An MSP Blueprint for Delivering SOC as a Service

Are you interested in confidently protecting your network and that of your customers from today’s and tomorrow’s threats without adding staff or being deluged with false positives? A managed security operations center—or SOC as a service–can help protect your customers while growing your business.

A security operations center (SOC) is the cybersecurity command center that can enhance efficiency, effectiveness and coverage. One path to achieving a SOC is to build one yourself. A “build your own SOC” may seem to offer more control and flexibility, but this option often includes higher costs as well as more operational risk. It may prove unrealistic to hire, train and retain in-house SOC staff while implementing state-of-the-art solutions like security information and event management (SIEM) and endpoint detection and response (EDR).

It’s easy to see why a managed SOC solution makes sense from a time-to-value and cost stance for many managed service providers (MSPs). It is both practical and affordable while addressing today’s staffing challenges. Often called SOC as a service (SOCaaS), a managed SOC solution enables you to focus on your MSP business and not on technology. Lower your total cost of ownership (TCO) with SOCaaS when compared to a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solution that involves developing and staffing your own SOC.

To capitalize on these advanced cybersecurity market opportunities, here are three critical components to your success:

1. Adopt a layered defense.

Legacy anti-virus or malware-only tools are insufficient to protect MSPs and clients against stealthy and well-trained cyber attackers. A holistic approach to cybersecurity is needed to integrate multiple defensive measures together. Often called defense in depth, this approach reduces the ease of attack from a wide range of threat vectors. Also, many organizations over-invest in preventative measures, but a SOC must have ample controls to prevent, detect, respond and even predict threats. Small and midsizeorganizations look to MSPs for technical expertise regarding capabilities such as EDR, SIEM, user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) and vulnerability management.

2. Technology alone is not enough.

A SOC requires a blend of people, processes and technology to achieve cybersecurity protection. To ensure 24/7/365 coverage, you need eight to 12 cybersecurity professionals across three work shifts. Crucial SOC processes include onboarding, training and client communication. Also, a comprehensive SIEM is the foundational technology that provides visibility, security analytics and reporting. Find out what to expect from a SOCaaS deployment.

3. Cybersecurity requires additional investment.

In today’s environment, staying lean and mean is still crucial as you evaluate how to grow your business strategically. Adding cybersecurity solutions to your MSP portfolio complements your existing offerings like network monitoring, device procurement and perimeter protection, and leverages your technical skills and deep client relationships. You can also be prepared to invest time and money toward solution evaluation, training and operational readiness. But this investment does not have to involve capital expenses (CapEx) and inflexible commitments. SOCaaS enables you to pay as you go with operating expenses (OpEx) that lower your business risk. You have an excellent window of opportunity to add