Overview
The internet is an integral part of our personal and professional space in the current scheme of things and cyberattacks are the unknown threats that come along with the convenience of the digital era. From phishing to hacking, several internet users across the globe, including huge organizations, have been victims of cyberattacks, sometimes losing billions of dollars along with their reputations. A classic example is the cyberattack on NASA in September 2000, which resulted in the agency closing its computer operations for 21 days. The financial loss to the space agency was a huge $41,000 and its reputation took a hit as the hacker was just 15 years old.
So, the big question is if organizations of such technological caliber are at risk, then what are the measures to combat, prevent or mitigate any cyberattack?
The answer to this is simple – a managed security operations center.
What is SOC?
A managed security operations center, or managed SOC, is a centralized entity equipped with cutting-edge solutions to control, avert, and resolve any cybersecurity threat or attack to any business. The entire eco-system of a managed SOC revolves around three pillars of security – people, process, and technology.
Managing and safeguarding any organization’s digital assets requires more than just antivirus software. The expertise that a business onboards with a managed SOC includes monitoring IT infrastructure, devices, applications, and cloud data spread across the organization. A managed SOC can be in-house or outsourced, depending on the niche requirement of the organization based on conditions like data sensitivity, remote or hybrid work culture and budget. Some businesses even opt for co-managing the SOC with a third-party organization.
What does SOC do?
The contemporary use of the web is more complex as there are various points for data access like mobile applications, cloud, and connected systems. A managed SOC’s primary purpose is to 24×7 monitor, maintain and upgrade the organization’s IT infrastructure and cybersecurity by:
- Prioritizing security alerts
- Analyzing alerts
- Investigating threats and suspicious activities
- Quick response and resolution of any security breach or attack
The security operations center also keeps a log of different threat alerts and malicious activities on the network to help the team identify and prevent possibilities of cyberattacks in future.
SOC Center Benefits
Businesses today are highly dependent on the internet and are focusing on strengthening their digital security posture in a calculated manner. As cyberspace is a dynamic arena, and the chances of security breaches are real-time. A managed SOC brings the advantage of quick and continuous monitoring even on non-working days along with many other essential benefits for the organization:
Comprehensive Intelligence & Expertise
The intrusion into a network can be highly complex and the system is left vulnerable and affected due to the unavailability of any preventive or remedial solution. A SOC team brings to the table holistic solutions and domain-specific experts with knowledge of emerging technologies, applications used by cyber criminals and the latest tools to detect, prevent, and eliminate cyberattacks. An MSOC team may consist of experts like Malware Analysts, Forensic Specialists, and Incident responders equipped to keep continuous track of the entire cyber infrastructure and provide prompt solutions in case of any untoward event.
Cost-effective and Customized Response
Businesses that seek cybersecurity solutions prioritize the costs involved along with the efficiency of services. An in-house managed SOC requires investing in a well-established infrastructure, people and tools which will incur time and cost expenses. Outsourcing cybersecurity to a managed SOC service provider helps businesses
avoid the additional costs of hiring personnel or investing in hardware or related software. Further to this, a managed SOC team can be embedded with the latest security solutions customized according to the organization’s specific security requirements, ensuring security from in-house threats or outside it. Customization helps the organization focus on vulnerable and threat-prone features of its business, thereby preventing costly damages incurred due to malicious activities.
Intelligent Threat Analysis & Mitigation
The efficiency of a managed SOC is not limited to responding to a cyberattack. It involves the use of cutting-edge technology for continuous monitoring and real-time analysis of data logs to create an intelligent response for mitigating cyber threats quickly. Proactive monitoring assists the organization in detecting malicious activities and responding appropriately as the comprehensive client experience of a managed SOC, provides better coverage over threats and considerably lowers the chances of a security breach.
Scalability
The sheer size of operations and data dependency of a business are detrimental to its cybersecurity requirements. However, with the dynamic nature of IT and cyberspace, flexibility and scalability are essential in security infrastructure. A managed SOC brings in the scope of scalability of processes and the flexibility to expand the security measures without any structural overhauls by allocating the same resources to different clients.
Regulatory Compliance
Cybersecurity involves a complex set of rules and regulations. In the case of sensitive data, strict regulatory compliance is a must. A managed SOC service provider with GDPR compliance and ISO 27001 certification like Hughes Systique can ensure overall cybersecurity and safety of client data.
Conclusion
Overall, a managed security operations center is beneficial for any business involving IT, cloud services and sensitive data to keep it safe from cyberattacks and prevent any loss of data, money, or reputation. Seamless integration of a managed SOC enhances the security
of the organization with the latest security updates and focused monitoring for any vulnerabilities, gaps, or unusual activity regularly.