Could your organisation survive a cyber attack?
When an IT director can no longer confidently answer this question, it's time to act.
Has a recent security incident or industry news story made you question how rigorous your security systems are? Managing an in-house Security Operations Centre (SOC) is costly and complex - distracting from the core business operations. As cyber threats grow and compliance demands tighten, organisations struggle with rising costs, talent shortages, and inefficiencies. For CFOs, COOs, CISOs, and finance directors, outsourcing isn’t just about security—it’s also about focus, cost-effectiveness, scalability, and risk management.
Should I Outsource My SOC?” Here’s What to Consider
1. Rising Costs and Operational Constraints
There are several critical in-house SOC limitations that make outsourcing more viable. Running an in-house SOC 24/7 demands significant investment in cybersecurity tools and skilled professionals. If you’re unsure what these costs typically include, our Guide to SOC Outsourcing Costs breaks them down in detail.
Operational and Cost Issues:
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High costs of recruiting, training, and retaining experienced cybersecurity talent.
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Round-the-clock threat monitoring, detection, and response require highly trained analysts working unsociable hours, making staffing shifts expensive and difficult to manage.
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Complexity and costs associated with managing siloed security tools and outdated IT systems.
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Security alert overload is leaving teams burnt out and missing critical indicators.
The Solution:
Outsourcing reduces costs and provides access to expert security teams without the overheads. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends that organisations design a SOC tailored to their risk profile, ensuring it remains cost-effective and fit for purpose.
2. Increased Cyber Attacks
How many security breach risk indicators does your team miss each week?
A sophisticated cyber attack can unfold within 15 minutes. Does your in-house team have the expertise to detect and contain threats quickly before they cause real damage?
Outsourcing improves your cyber attack response readiness with tested playbooks and round-the-clock support.
Challenges of Handling Ever-Evolving Cyber Threats In-House:
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Integrating and automating response across a number of IT tools and infrastructure requires sophisticated engineering expertise
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Delayed incident response times, as organisations rely on the goodwill of their staff to support out of business hours.
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Limited access to global threat intelligence and the latest attacker tactics and techniques.
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Difficulties in monitoring hybrid on-premise, SaaS and multi-cloud environments.
The Solution:
Outsourcing to a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) provides access to cutting-edge threat intelligence, highly skilled security engineers, and rapid response capabilities. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) outlines SOC best practices, emphasising the need for rapid response, automation, and predictive threat intelligence.
Talanos Cybersecurity provides Managed Detection & Response (MDR) and eXtended Detection & Response (XDR) to enhance real-time threat monitoring and response.
3. Problems with Compliance and Regulatory Burdens
Most companies cover security basics - backing up files, implementing antivirus software, and meeting Cyber Essentials requirements. But the next step is to optimise your security controls. Is your IT team equipped for comprehensive risk assessments that cover third-parties and cross-jurisdictional regulatory compliance?
The Challenge of Compliance for In-House SOCs:
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Keeping pace with changing regulations is resource-intensive, especially for organisations that work across multiple geographies.
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Compliance audits require dedicated staff and comprehensive evidence that security controls operate as designed
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Failing compliance can result in fines and reputational damage. Regulated industries can even risk losing their licenses to operate.
The Solution:
Outsourcing to a specialist SOC provider ensures continuous compliance monitoring and automated reporting. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) highlights SOC security best practices, recommending regular risk assessments and compliance monitoring. Worried outsourcing means giving up control? See common misconceptions about SOC outsourcing.
4. The Cybersecurity Skills Gap
In-house SOC staffing challenges are growing across all industries
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High turnover rates among cybersecurity professionals, losing critical institutional knowledge of the organisation, often without sufficient handover
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Security threat fatigue leads to poor morale, alert blindness, and increased turnover.
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The ongoing cybersecurity talent shortage shows no signs of slowing;
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High salary and training costs to retain top talent, resulting in key-man dependency risks within the company
The Solution:
An outsourced SOC eliminates staffing issues, giving businesses instant and continuous access to security expertise. If you’re considering this decision, see the pros and cons of in-house vs outsourced SOCs.
5. A Need for Scalable Security Solutions
Challenges of Maintaining a Scalable In-House SOC:
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Expanding digital infrastructure (on-premise, cloud, SaaS, remote/hybrid workforces, third-party vendors).
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Too many false positives, reducing efficiency and causing “alert blindness”
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Poorly designed or non-existent processes, allowing credible threats to skip detection.
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Lack of automation, making threat detection and incident response slower.
- Managing SIEM event overload across disjointed systems is another drain on internal teams
Looking to scale? Learn how flexible SOC services support business growth.
The Solution:
An outsourced SOC offers flexible, scalable solutions that grow with your business. The NCSC advises organisations to integrate cloud security operations into their SOC for better scalability and control.
To ensure you're partnering with the right provider, our guide on choosing the right SOC partner covers the key factors to consider when making this important decision.
Talanos Cybersecurity provides Cloud Security Assessments and Continuous Autonomous Penetration Testing to ensure security evolves with your business.
Next Steps: Protect, Detect, Respond
Talanos Cybersecurity offers 24/7 security monitoring, threat intelligence, and proactive threat detection.
