Top 9 SOC as a Service Providers (Reviewed)

Is your company drowning in security alerts? Traditional in-house Security Operations Centers (SOCs) can be expensive, require specialized skills, and often need help to keep pace with the latest threats.

Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS) can be your lifeline. Security Operations Center as a Service(SOCaaS) is a cloud-delivered service that provides 24/7 threat monitoring, detection, investigation, and incident response through an external provider. It replaces the need for an in-house SOC while giving organizations continuous coverage against evolving cyber threats.

However, choosing the suitable security operations center model isn’t just a matter of hiring a team or some SOC as a service provider. Security and risk management leaders must also carefully consider operational responsibility.

Top 9 SOC as a Service Providers

  1. Sprinto
  2. Symantec
  3. Sophos MDR
  4. Rapid7
  5. Alert Logic
  6. Qualys
  7. Arctic Wolf Networks
  8. Netsurion
  9. Palo Alto Networks

But before we jump into the list of top SOC vendors, let’s look at how they can help you.

What is SOC as a Service?

SOC-as-a-Service is a subscription-based cybersecurity solution where a third-party provider delivers security monitoring, threat detection, and incident response through a remotely managed Security Operations Center. It combines skilled analysts, advanced tools, and threat intelligence to continuously protect an organization’s network, without the cost of building an in-house SOC.

Why Should You Choose SOC as a Service Providers?

1. Leverage Experience and Expertise:

Building and retaining a skilled cybersecurity team can be a significant challenge in the current economy. Alternatively, SOCaaS providers offer a diverse pool of experienced analysts who constantly monitor threats, research emerging tactics, and stay updated on the latest vulnerabilities free of the additional costs associated with in-house resources.

Moreover, security experts with 3+ years of experience in your industry and asset type also help tailor approaches to navigate threats proactively specific to your infrastructure and business model.

2. Improve Threat Detection and Response:

By leveraging advanced Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems and threat intelligence feeds, a managed SOC as a service solution provider can collect data across your network, analyze it for suspicious activity, and prioritize potential threats.

Additionally, they bring established processes for incident response to the table, ensuring swift and effective detection as well as containment of any security breach.

3. Stay Compliant Around the Year:

Each industry and region has its own data security regulations, such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, NIST, ISO, and more. The good news? They all share a common thread: a requirement for continuous monitoring and reporting.

A SOCaaS provider helps simplify compliance by staying on top of evolving regulations and configuring your security posture to generate reports demonstrating compliance with audits to save time and resources.

4. Navigate Scalability:

Security threats are constantly evolving, and your defenses need to adapt. With growing business, scaling up an in-house SOC requires significant upfront investment in infrastructure, personnel, and software.

With SOCaaS, you can easily adjust the level of service you receive based on your organization’s security needs and budget. This allows you to focus on your core business functions while ensuring robust cybersecurity measures are in place.

Essential Features to Look For in Your SOCaaS Provider

Security Services (SIEM, Threat Detection, IR):

Prioritize a SOCaaS provider who leverages a robust SIEM solution as a foundation for effective security by collecting IT infrastructure logs and events, analyzing them for anomalies, and generating alerts.

The SOC team should also utilize advanced analytics and skilled security experts to identify potential breaches and handle security incidents, including containment, eradication, remediation, and post-incident recovery procedures.

Threat Intelligence:

Look for a SOCaaS company that relies on threat intelligence feeds to gain insights into current attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). By incorporating this intelligence into their detection and response strategies, they can proactively identify and mitigate threats before they impact your organization.

Compliance Support:

Ensure your SOCaaS provider goes beyond security monitoring to understand the complex regulatory landscape and offer compliance assistance.

Choose a provider with experience in navigating the above who can help you improve your log retention policies and assist with vulnerability assessments and compliance audits.

Scalability and Custom Approach:

With evolving business structures and offerings, your security needs also evolve over time. Focus on a SOC as a Service solution that scales to accommodate your growing demands.

The ideal SOCaaS service should tailor its approach to your unique security posture, industry regulations, and IT environment, ensuring comprehensive protection that aligns with your specific requirements.

Integration Capabilities:

Look for a SOC as a Service provider that seamlessly integrates with your existing tech stack, including current firewalls, intrusion detection systems, endpoint security, and SIEM.

Such a smooth integration eliminates data silos and streamlines the security process to deliver efficient data collection, faster analysis, and a swift response to threats without disrupting your infrastructure.

Reporting and Communication:

Focus on a SOCaaS team that delivers clear, customizable reports with detailed security incidents and analysis of threats detected to facilitate data-driven security decisions.

A dedicated PoC for ongoing communication and a straightforward escalation procedure also help ensure your concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.

Top 9 SOC as a Service Providers

1. Sprinto

Key Features:

As a user-friendly, cloud-based platform, Sprinto has earned a name for itself in automated compliance monitoring for 20+ frameworks. Its continuous monitoring capabilities, combined with automated evidence collection and control monitoring, empower you to build a strong SOC.

Moreover, its access or vendor management controls help ease the detection of suspicious behavior and send intelligence alerts to the admin for remediation.

2. Symantec

Key Features:

Part of the Broadcom umbrella, Symantec is a popular SOC as a Service provider that offers a robust security suite. Its managed security services leverage deep security intelligence to expedite threat detection and response, manage logs, and ensure compliance.

Moreover, their Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) empowers you with features like threat hunting, remote investigations, and automated remediation.

3. Sophos MDR

Key Features:

Sophos MDR elevates your SOCaaS experience by offering a comprehensive security solution that seamlessly integrates with your existing software.

Its 24/7 threat hunting and response, powered by a team of security experts and an instant Security Operations Center, actively prevents attacks rather than just reacting to them. Lastly, its customizable service levels ensure you find the perfect fit for your needs.

4. Rapid7

Key Features:

Rapid7 Managed Security Services offer a unified platform that streamlines operations, boosts threat detection, and provides unlimited benefits, including Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR), VM scanning & data ingestion.

Furthermore, their 13-month log search and reporting capabilities, along with the Threat Intelligence Development Engine (TIDE) team, refine your security posture by reducing alert noise and tailoring defenses to stay ahead of evolving attacker tactics.

5. Alert Logic

Key Features:

Alert Logic elevates your SOCaaS with Advanced Threat Detection and Response (AT&DR), which leverages machine learning to sift through vast volumes of raw data and proactively hunt for cyber threats.

With seamless integrations and compliance support, their team of security experts also provides the in-depth expertise needed to neutralize complex and evolving threats effectively.

6. Qualys

Key Features:

The VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection, and Response ) program by Qualys offers a comprehensive set of SOC as a Service features that give you a clear view of your IT environment.

By automating patching and incident handling, it frees up your staff to address more critical issues. It also secures containerized applications running in the cloud without disrupting your development workflow.

7. Arctic Wolf Networks

Key Features:

Arctic Wolf Networks, one of the top SOC as a Service providers, combines advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) with real-time analysis by security experts. Besides, continuous monitoring, its response strategy includes managed investigations to eliminate alert fatigue, rapid incident response to minimize damage, and log retention for a deeper analysis.

Most importantly, their guided remediation ensures that threats are neutralized and root cause analysis identifies vulnerabilities for improved security posture.

8. Netsurion

Key Features:

The Managed SOC Service by Netsurion leverages a powerful combination of Managed SIEM and behavior analytics to ingest data from your IT infrastructure and identify anomalous user or system behavior.

Its vulnerability management and endpoint protection go on the offensive with threat hunting and guided remediation.

9. Palo Alto Networks

Key Features:

Founded in 2005, Plato Alto offers a comprehensive MDR (Managed Detection and Response) solution with seamless integrations. It provides firewalls, UEBA (User Entity and Behavior Analytics), endpoint protection, and threat intelligence.

Moreover, their expert-led threat hunting, investigation, and response allows their MDR team to leverage rich network and endpoint data for a holistic view of your security posture.

SOCaaS vs. In-House SOC

Feature SOCaaS In-House SOC
Deployment Cloud-based, managed by a third-party vendor On-premise, managed by your internal IT security team
Cost Subscription-based pricing, predictable monthly costs High upfront costs for infrastructure, personnel, and ongoing maintenance
Scalability Easily scales up or down based on your needs Scaling requires additional resource investment
Expertise Leverages the expertise of a dedicated security team Requires hiring and training of specialized security personnel
Technology Access to cutting-edge security tools and threat intelligence from the vendor Requires purchasing and maintaining security software and hardware
Visibility May have limited visibility into specific security events compared to in-house Provides complete visibility into security operations
Customization Customization options may be limited depending on the vendor Highly customizable to fit your specific security needs
Compliance SOCaaS providers can help ensure compliance with relevant security standards Requires internal effort to ensure compliance
Reporting Provides regular security reports and insights Requires dedicated resources for security reporting and analysis
Continuous Monitoring Typically offers 24/7 monitoring and incident response Requires dedicated staff for 24/7 coverage or additional tools for after-hours monitoring

Common Challenges with SOC as a Service

Alert Fatigue

SOCaaS solutions generate a constant stream of alerts, which can overwhelm security analysts. This can lead to them ignoring or missing important alerts, hindering effective threat detection, analysis, and incident response.

Data Visibility and Control:

While using a SOC as a Service platform, a third-party vendor stores and analyzes your organization’s security data, raising concerns about data privacy and control, especially for industries like healthcare and finance, which handle sensitive customer data.

Limited Customization

Some out-of-the-box SOCaaS solutions might not perfectly align with your organization’s specific security posture and needs, leading to improper threat modeling, risk assessment, and detection of crucial threats.

Vendor Lock-In:

Traditional SOCaaS contracts can restrict your ability to leverage best-of-breed security solutions or integrate with existing security tools. This can create a situation where you’re forced to use the vendor’s entire security ecosystem, even with better options available for specific aspects of your security posture.

Onboarding Delays

The onboarding process for SOCaaS usually includes configuration handovers, data integration, and team training, making it quite lengthy, time-consuming, and complex. More importantly, any delays can leave your organization vulnerable during the transition period.

How Can Astra Help?

As an expansive PTaaS platform, Astra’s one-of-a-kind blend of automation, AI, and manual penetration testing helps bolster your SOCaaS operations. Equipped with 10,000+ test cases, its automated scanner and holistic penetration testing help pinpoint vulnerabilities in your digital infrastructure.

Final Thoughts

Although an in-house SOC offers complete control, the high cost and resource drain make it an unrealistic option for many organizations. SOC-as-a-service providers offer a compelling alternative, providing access to a pool of security experts, advanced threat detection tools, and scaling flexibility.

However, choosing the right SOCaaS partner is crucial. Prioritize providers with a proven track record, advanced threat intelligence, and seamless integration capabilities.