Reasons Why SOC Outsourcing Fails

May 8, 2023

When opting to outsource your SOC needs, it’s essential to take into account some key elements that could derail the project. Here are six reasons why SOC outsourcing often fails:

One of the most frequent issues businesses experience when they outsource their SOC is failing to communicate effectively with their service providers. This can result in subpar performance and costly mistakes.

1. Lack of Expertise

Security operations centers are essential components of any company’s network. They monitor for, detect and mitigate cyber threats that could negatively affect the business.

Fortunately, organizations can take advantage of SOC outsourcing services. These solutions offer a number of advantages such as 24/7 monitoring and management to safeguard against cybersecurity events.

Another advantage of outsourcing SOC management is that it helps you save money. Running an in-house SOC can be expensive, so an outsourced service offers a dedicated team of security specialists at no extra charge.

Outsourcing a security operation center allows you to focus on other business priorities while the experts monitor your systems for suspicious activities and take immediate action. This makes it simpler for your organization to maintain a secure environment while also improving productivity and efficiency levels.

In addition to focusing on your business objectives, an outsourced SOC can also assist you in staying compliant with industry and government regulations. Doing so guarantees that you are fulfilling all of your responsibilities – safeguarding both your data and reputation in the process!

The primary reason SOC outsourcing fails is lack of expertise among organizations. Without adequate protection for networks and digital assets, organizations will struggle to meet their SOC obligations effectively. To prevent this issue from arising, organizations should select a reliable SOC provider with experienced and proficient personnel.

2. Lack of Time

Security operations centers (SOCs) have become a popular way for businesses to manage their cybersecurity programs. Unfortunately, setting up and running an SOC can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor that requires many resources.

Additionally, many businesses face difficulty recruiting security professionals certified to handle certain cybersecurity technologies or those located in different time zones. This makes coordination activities and responding to emergency situations challenging.

Fortunately, this issue isn’t the only thing that can cause an organization’s security program to crumble. Often, other elements are at play which require further investigation and attention.

If you are considering outsourcing your SOC, be sure to thoroughly assess the provider’s services before signing a contract. A reliable SOC service provider should have experienced cybersecurity specialists trained to detect and mitigate threats; additionally, they possess advanced tools for detection security incidents as well as prevention. These may include behavioral analytics, machine learning, or artificial intelligence. Furthermore, they should be able to provide detailed reports about security events, highlight policy violations, and suggest improvements for your company’s network infrastructure.

3. Lack of Resources

As a business owner or IT manager, you must guarantee your network and digital assets are safeguarded from cyber attacks. Furthermore, having an experienced team to monitor and respond to threats in real time is paramount.

Gain the cybersecurity team you need by partnering with an external provider offering SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS). These services offer numerous advantages to both your business and data security.

The primary advantage of an outsourced SOC is that it offers round-the-clock protection for your network. This frees up your team to focus on other tasks and initiatives which help your business expand and thrive.

Another advantage is that it reduces the impact of a cyber breach. Such incidents can result in lost productivity, customer and employee damage, data loss, and more.

Additionally, a reliable SOC will educate your staff about cybersecurity threats and help prevent them from occurring in the first place. Doing so can boost employee morale and lower turnover rates.

The ideal SOC provider will have a team of trained cybersecurity specialists that can respond to alerts in real-time, identify malware and other types of threats, and implement prevention measures. Furthermore, these teams provide detailed reports about security events and policy violations, suggest improvements, and guide remediations. By taking these steps, your business will have an effective defense against cybersecurity attacks.

4. Lack of Budget

A Security Operations Center (SOC) is an integral element of any organization’s cybersecurity plan. It detects and prevents cyber threats throughout a company’s digital environment and offers real-time response capabilities.

Unfortunately, properly implementing a SOC is expensive and many organizations struggle to make it work effectively. According to a 2020 study by Ponemon Institute, an average in-house SOC costs $3 million annually to operate and run.

However, outsourcing IT can reduce these costs by allowing an external SOC provider to handle the necessary functions on your behalf. This not only leads to cost savings but also improved efficiency which helps companies avoid costly mistakes and boost employee morale.

Finding and keeping a qualified SOC team is often an issue. On average, it takes around 3.5 months to find someone and another 3.8 months for training them. Furthermore, the workload of such an operation can be stressful, leading to burnout among members.

5. Lack of Experience

Though SOC outsourcing offers many advantages, there are also potential drawbacks that may hinder your efforts to bring in security specialists. One such issue is a lack of experience that many lack.

To minimize the likelihood of this issue arising, it’s usually best to find an outsourced SOC with extensive expertise in your industry and needs. They should also have a great reputation for dependability and customer retention.

However, it’s still essential to do your due diligence and research their capabilities. Check their references and monitor their performance over time for assurance.

When selecting a service provider, it’s important to assess their ability to customize services according to your individual requirements. Furthermore, search for companies that provide web portals with multi-factor authentication and role-based access control features.

Finally, ensure your business has access to 24-hour monitoring and threat detection. This is essential in protecting against today’s sophisticated cyber threats.

Selecting an outsourced SOC provider that provides these services is wise, as doing so helps you avoid the six primary reasons why SOC outsourcing fails. When looking for a new SOC provider, weigh the factors listed above and make an informed decision – you won’t regret it! You’ll feel more secure and at peace of mind afterwards.

6. Lack of Flexibility

The best SOC providers can demonstrate the value of collaboration with their clients and implementing change efficiently. In many cases, this is the only way to achieve results that are essential for business success and deliver competitive value.

Flexibility is a major obstacle for successful outsourcing initiatives. Outsourcing contracts are built upon key assumptions about technologies, business conditions and personnel which often shift over time. Therefore, both service provider and client must be able to make timely adjustments as the market evolves in order to keep their relationship on track.

Most clients and vendors lack the capacity to make these swift adjustments, leading them into a predicament where either the provider requests more money or they attempt to tackle an unrelated problem.

To address these challenges, it’s essential that all parties understand the client’s objectives and plan of action. Doing this will help eliminate many of the common issues and result in a successful, long-lasting SOC outsourcing program. Furthermore, an extensive communication strategy must be introduced and implemented that provides an overview; this may include various e-mails, meetings or other channels targeting various levels of employees and contractors simultaneously.

Ammar Fakhruddin

ABOUT AUTHOR

Ammar brings in 18 years of experience in strategic solutions and product development in Public Sector, Oil & Gas and Healthcare organizations. He loves solving complex real world business and data problems by bringing in leading-edge solutions that are cost effective, improve customer and employee experience. At Propelex he focuses on helping businesses achieve digital excellence using Smart Data & Cybersecurity solutions.


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