What to Look for in the Right SOC Program – A Complete Guide

SOC stands for “security operations center”, and it’s important to every business, no matter what it’s size. It doesn’t matter how big or small your business, everyone needs some kind of SOC program to keep everything secure, which means finding the right program for your needs.

A very small business may use a few applications to keep systems and information safe, while a large company may use multiple technologies, processes, and an entire SOC team to ensure everything is secure. It is the goal of the SOC to detect, prioritize, and find solutions for cybersecurity incidents that could spell disaster for the company.

If you’re in the market for a new SOC program, these tips will help you find the right one.

Automation

It’s important to choose a system that will keep important business information safe and secure, but that doesn’t mean you want your new system to take up all your time. If you end up with a program that doesn’t automate many of its processes, that’s exactly what will happen.

A SOC system that features security automation will make your life a lot easier. Well-designed programs identify processes that are repetitive and include programing to complete these tasks automatically so you don’t have to.

That will save you and your team a lot of time, but it has other benefits as well. It can reduce false positives, and it can make data gathering a lot easier.

SOC program All-In-One System

Automation will save you time and money, but so will security orchestration. This means the program is able to sync a variety of processes and technologies in one place so you don’t have to access multiple platforms to find the information you’re looking for.

Additional reasons to consider a security orchestration platform include:

• Alerts can be found in one place instead of scattered across multiple platforms.
• Reduction in redundant and/or insignificant alerts.
• The Full Picture of security threats that contain all important and necessary information.

It also has the potential to save your company a lot of money. You can reduce costs in alert handling, analyst training, and reporting while saving employees the headache of trying to manage multiple systems separately.

Monitor or Manage

The right SOC program will also enable you to make some choices in regard to your business and the type of service you want. One important consideration is whether you want the platform to monitor your cybersecurity, or if you want the company to manage your security.

Every program is made to monitor your security. Your program will alert you to potential problems, but without management from that same company, you’ll be stuck dealing with the problem yourself.

This can be a good or a bad thing. Monitoring software is generally more affordable than full management services, and you may not need them if you have your own IT crew.

However, if you don’t, you may not know what to do if you uncover a problem. In this case, management software is a better choice.

24/7 Support

There are a lot of things software companies can do to provide you with good customer service. A non-negotiable is 24/7 support.

That doesn’t mean the company provides everyone with 24/7 support. As a non-customer, you may not be able to get ahold of someone in the middle of the night, but if you’re a paying customer, the company should be able to provide you with support right when you need it.

Good Customer Reviews

The quality of the program is an important consideration, as is whether or not they offer 24/7 support, but you also have to think more broadly about the company. You don’t want to choose one that doesn’t have a good reputation with their customers.

As a business, you understand the impact of customer reviews, so make sure you do your research when you’re looking for a SOC program. Browse review sites, as well as the company’s website, to read in-depth customer reviews about their software and services.

You may also be able to contact the company directly and request references. It’s true that you will probably only receive positive reviews, but in some cases, you may be able to contact the reference directly to ask them about their experience with the company.

Ability to Scale – SOC program

A business isn’t static. Hopefully, your business will grow slowly over time. There’s also the possibility that you could wake up to more demand overnight. That’s the power of social media, after all!

The opposite is also a possibility. Sometimes, the best thing for a business is to shrink and serve a smaller customer base.

You have to make sure you choose software that is scalable. If you don’t, you could find yourself without cybersecurity protection while you try and find new software as your business expands or contracts.

Think About Who Will Be Using the Software

As you’re looking for all of these features of a SOC program, make sure you also keep your employees in mind. You have to think about who will be using the software when choosing the right one.

Make sure you ask for their input when choosing a program so they feel like they have a say in the program they will be using on a daily basis. They may also be able to provide you with advice, especially if they are more skilled in IT than you are.

Training is also an important consideration. A qualified, experienced software company will help you in your training efforts by offering training materials online or in-person training sessions at your location.

Looking for a new application or digital program to serve your business is always a difficult decision because you want to choose the one that provides you with the most bang for your buck.

It’s even more difficult when the program will be protecting your computer systems and important company information. With the tips on this list, you can narrow in on the best SOC program, enabling you to rest easy knowing your systems are fully protected.