Security Outsourcing Center (SOC) – A quick guide to optimal implementation

The importance of data and its impacts on our daily lives is increasing, which has created growing challenges for companies to ensure trust, integrity and availability. This white paper looks at the relevance of the Security Operations Center (SOC) and how to implement it correctly in terms of outsourcing.

The selection of an appropriate SOC model as the cornerstone of a successful cybersecurity strategy

To successfully achieve this goal, the SOC must be based on the following four pillars, which are presented in more detail in the whitepaper:

• Business alignment
• People
• Process
• Technology

In addition, selecting the appropriate SOC model is the cornerstone of a successful cybersecurity strategy. An excellent approach to choose a strategy is to conduct a risk assessment that identifies enterprise resources and aligns SOC performance with business objectives.

Three models for outsourcing the SOC

An enterprise can consider the following three options:

1. third party (an external provider is responsible for the activities)
2. hybrid (the enterprise’s internal IT uses an outsourced provider)
3. on-premises (internal SOC with a dedicated infrastructure, team, and processes focused entirely on security)

Each option offers benefits and challenges. The on-premises option, for example, allows companies to retain responsibility and control over the SOC. At the same time, the challenge arises of finding qualified experts to interpret the sources and information.

The outsourcing decision should be made objectively, and the input of a fully independent partner can be a significant asset. BearingPoint’s market knowledge and proven experience enable us to demonstrate the benefits of best practices to our clients.