It can be tough to justify spending capital on a new investment within the corporate world. More and more, however, enterprises are realizing the value of investing in cybersecurity. Considering the average cost of a breach in the United States now runs at over $9 million, organizations need to seriously consider the potential losses associated,     z with not making the proper investment in security. SOCAAS should be in the conversation at every enterprise today. Let’s look deeper how SOCAAS can benefit organizations, and some of the key attributes of SOCAAS solutions.

What Is SOCAAS?

Before diving into SOCAAS, otherwise stylized SOCaaS, let’s first understand the beginning part of this acronym, SOC. A security operations center (SOC) is essentially a team of individuals with a high level of cybersecurity expertise, all working to keep networks safer. Some organizations will opt to create an in-house SOC, though this isn’t always the most cost-effective option, and is only even possible for the largest enterprises.

The second part of the acronym, AAS, will be more familiar to those who have general expertise in cloud-based technologies, as it refers to the term “as a service.” This is another way of saying enterprises can purchase services on a rolling, subscription basis.

Combining the two pieces of the acronym, SOCAAS, gets you secure operations center as a service. This means that instead of building an internal SOC from the ground up, organizations can opt to purchase SOC bandwidth and expertise from a third-party security provider. As you’ll see, there are a few advantages to this.

Why Should Enterprises Adopt SOCAAS Solutions?

Among the reasons a SOC-as-a-Service solution makes sense for enterprises today is the potential to streamline operations by minimizing structural complications involving infrastructure and personnel. The act of cutting down on complexity in itself can lower the likelihood of vulnerabilities. But this is only the first layer of benefit when evaluating SOC-as-a-Service.

As with many other platforms operating on an “as-a-service” model, SOCAAS is able to reduce operational and upfront capital expenditures.

This is due to a few factors:

  • Customers don’t have to purchase their own network infrastructure and devices
  • New employees won’t need to be hired to fill the role of an entire SOC team when the service can be purchased from a specialized company
  • It’s possible to scale solutions up and down based on ongoing needs—meaning only essential capital is being spent
  • Integrating with other cloud services and applications is typically smooth and secure

Clearly, there are substantial benefits to opting for an SOC-as-a-Service option versus building an SOC in-house—much less forgoing one altogether. But what are some of the key attributes of SOCAAS solutions?

The Key Attributes of SOCAAS Solutions

Now that you understand why the SOCAAS path is good for enterprises, it’s important to know what features to look for in these service plans.

These are a few of the top attributes to look for when evaluating SOCAAS solutions:

  • Continuous watching by skilled cybersecurity experts
  • A team of top-tier engineers who know what to look for and how to react to stop threats
  • Tools powered by advanced tech, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, ensuring they’re staying smarter than the enemy
  • Intuitive end-user management and visibility tools
  • Various built-in threat-detection technologies, including managed threat detection and response (MDR) and endpoint threat detection and response (EDR). This will ensure the quickest reaction times to suspicious activity, while also helping to secure network endpoints—an increasingly important task in today’s world.
  • The ability to adhere to a wide range of regulatory compliance scenarios. This is especially critical for organizations that operate in a highly regulated industry, such as healthcare or finance.

Overall, enterprises should look for SOCAAS solutions that will simplify their operations while cutting net costs and boosting cyber defense. Making the move to a SOCAAS option can make an entire organization stronger and more secure.