Cybersecurity monitoring has become increasingly important as organisations operate across endpoints, cloud platforms, networks, email and remote-working environments. Many businesses are now considering the differences between SOC as a Service vs in-house SOC to determine the best approach for their security needs.
That raises an important question: Should you build your own Security Operations Centre or use SOC as a Service? Both approaches can work. The right option depends on the organisation’s size, security maturity, regulatory requirements, internal skills and operating model.
What is an in-house SOC?
An in-house Security Operations Centre is operated primarily using the organisation’s own employees, processes and security technology. The organisation typically takes responsibility for:
- Recruiting security analysts
- Shift management
- SIEM administration
- Detection engineering
- Threat monitoring
- Incident investigation
- Threat intelligence
- Technology maintenance
- Reporting
- Escalation procedures
This approach provides a high degree of direct control.
What is SOC as a Service?
SOC as a Service provides security monitoring through an external cybersecurity provider. Instead of building the entire operating capability internally, the business gains access to security analysts, monitoring technology, processes and expertise as a managed service.
Depending on the provider, services can include:
- 24/7 security monitoring
- Alert validation
- Threat detection
- Incident investigation
- Threat hunting
- Escalation
- Security reporting
- Vulnerability visibility
- Incident-response support
SOC as a Service vs in-house SOC
| Area | SOC as a Service | In-house SOC |
| Deployment | Generally faster | Requires building capability |
| Staffing | Provider maintains analyst team | Organisation recruits analysts |
| 24/7 coverage | Can be included | Requires shift staffing |
| Technology management | Often provider-supported | Primarily internal |
| Scalability | Usually easier | Requires additional resources |
| Control | Shared operating model | Maximum internal control |
| Skills | Access to broader provider team | Depends on internal recruitment |
| Customisation | Depends on provider | Potentially extensive |
The challenge of 24/7 staffing
A SOC is not simply a room containing dashboards. True continuous monitoring requires people. An organisation operating around the clock needs sufficient analysts to cover day shifts, night shifts, weekends, public holidays, annual leave, sick leave, training and escalations. It may also require specialised skills for SIEM engineering, threat hunting and incident response.
For smaller and mid-sized businesses, maintaining this capability entirely internally can be difficult.
When does an in-house SOC make sense?
- The organisation has a very large security team
- It requires significant operational control
- It operates highly specialised environments
- It has resources to maintain 24/7 staffing
- It has mature internal security engineering capabilities
Some large enterprises may also use a hybrid model, retaining an internal security team while outsourcing certain monitoring functions.
When can SOC as a Service make sense?
- The business does not have enough internal security analysts
- It needs 24/7 coverage
- It wants to improve detection capabilities quickly
- It has multiple security products but limited visibility
- It wants predictable operational expenditure
- It needs additional incident-investigation expertise
Do you have to replace your existing security tools?
Not necessarily. This should be an important question when selecting a managed SOC provider. Businesses may already have substantial investments in firewalls, endpoint security, Microsoft security, email security, cloud security and identity platforms.
A vendor-neutral SOC model can integrate telemetry from existing controls rather than requiring the organisation to replace its entire security stack. This can improve visibility while protecting previous investments.
A hybrid SOC can offer another option
The choice does not always need to be completely outsourced or completely internal. A hybrid arrangement can allow internal IT and cybersecurity teams to retain ownership of the environment while a managed SOC provides 24/7 monitoring, detection, investigation, threat hunting and escalation.
Choosing the right SOC model
Ask potential providers:
- Is monitoring genuinely 24/7?
- Which technologies can you integrate?
- Do we have to replace our existing tools?
- Where is our security data stored?
- What are your escalation SLAs?
- Who investigates alerts?
- Is threat hunting included?
- What reporting is provided?
- How are incidents handed to our team?
Prima Secure provides 24/7 SOC monitoring designed to work with customers’ existing cybersecurity investments. Rather than automatically requiring a rip-and-replace approach, we integrate telemetry across existing endpoint, network, identity, email and other security technologies to create greater visibility from a central security operation.
Prima Secure SOC as a Service
Speak to Prima Secure about extending 24/7 security monitoring across your existing environment.