What Is a Security Operations Center? Complete Guide

What is a security operations center (SOC)?

A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a centralized facility that handles an organization’s cybersecurity strategy, acting as the “nerve center” for monitoring, detecting, and responding to cyber threats in real time. SOCs aim to protect an organization’s data, systems, and reputation by using advanced tools, expert analysts, and robust processes. 

SOC teams are composed of management, security analysts, and sometimes, security engineers. The SOC works across teams, also involving the company’s development and IT operations teams. A SOC team typically operates 24/7 to maintain constant vigilance. SOCs can be internal (in-house) or outsourced (managed security services). Large organizations may use Global Security Operations Centers (GSOCs) to coordinate security efforts across multiple local SOCs. Today, many smaller organizations are setting up lightweight SOCs, such as a hybrid SOC, which combines part-time, in-house staff with outsourced experts

Here are the key activities carried out by a SOC:

• Monitoring: SOCs continuously monitor an organization’s IT infrastructure, including networks, systems, applications, and endpoints, for suspicious activity. 
• Detection: They use various tools and techniques to identify potential security incidents and breaches. 
• Response: SOC teams investigate identified incidents, determine the root cause and impact, and implement mitigation strategies to contain and remove threats. 
• Proactive security: SOCs also engage in proactive security measures, such as threat intelligence gathering and vulnerability management, to prevent future attacks. 
• Centralized collaboration: SOCs act as a central point for coordinating security efforts across different teams and departments within an organization. 

SOCs are a proven way to improve threat detection, decrease the likelihood of security breaches, and ensure an appropriate organizational response when incidents do occur. SOC teams identify unusual activity on servers, databases, networks, endpoints, and applications, investigate security threats, and respond to security incidents as they occur.

Key Activities of a SOC

A security operations center (SOC) carries out its responsibilities across three broad categories: preparation and prevention, monitoring and response, and recovery and compliance.

Monitoring

SOC teams maintain continuous, 24/7 surveillance over the organization’s entire IT environment, including on-premises infrastructure, cloud services, and remote endpoints. This monitoring focuses on detecting both known threats—such as malware signatures—and abnormal behaviors that could indicate emerging attacks.

Key technologies in this process include security information and event management (SIEM) platforms and extended detection and response (XDR) systems. These tools collect logs and telemetry, analyze patterns, and generate alerts when suspicious activity is detected.

Detection

Detection involves analyzing data from across the environment to uncover threats as early as possible. The SOC builds baselines of normal system behavior, making it easier to identify deviations that may signal an intrusion.

SIEM and XDR tools assist by correlating data across endpoints, networks, and applications. By identifying anomalies in log data or flagging known attack signatures, the SOC can detect a range of threats, from credential misuse to lateral movement.

Response

Once a threat is identified, the SOC initiates response procedures designed to contain and neutralize it. This often includes isolating compromised endpoints, killing malicious processes, deleting harmful files, and revoking or resetting user credentials.

These actions are supported by predefined incident response plans and, in many cases, automation tools built into modern XDR platforms. Automated responses reduce the time between detection and containment, limiting the threat’s impact.

Proactive Security

The SOC doesn’t wait for attacks to happen—it proactively strengthens defenses. This starts with maintaining a complete inventory of assets and the tools used to protect them. Asset discovery and vulnerability management help identify weak points before attackers can exploit them.

Teams also stay informed about emerging threats by gathering intelligence from the dark web, security forums, and commercial feeds. This threat intelligence is used to update detection rules, fine-tune defenses, and adapt to changing attacker tactics.

Centralized Collaboration

A SOC acts as the hub for all cybersecurity efforts, coordinating with other departments like IT, compliance, and development. This centralization ensures that response activities, policy enforcement, and threat intelligence updates are consistent across the organization.

The SOC also defines and tests incident response workflows, assigning responsibilities and performance metrics to various teams. These coordinated efforts improve response time, reduce confusion during incidents, and support continuous improvement through shared insights.

Security operations center roles and responsibilities

• Security analyst – The first to respond to incidents. Their response typically occurs in three stages: threat detection, threat investigation, and timely response. Security analysts should also ensure that the correct training is in place and that staff can implement policies and procedures. Security analysts work together with internal IT staff and business administrators to communicate information about security limitations and develop documentation.
• Security engineer/architect – Maintains and suggests monitoring and analysis tools. They create a security architecture and work with developers to ensure that this architecture is part of the development cycle. A security engineer may be a software or hardware specialist who pays particular attention to security aspects when designing information systems. They develop tools and solutions that allow organizations to prevent and respond effectively to attacks. They document procedures, requirements, and protocols.
• SOC manager – Manages the security operations team and reports to the CISO. They supervise the security team, provide technical guidance, and manage financial activities. The SOC manager oversees the activity of the SOC team, including hiring, training, and assessing staff. Additional responsibilities include creating processes, assessing incident reports, and developing and implementing crisis communication plans. They write compliance reports, support the audit process, measure SOC performance metrics, and report on security operations to business leaders.
• CISO – Defines the security operations of the organization. They communicate with management about security issues and oversee compliance tasks. The CISO has the final say on policies, strategies, and procedures relating to the organization’s cybersecurity. They also have a central role in compliance and risk management, and implement policies to meet specific security demands.

Learn more in our detailed SOC team guide.

How do security operations centers work?

SOCs operate by collecting, analyzing, and correlating data from various sources, such as network traffic, log files, and threat intelligence feeds. This data is then used to detect potential security incidents and respond to them in a timely manner. Following are the key components of a modern SOC: 

Continuous Monitoring

One of the main functions of a SOC is to continuously monitor an organization’s IT infrastructure for any signs of suspicious activity or potential threats. 

This involves the use of various detection tools and technologies, such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), email security, cloud security, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, collected into a security information and event management (SIEM) system.These tools help the SOC team identify unusual or malicious activities that may indicate a security breach or an attempted attack.

Threat Intelligence

By gathering and analyzing information about current and emerging threats, security teams can better understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by malicious actors. This knowledge enables them to proactively defend against potential attacks and respond more effectively to incidents when they occur. 

Threat intelligence can be sourced from various channels, including open-source intelligence (OSINT), commercial threat intelligence feeds, and information sharing groups or platforms.

Incident Response

When a potential security incident is detected, the SOC team must quickly assess the situation and determine the appropriate course of action. This involves containing the threat, mitigating its impact, coordinating with other teams within the organization to ensure a swift and effective response, and ensuring recovery of operational systems. 

Incident response plans and playbooks are critical components of a SOC’s operations, as they provide a structured, and often automated approach to dealing with different types of security incidents.provider.

Security Functions of a SOC

A security operations center (SOC) carries out several core functions designed to protect and maintain an organization’s cybersecurity posture. These include maintaining visibility into assets, monitoring for threats, responding to incidents, and improving defenses over time.

1. Asset and Tool Management

The SOC manages both the assets it must protect and the tools used to defend them. Assets include servers, cloud services, mobile and desktop endpoints, and even IoT devices. Tools may include intrusion detection systems, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and SIEM platforms. A key goal is to gain full visibility across all environments to eliminate blind spots attackers could exploit.

2. SOC Readiness and Preventative Maintenance

To stay prepared, the SOC keeps up with the latest threat detection technologies and develops detailed response plans that include disaster recovery strategies. Preventative maintenance is a constant effort and includes updating firewall rules, patching vulnerabilities, managing access controls, and securing applications. The aim isn’t to stop every attack, but to ensure attacks fail or cause minimal damage.

3. Continuous Monitoring and Threat Detection

SOCs use real-time monitoring tools to watch for both known threats and suspicious anomalies. This monitoring applies across the network, cloud, and endpoints. Advanced systems use AI to analyze user and device behavior, detect deviations, and trigger alerts. Rapid detection allows for early intervention.

4. Alert Triage and Prioritization

Automated tools can generate large volumes of alerts daily. The SOC is responsible for triaging these alerts, filtering out false positives, and identifying the severity and scope of confirmed threats. This helps the team allocate resources efficiently and prioritize urgent threats.

5. Incident Response

Once a threat is confirmed, the SOC acts to contain it. This may involve isolating infected systems, terminating malicious processes, or removing compromised files. The objective is to neutralize the threat while minimizing disruption to operations.

6. Recovery and Remediation

After an incident, the SOC restores normal operations. This may include data recovery, system reimaging, and verification of backups. Each potentially affected endpoint is reviewed to ensure it’s safe before rejoining the network.

7. Log Management

The SOC collects, stores, and analyzes logs from across the IT environment. These logs help detect anomalies, investigate incidents, and support forensic analysis. Log correlation tools like SIEM streamline this process by aggregating data from diverse sources.

8. Root-Cause Analysis

After resolving an incident, the SOC conducts a root-cause analysis to understand how the threat entered the system and why defenses failed. This process helps inform improvements and ensures similar attacks are better handled in the future.

9. Security Improvement

The SOC continuously updates its tools, policies, and processes to keep up with evolving threats. These updates may involve changes to detection rules, response workflows, or the broader security roadmap. Continuous refinement helps the SOC stay ahead of attackers.

10. Compliance Enforcement

The SOC ensures adherence to both external regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS) and internal security policies. It maintains documentation, supports audits, and enforces controls to meet industry and legal requirements, reducing both risk and liability.

7 SOC deployment models and their pros and cons

Let’s review the primary models organizations use to deploy a SOC, some of which are innovative models that have emerged over the past few years.

1. Dedicated SOC

A dedicated security operations center is a SOC model that is focused solely on providing security services to a single organization. This type of SOC often has a physical location within the organization’s premises and is staffed by in-house security experts responsible for monitoring, detecting, and responding to security incidents and threats.

Pros: Having a dedicated SOC provides a highly focused and customized approach to security, as the security experts are dedicated solely to the organization’s networks and systems. This results in a more in-depth understanding of the organization’s unique security needs and allows for more effective threat management.

Cons: A dedicated SOC may not be suitable for all organizations. For one, the cost of setting up and maintaining a dedicated SOC can be quite high, as it requires significant investment in infrastructure, technology, and highly skilled security professionals. Moreover, smaller organizations may find it difficult to attract and retain top security talent, as they may not be able to offer competitive salaries and benefits.

2. Distributed SOC

A distributed security operations center is a SOC model that consists of multiple, geographically dispersed SOCs working together to provide security services. These SOCs can be located in different regions or countries and are connected through a centralized management system that allows for seamless communication and coordination between them.

Pros: A distributed SOC offers improved threat visibility and detection. By having multiple SOCs monitoring different parts of an organization’s network, it is more likely that threats will be detected and addressed quickly. Additionally, a distributed SOC can help an organization achieve a more comprehensive understanding of global threat trends, as each SOC will have access to information about threats and incidents occurring in its specific region.

Cons: One potential drawback of a distributed SOC is the increased complexity of managing multiple SOCs, as it can be challenging to coordinate and align the efforts of geographically dispersed teams. Additionally, a distributed SOC may require a significant investment in communication and collaboration tools to ensure seamless communication between the different SOCs.

3. Multifunctional SOC/NOC

A multifunctional SOC/NOC is a hybrid model that combines the functions of a security operations center (SOC) and a Network Operation Center (NOC) into a single, unified unit. This model allows for the integration of security and network management tasks, resulting in a more streamlined and efficient approach to securing an organization’s networks and systems.

Pros: A multifunctional SOC/NOC consolidates the security and network management functions, providing greater operational efficiency, as resources can be shared and allocated more effectively. Additionally, a multifunctional SOC/NOC can lead to improved communication and collaboration between security and network teams, which can result in faster and more effective incident response.

Cons: One potential drawback of a multifunctional SOC/NOC is that it may be difficult to find professionals with the skills and expertise needed to manage both security and network operations. Additionally, combining the functions of an SOC and NOC may result in an increased workload for the team, which could lead to burnout and decreased effectiveness.

4. Fusion SOC

A fusion security operations center is an advanced SOC model that integrates various security functions, such as threat intelligence, incident response, and security analytics, into a single, unified platform. This model leverages advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, to provide a more proactive and sophisticated approach to security.

Pros: A Fusion SOC offers improved threat detection and response capabilities. By leveraging advanced technologies and integrating various security functions, a Fusion SOC can quickly identify and respond to threats, reducing the likelihood of a security breach.

Cons: One potential drawback of a fusion SOC is the cost of implementing and maintaining it. This type of SOC requires significant investment in advanced technologies and skilled security professionals. Moreover, some organizations may not have the necessary resources or expertise to manage a fusion SOC effectively.

5. Command SOC/Global SOC

A command security operations center, also known as a global SOC, is a high-level SOC model that oversees and coordinates the activities of multiple SOCs within an organization. This model is typically used by large, multinational organizations with multiple SOCs located in different regions or countries.

Pros: A command SOC/global SOC provides a comprehensive, global view of an organization’s security posture. By overseeing the activities of multiple SOCs, a Command SOC/Global SOC can identify trends and patterns in security incidents and threats that may not be apparent when looking at the data from a single SOC.

Cons: The cost of implementing and maintaining a Command SOC/Global SOC can be high, as it requires significant investment in technology, infrastructure, and skilled security professionals. Furthermore, managing and coordinating the activities of multiple SOCs can be complex and challenging, particularly for organizations with limited experience in this area.

6. Virtual SOC

A virtual security operations center is a SOC model that leverages cloud-based technologies and remote security professionals to provide security services. Unlike traditional SOCs, a virtual SOC does not require a physical location or dedicated infrastructure, making it a more flexible and cost-effective option for organizations.

Pros: A virtual SOC offers several advantages, particularly for smaller organizations or those with limited resources. By leveraging cloud-based technologies and remote security professionals, a Virtual SOC can provide many of the same benefits as a traditional SOC, such as continuous monitoring and incident response, at a fraction of the cost.

Cons: One potential drawback of a virtual SOC is the reliance on cloud-based technologies and remote security professionals, which may raise concerns about data privacy and security. Additionally, some organizations may prefer the greater control and visibility offered by a traditional, on-premises SOC.

7. Managed SOC/MSSP/MDR

A managed security operations center (Managed SOC), also known as a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) or Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service, is a SOC model that involves outsourcing security operations to a third-party provider. This provider is responsible for monitoring, detecting, and responding to security incidents and threats on behalf of the organization.

Pros: A managed SOC/MSSP/MDR provider can be a more cost-effective option for organizations, as it eliminates the need for significant investment in infrastructure, technology, and skilled security professionals. Additionally, a Managed SOC/MSSP/MDR provider can offer access to a wider range of security expertise and resources than an organization may be able to acquire in-house.

Cons: One potential drawback of managed SOC/MSSP/MDR providers is the loss of control over security operations, as the organization will be relying on a third-party provider to manage its security. Additionally, there may be concerns about data privacy and security, particularly when sensitive information is being shared with an external provider.

Benefits of security operations centers

• Incident response – SOCs operate around the clock to detect and respond to incidents.
   
• Threat intelligence and rapid analysis – SOCs use threat intelligence feeds and security tools to quickly identify threats and fully understand incidents, in order to enable appropriate response.
   
• Reduce cybersecurity costs – Although a SOC represents a major expense, in the long run, it prevents the costs of ad hoc security measures and the damage caused by security breaches.
   
• Reduce the complexity of investigations – SOC teams can streamline their investigative efforts. The SOC can coordinate data and information from sources, such as network activity, security events, endpoint activity, threat intelligence, and authorization. SOC teams have visibility into the network environment, so the SOC can simplify the tasks of drilling into logs and forensic information, for example.

SOC challenges and how technology can help

• Increased volumes of security alerts – The growing number of security alerts requires a significant amount of an analyst’s time. Analysts may tend to tasks from the mundane to the urgent when determining the accuracy of alerts. They could miss alerts as a result, which highlights the need for alert prioritization. Exabeam Advanced Analytics uses user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) with automated threat timelines to prioritize the alerts requiring the most immediate attention, reducing alert fatigue by up to 60% and cutting investigation times by as much as 80%.
• Management of many security tools – As various security suites are being used by SOCs and CSIRTs, it is hard to efficiently monitor all the data generated from multiple data points and sources. A SOC may use 20 or more technologies, which can be hard to keep track of and control individually. This makes it important to have a central source and a single platform. A SIEM serves this function in most SOCs. For an example of a next-generation SIEM solution with advanced analytics, automated investigation timelines, and security orchestration, see the Exabeam Security Management Platform, which helps reduce alerts by up to 60% and improve response speed by as much as 50%.
• Skills shortage – Short staffing or lack of qualified individuals is an issue. A key strategy for dealing with the cybersecurity skills shortage is automating SOC processes, to save time for analysts. In addition, an organization may decide to outsource.Some organizations are now outsourcing to MSSPs to help them with their SOC services. Managed SOCs can be outsourced entirely or in partnership with on-premises security staff.

Learn about how security technologies are helping solve SOC challenges in our guide: The SOC, SIEM, and Other Essential SOC Tools

Getting started with a SOC

Questions to ask before setting up a SOC

1. Availability and hours – Will you staff your SOC 8×5 or 24×7?
2. Format – Will you have a standalone SOC or an integrated SOC and NOC?
3. Organization – Do you plan to control everything in house, or will you use an MSSP?
4. Priorities and capabilities – Is security the core concern, or is compliance a key issue? Is monitoring the main priority, or will you need capabilities such as ethical hacking or penetration testing? Will you make extensive use of the cloud?
5. Environment – Are you using a single on-premises environment or a hybrid environment?

5 steps to setting up your SOC

• Ensure everyone understands what the SOC does – A SOC observes and checks endpoints and the organization’s network, and isolates and addresses possible security issues. Create a clear separation between the SOC and the IT help desk. The help desk is for employee IT concerns, whereas the SOC is for security issues related to the entire organization.
• Provide infrastructure for your SOC – Without the appropriate tools, a SOC team will not be able to deal with a security threat. Evaluate and invest in tools and technologies that will support the effectiveness of the SOC and are appropriate for the level of expertise of your in-house security team. See the next section for a list of tools commonly used in the modern SOC.
• Find the right people – Build a security team using the roles listed above: security analysts, security engineers, and a SOC manager. These specialists should receive ongoing training in areas such as reverse engineering, intrusion detection, and malware anatomy. The SOC manager needs to have strong security expertise, management skills, and battle-tested crisis management experience.
• Have an incident response plan ready – An incident response team should create a specific and detailed action plan. The team can also create a repeatable plan that can be used over time and adapt to different threat scenarios. Business, PR, and legal teams may also be involved if needed. The team should adhere to predefined response protocols so they can build on their experience.
• Defend – A key responsibility of the SOC is to protect the perimeter with a dedicated team focused on detecting threats. The SOC’s goal is to collect as much data and context as possible, prioritize incidents, and ensure the important ones are dealt with quickly and comprehensively.

The security maturity spectrum — Are you ready for a SOC?

A SOC is an advanced stage in the maturity of an organization’s security. The following are drivers that typically push companies to take this step:

• Requirements of standards such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), government regulations, or client requirements
• The need for the business to secure very sensitive data
• Past security breaches and/or public scrutiny
• Type of organization — For example, a government agency or Fortune 500 company will almost always have the scale and threat profile that justifies a SOC, or even multiple SOCs.

Different organizations find themselves at different stages of developing their security stance. We define five stages of security maturity. In stages 4 and 5, an investment in a security operations center becomes relevant and worthwhile.

The future of the SOC

The security operations center is undergoing an exciting transformation. It is integrating with ops and development departments, and is empowered by powerful new technologies, while retaining its traditional command structure and roles to identify and respond to critical security incidents.

We showed how SIEM is a foundational technology of the SOC, and how next-generation SIEMs, which include new capabilities like behavioral analytics, machine learning, and SOC automation, open up new possibilities for security analysts.

The impact of a next-gen SIEM on the SOC can be significant. It can:

• Reduce alert fatigue via user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) that goes beyond correlation rules, helps reduce false positives, and discover hidden threats.
• Improve MTTD by helping analysts discover incidents faster and gather all relevant data.
• Improve MTTR by integrating with security systems and leveraging Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) technology.
• Enable threat hunting by giving analysts fast and easy access and powerful exploration of unlimited volumes of security data.

Exabeam is an example of a next-generation SIEM which combines data lake technology, visibility into cloud infrastructure, behavioral analytics, an automated incident responder, and a threat hunting module with powerful data querying and visualization.