There are many different terms and acronyms in the technological world, and they mean different things depending on who you talk to. This can be difficult to keep up with and might make you hesitant when making decisions about your IT.
To round out our cybersecurity awareness month content, let’s discuss one acronym you might encounter when searching for cybersecurity services: SOC (Security Operations Center).
Before we begin, we will note our obvious bias as an IT company offering cybersecurity services. While we will use our own solutions and services as examples for this article, our intent is to inform readers so they can make the best technology decisions for their business needs.
What is a SOC?
A SOC (Security Operations Center) is the people, process and technology that continuously monitor (and, in some cases, react to) a business’s security issues. It’s typically staffed 24/7/365 by highly trained security professionals who evaluate information generated by logs and other tools.
At Innovative, we find that clients sometimes confuse the SOC and the NOC. While the two teams collaborate as needed, they serve very different roles (more on that here).
How does a SOC work?
A SOC generally uses cybersecurity software to monitor networks and detect threats or suspicious activity. In Innovative’s case, the SOC works to prevent the spread of an identified threat or attack, and then notifies or works with our NOC to further remediate the issue.
Sometimes, SOCs will remediate issues themselves, and other times, they will work with your IT partner. This will depend on each team's processes and accountabilities.
One reason Innovative leverages a dedicated SOC is so our clients can receive 24/7/365 monitoring and support from specialized cybersecurity experts. Their collaborative efforts with our NOC ensure proper expertise on both the cybersecurity and network sides of our clients’ environments.
A Layered Cybersecurity Approach
Your SOC shouldn’t be the only thing monitoring your network. It should be part of a layered cybersecurity approach that protects each piece of your IT environment. Business continuity, two-factor authentication and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) are all good examples of ways you can protect your technology and limit downtime.
To better understand a full cybersecurity stack, talk with your current or prospective IT partner or check out other cybersecurity-related articles on our blog. As always, be sure to consult whoever is accountable for your IT before making any changes to your business’s environment.
Talking with your IT partner
Every IT team will approach cybersecurity a little differently, but what’s most important is that you have an accountable team of professionals who follow industry standards and best practices so you can spend time focusing on what you’re best at.
