Outsourcing security functions to dedicated experts is becoming an increasingly popular choice for businesses in light of the growing complexities and challenges faced by security teams. With digital transformation initiatives on the rise and the expanding digital attack surface, security teams are under immense pressure to safeguard organizations from cyber threats. However, the evolution of the cybercrime industry, including the emergence of Ransomware-as-a-Service operations, has resulted in more sophisticated and complex attacks that are harder to detect. As a result, businesses across all industries are experiencing a rising number of breaches, with 84% of enterprises falling victim to one or more breaches in the last 12 months.
While growing the security team may seem like a natural response to these challenges, finding, hiring, and retaining qualified candidates is a significant obstacle. According to Fortinet research, 56% of organizations worldwide struggle to recruit talent for open security roles, leading to additional risks due to the cybersecurity skills shortage in nearly 70% of these organizations.
In light of these hurdles, many businesses are turning to SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS) offerings as a means to augment their internal capabilities and fill critical security gaps. SOCaaS provides organizations with a cost-effective option to reduce the risk of cyberattacks and minimize the routine and constant effort required for alert triage. These offerings can either replace or support an organization’s existing security operations center (SOC) by handling cybersecurity monitoring and incident response processes using a combination of skilled professionals, detection technologies, and automation.
There are numerous benefits to embracing SOCaaS offerings. Organizations of all sizes can benefit from SOCaaS, considering the costs associated with adopting new security tools, hiring and retaining staff, and managing incidents. SOCaaS providers offer continuous monitoring capabilities, gathering and analyzing threat intelligence, implementing better detection rules, enhancing network security, and monitoring user and device access, among other activities. Additionally, SOCaaS providers can offer an outside perspective, helping teams “pressure test” their existing defenses and improve their risk management strategy.
When choosing a SOCaaS provider, organizations should evaluate several key areas:
1. Monitoring: Assess the provider’s 24×7 monitoring capabilities, including the presence of global SOCs and round-the-clock analyst support.
2. Detection: Evaluate the provider’s advanced threat detection capabilities, including their use of threat intelligence and their ability to reduce false positives and promptly notify customers of suspicious activity.
3. Investigation: Consider the technologies and experience level of the provider’s staff in identifying the root causes of incidents and inquire about their use of automation to accelerate response times.
4. Response: Examine the provider’s incident response procedures and processes and determine how they will coordinate with the internal team to contain attackers, remediate vulnerabilities, and restore systems.
5. Resiliency: Inquire about the provider’s support in improving the organization’s security capabilities through technology fine-tuning, tabletop exercises, and process enhancements.
By leveraging SOCaaS, security teams can shift from reactive daily tasks, such as alert monitoring and triaging, to proactive initiatives that enhance the overall risk management program. This allows the team to focus on higher-level projects that improve the organization’s security posture in the long term.
Fortinet offers a SOCaaS offering that helps organizations regain focus and control within their SOC. By partnering with Fortinet, businesses can benefit from their expertise, continuous monitoring capabilities, advanced threat detection, and incident response procedures. Ultimately, embracing SOCaaS can alleviate the burden of alert monitoring and enable security teams to engage in more impactful and fulfilling projects that enhance the organization’s security posture.