What is a security operations center (SOC)?
A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a centralized team or function responsible for monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity incidents in real time. A SOC may exist as a physical facility, a virtual organization, or a combination of both, depending on the business’s needs and infrastructure.
While some imagine a SOC as a high-tech "war room," most modern SOCs function as organized teams that operate around the clock to protect an organization’s systems and data from evolving threats.
What does a SOC do?
A SOC continuously monitors an organization’s environment for threats and incidents. It collects and analyzes security alerts, investigates suspicious activity, validates real threats, and coordinates response and recovery efforts. SOC teams work closely with incident response and detection teams to ensure rapid triage and escalation.
Typical SOC responsibilities include:
- Monitoring logs, endpoints, and network activity
- Investing alerts to eliminate false positives
- Validating and escalating confirmed threats
- Supporting threat hunting and threat intelligence activities
- Collaborating with incident response and IT teams
Many organizations implement SOCs through in-house, co-managed, or fully outsourced models—including Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS).
What are the components in a SOC?
A Security Operations Center (SOC) is only as effective as the foundational components that support it. These core elements must be defined, implemented, and regularly maintained before a SOC can function as a central command for threat detection and response. Key components include:
Attack surface management
A strong attack surface management program helps reduce risk by continuously identifying, monitoring, and securing all points of entry and exit across the organization's digital environment. This includes:
- Vulnerability scanning and patching
- Penetration testing
- User authentication and access controls
- Asset management and external app testing
- Remote access oversight
Together, these controls ensure that the SOC has visibility into potential attack vectors and can proactively reduce exposure.
Incident response plan
A well-documented incident response plan is critical for acting on the threats a SOC detects. It outlines the steps your team must follow once a breach is identified—covering detection, validation, containment, investigation, and escalation.
Without a clearly defined and tested response plan, even the best detection capabilities can fall short. This plan forms the operational core of any SOC-driven detection and response strategy.
Disaster recovery plan
A disaster recovery plan ensures that operations can be restored as quickly and efficiently as possible after an incident. While a breach is one example, disaster recovery applies to any event that impacts availability—whether it's ransomware, hardware failure, or natural disaster.
The plan should define how critical systems are prioritized, restored, and validated—so that your business can return to normal with minimal disruption. Recovery planning also boosts internal confidence, helping teams stay focused during high-stress situations.
How to set up a security operations center
Setting up a Security Operations Center (SOC)—whether in-house or through a managed provider—requires careful planning across three key areas: people, technology, and processes. Each element plays a critical role in how well your SOC detects, investigates, and responds to threats.
People
Building an effective SOC starts with assembling the right team. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of SOC analysts is essential before selecting supporting technologies or tools. Your team structure should align with your organization’s existing detection and response capabilities.
Most SOCs use a tiered staffing model to clearly define responsibilities. For example:
- Tier 1: Triage analysts monitor alerts and handle low-level investigations.
- Tier 2: Analysts validate complex threats and escalate confirmed incidents.
- Tier 3: Threat hunters and responders investigate advanced threats or ongoing campaigns.
You may also consider incorporating SOC automation or orchestration tools to reduce analyst fatigue and streamline triage workflows.
Technology
With your SOC team structure in place, the next step is choosing the right tools. Your SOC will likely require a mix of:
- Log aggregation and SIEM tools
- User behavior analytics (UBA)
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
- Real-time search and investigation platforms
- Collaboration and escalation tools
Selecting technology should be based on:
- The environments you operate in (cloud, on-prem, hybrid)
- The types of threats you most commonly face (e.g., malware, phishing attacks)
- Your regulatory obligations (e.g., HIPAA, SOC2, ISO 27001)
Be sure to evaluate whether existing technologies support SOC workflows—or whether gaps in visibility, usability, or alert quality need to be addressed.
Processes
The final step is to define and document the operational processes your SOC will follow. This includes:
- How alerts are prioritized, validated, and escalated
- What steps are taken during an investigation
- How and when incidents are handed off to other teams (e.g., IT, legal, IR)
A well-defined process ensures that threat handling is consistent and efficient—especially under time pressure. It also helps teams align on incident response, reporting, and metrics collection.If you’re working with a SOCaaS provider, you’ll want to ensure they operate with clear SLAs, communication protocols, and playbook transparency. A managed SOC should act as a proactive partner, not just a passive alert handler.