyberattacks is a constant issue for businesses like yours. Hackers are constantly trying to find new ways to steal information or damage your systems. Unless your company has a dedicated security team, it’s difficult to mitigate cybersecurity risks.

Modern companies need someone to constantly monitor their networks, quickly respond to threats, and proactively fortify their defenses. They need a security operations center (SOC).

What is a security operations center (SOC)?

A SOC is a team of security professionals that oversees a company’s entire cybersecurity strategy. Their job is to respond to various cyberthreats, evaluate current security measures, and devise strategies to prevent future attacks. A SOC is typically composed of five key technical roles, each performing tasks that aim to meet the said objectives:

• Incident responders – Incident responders are responsible for knowing when a breach has occurred and what steps to take to minimize the damage. They may contain a threat by isolating affected systems from the network and running full system scans. Responders may also restore systems to their original state to ensure business continuity.
• Digital forensic investigators – The investigators’ job is to determine how a security incident occurred and who was responsible. This often involves deeper analyses of network logs, user activity, file metadata, and hacking trends.
• Security analysts – Analysts identify system vulnerabilities before hackers exploit these. To accomplish this, they may review past breaches and verify the strength of current security measures. They may also use penetration testing and social engineering simulations to test a company’s defenses and security awareness. After these tests, analysts may provide practical recommendations on how to strengthen the company’s security.
• Architects – They essentially design the company’s overall cybersecurity infrastructure. Architects work closely with the other professionals to devise custom solutions that protect the organization’s data, systems, and employees. Architects also make sure the company’s defenses and processes comply with industry-specific requirements like HIPAA and PCI DSS.
• Engineers – Engineers enact the security strategy designed by the architects. They implement the security solutions and oversee the company’s day-to-day security operations. This includes tasks like deploying firewalls and managing user access control.

How is a SOC different from a network operations center (NOC)?

A NOC team is in charge of managing the company’s entire IT infrastructure. They ensure that corporate networks meet certain performance benchmarks, so business operations can run optimally at all times.

Although certain NOC functions may overlap with SOC processes, they ultimately serve different purposes. To illustrate, NOCs may manage user accounts, while SOCs would be in charge of securing them with multifactor authentication. Simply put, NOCs focus on the network’s availability and function, while SOCs prioritize its security.

Why do businesses need a SOC?

Having a SOC team can be game-changing for businesses. With a dedicated security team, you gain the following competitive advantages:

1. Faster threat detection and incident response

SOCs use state-of-the-art solutions to quickly detect a cyberthreat. For instance, they can use a security information and event management (SIEM) system to collect and store data from various security tools like firewalls and anti-malware software in one central location. From a centralized SIEM dashboard, SOCs can look for any unusual network activities that may indicate a breach. For example, sudden high-volume data exfiltration and deletion may indicate a malware attack.

If an incident does occur, the SOC team can immediately spring into action and contain the damage. They can even help the company recover by eliminating the immediate threat and restoring data backups.

In some cases, SOCs may be able to prevent attacks before they happen. For instance, if a hacker is trying to brute force their way into a system, the SOC can block their IP address and stop the attack before it does any damage.

2. Improved security posture

With a proficient SOC, businesses get a robust defense against the most sophisticated threats. SOCs conduct comprehensive assessments to identify and fix vulnerabilities in the system. They also install proven security measures like intrusion prevention systems, endpoint management software, and data loss prevention policies. In addition, SOC engineers can regularly update your software, security policies, and procedures so you’re always one step ahead of cybercriminals.

3. Reduced financial and reputational damage

When your business suffers a data breach, you typically have to deal with expenses related to downtime, recovery processes, and compliance penalties. In fact, the average data breach in 2022 can cost businesses $4.35 million. Plus, there are potential indirect costs like lost customers and damaged relationships with business partners.

By shoring up the company’s defenses, security operations centers can help a business avoid the costs associated with security breaches. SOCs implement multiple prevention mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of an attack. Even if a breach does occur, they can limit the damage and get the company back on its feet quickly.

4. Access to skilled security professionals

A common challenge in the cybersecurity industry is that there’s often a shortage of skilled professionals. This problem is only compounded by the fact that it can be expensive to fully staff an in-house cybersecurity team.

Luckily, there are Security Operations Center (SOC)  providers that enable businesses to tap into a pool of top-tier security talent. These providers typically hire a certified team that is well versed in various disciplines of cybersecurity, from threat hunting to incident response. Outsourced SOCs also use the latest tools and technologies to stay ahead of emerging threats, all while staying within the client’s budget. This means you’ll be able to offload complex cybersecurity problems to experts, so you can focus on running your business.

Dynamic Solutions Group can offer the cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions you need. We have a team of certified cybersecurity professionals to serve as your SOC team and implement advanced technologies to keep your business safe. Contact us today to fully secure your business.