For many organisations, partnering with a Security Operations Centre (SOC) outsourcing provider marks either a first step in building cyber resilience or a move toward a more mature cybersecurity strategy. But no two SOCs are the same—different providers offer different capabilities, and comparing them is never as straightforward as it might seem.
A strong security posture is dependent on selecting the right SOC partner—one whose expertise and approach align with your business goals and risk profile.
This guide explores what to look for in a SOC as a Service provider and how to evaluate which one is the right fit for your organisation.
Assess Your Requirements First
Before choosing a partner, it’s essential to understand your own organisation’s business goals, risk profile, compliance requirements and existing internal infrastructure. This will determine whether you need UK-only or international coverage, and what service levels, response times, and technologies you require. It will help you to answer questions like:
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Do you need 24/7 threat monitoring?
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Do you operate in regulated sectors or handle sensitive data?
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Are you a fast-growing company expanding digitally or into different countries?
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Which compliance frameworks do you need to meet? (UK GDPR, PCI-DSS)
A one-size-fits-all solution hardly ever works—so look for a SOC partner that can scale and tailor their services to your evolving needs.
Core Outsourced SOC Services
A reputable SOC partner should provide the following services as standard:
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Continuous threat monitoring
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Real-time threat detection and alerting
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Incident response and remediation
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Reporting and analysis
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Compliance support
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Threat intelligence
To differentiate between providers, you’ll need to delve deeper to assess the SOC provider's ability to adapt, integrate, and deliver.
Key Factors for Evaluating SOC Outsourcing Partners:
Experience & Expertise
Choosing the right SOC partner is about more than choosing the provider with the latest tech — it’s all about the people.
Look for providers with certified professionals (e.g. CISSP, CEH, GIAC) among a team of specialists in threat hunting, malware analysis, and incident response, and a strong track record in threat detection and incident response with relevant threat landscapes. Finding a SOC partner with this level of expertise is one of the key reasons many organisations choose to outsource — here are five signs it might be the right move for your business.
Key questions to ask:
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Can you share examples of challenging cybersecurity incidents you've handled successfully?
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What certifications and experience do your analysts and engineers have?
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How do you recruit, train, and retain your analysts?
24/7 Monitoring and Incident Response
Cyber threats don’t work 9–5 — and neither should your SOC. The idea that round-the-clock coverage isn’t necessary is just one of several common misconceptions about SOC outsourcing we explore in more detail.
Look out for:
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24/7 monitoring coverage (with guaranteed response SLAs) to ensure your systems are continuously protected from breaches. Especially after normal business hours and if your business handles sensitive data or operates across different time zones.
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A robust incident response process for different types of threats, with clear procedures, a fast response time and efficient resolution.
Key questions to ask:
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What’s your average time to detect (MTTD) and respond (MTTR)?
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What are the key steps in your remediation process?
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What are your escalation protocols to ensure serious threats are addressed quickly?
Technology Stack and Automation
SOCs should leverage AI and advanced automation to improve accuracy, speed and efficiency. Look for a SOC which utilises tools such as:
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SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
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SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response)
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IDS (Intrusion Detection System)
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AI-driven analytics to reduce false positives
Key questions to ask:
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What tools and platforms do you use? How often do you update them?
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What is your approach to managing alert fatigue and false positives?
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How do your platforms integrate with ours?
Compliance and Data Protection
Compliance support is a top priority when it comes to choosing a SOC partner and your managed SOC provider should support your compliance goals and data protection obligations. This includes advice on best practice, comprehensive real-time actionable reports of your security status and compliance so you can take proactive steps to reduce risks.
Look for certifications such as:
ISO 27001
Cyber Essentials Plus
SOC 2 (global operations)
Key questions to ask:
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How do you support compliance with UK GDPR or PCI-DSS, or sector-specific regulations?
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Where is our data stored, and how is it secured?
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Can you provide audit-ready reporting for compliance?
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How do you ensure your team and systems stay up to date with evolving compliance requirements?
Customisation and Integration
It’s essential that the SOC provider is able to integrate smoothly with your existing technology and workflows to minimise disruption and maximise productivity.
Key questions to ask:
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Can your SOC integrate with our existing security tools and technology stack (e.g. SIEM, cloud platforms)?
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How customisable are your reports and alerts?
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What are your onboarding and transition processes?
With a strong external SOC provider, this level of flexibility becomes a clear advantage — enabling a tailored approach that fits your environment and grows with your needs. Read more about the benefits of outsourcing your SOC
Scalability and Flexibility
Your cybersecurity needs will change. Look for a SOC partner that can scale with you as you grow (users, devices, locations), adapt to infrastructure changes swiftly, and add or remove services as required.
Key questions to ask:
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How flexible is your service model? How quickly can you scale up or down?
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Do you have experience of working with organisations of a similar size and growth trajectory?
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How do you guarantee performance remains robust as we scale?
Partnering with an experienced external SOC provider makes this kind of scalability far more straightforward — a key advantage over managing your SOC in-house.
Communication and Reporting
A managed SOC partner isn’t just a provider—they’re part of your team. Proactive and open communication which builds trust is critical for the success of your partnership.
Key questions to ask:
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What types of reporting do you provide (dashboards, summaries) and how often?
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Do we get a dedicated account manager and how accessible are they?
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How do you communicate during incidents?
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How do you ensure your team aligns with our communication style and company culture?
A Proactive Approach
The best SOCS don’t just wait for alarms to go off – they go proactively hunting for threats.
Look for a SOC provider that carries out:
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Regular threat hunting based on TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures)
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Ongoing vulnerability scanning and assessments
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Frequent security reviews and posture assessments
Key questions to ask:
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How much of your SOC model is reactive monitoring and proactive protection?
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Is proactive threat hunting a regular part of your service and how often do you do it?
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How do you use threat intelligence to anticipate new risks?
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Do you offer strategic advice on changes to the threat landscape to help us strengthen our defences over time?
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
It’s essential to thoroughly review the provider’s SLAs to understand the scope of the services provided and where your own organisation’s responsibilities lie.
Ensure the SOC provider is accountable through SLAs for:
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Incident response and resolution times
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Reporting frequency and KPIs
Key questions to ask:
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What is the scope of your services, and how are responsibilities divided between your team and ours?
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Can you provide a sample SLA, including response and resolution times for incidents?
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What happens if SLA commitments are not met?
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Are there clear SLAs about onboarding additional services or expanding coverage?
Client References and Reputation
As with any major investment, it’s always worth researching the provider’s reputation and customer testimonials to understand how the provider has handled challenges and how adaptable they are to unique client needs.
Look for proof of delivery, such as relevant case studies, client testimonials, and analyst reports or industry recognition.
Key questions to ask:
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Can we talk to a current or former client?
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What challenges have you helped similar clients overcome?
Cost and Contract Terms
The cost of SOC is a huge factor with cybersecurity budgets often tight. But value matters more. Budget limitations are important, but they shouldn't mean you choose your provider solely based on the lowest price. By partnering with a high-quality SOC provider that delivers comprehensive managed security services, your organisation can achieve significant savings over time while safeguarding its operational reliability and reputation.
Understand:
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Pricing models (subscription, usage-based, tiered)
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What is included and any potential extras
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The possibility of scaling up or ending the contract
Key questions to ask:
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What’s the total cost of ownership?
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Are there hidden fees for onboarding, customisation, or overages?
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What is the typical length of the contract, and are there options for renewal or termination?
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How flexible is the contract if our needs change?
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Can you provide an example of a standard contract, and can it be customised to our needs?
Our blog, SOC outsourcing costs: what you need to know, covers cost models and implications in more detail.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
While evaluating potential SOC providers, there are some red flags to be wary of, including;
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Difficulty in obtaining client references and negative client reviews
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Lack of transparency about key details (tech, personnel, processes)
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Making unrealistic promises about their service results without providing supporting evidence.
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Charging too much or too little - a good SOC provider should offer a deep level of security for a reasonable price.
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High staff turnover or limited portfolio of clients
Making the Most of SOC Trials
Trialling a SOC is a great way to assess the SOC’s technical performance and also if it is culturally a good fit for you before committing. Document all findings from the trial to inform your final decision.
Make the most of the trial by:
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Simulating real-world incidents
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Testing response times and communication
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Evaluating dashboard quality and data insights
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Tracking KPIs such as mean time to detect (MTTD), mean time to respond (MTTR) and resolution rates.
UK-Specific Considerations
Data Residency
Data residency is the geographic location in which an organisation’s data is physically stored and processed. Where the data “lives” determines which privacy and compliance requirements apply. Organisations operating in the UK must ensure their data is stored, processed and transferred in compliance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act. Ensure your SOC provider has robust security measures to protect sensitive data, maintain transparency regarding data handling practices, and adheres to strict regulations on data storage locations, transfer protocols, and access permissions.
If outsourcing your SOC, you will need to ask:
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Where will our data be stored?
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Who will have access?
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How will it be encrypted?
Ensure your SOC provider has robust security measures to protect sensitive data, maintain transparency regarding data handling practices, and adheres to strict regulations on data storage locations, transfer protocols, and access permissions.
Time Zone Alignment
It’s important for your outsourced SOC team to operate within UK working hours. With experienced analysts readily available during this time, it will help to ensure faster collaboration and better communications.
Knowledge of UK Regulations
When outsourcing a Service Organisation Control (SOC) in the UK, it's essential to understand the regulatory landscape to ensure compliance and mitigate risks. Your organisation is still ultimately responsible for regulatory compliance, even if you are outsourcing your SOC. A trusted SOC provider should be able to support the organisation preparing for audits, maintain relevant certifications and implement best practices.
Depending on the sector, the provider should be up to date with the required UK industry specific standards and frameworks, especially if supporting clients in regulated or high-risk sectors such as energy, finance or healthcare.
These include:
UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018
Cyber Essentials / Cyber Essentials Plus
NCSC Guidelines (National Cyber Security Centre)
FCA Regulations (Financial Conduct Authority)
NHS DSPT (Data Security and Protection Toolkit)
PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
NIS2 Directive (if operating in the EU)
Choosing the right SOC outsourcing partner is one of the most critical decisions you can make to protect your organisation against cyber threats.
It’s not just about outsourcing a technology function - it’s about finding a partner who understands your business, aligns with your goals, and becomes a trusted extension of your team.
A strong managed SOC partner won’t just alert you to threats—they’ll help you prevent them. They’ll empower your internal teams with insights, guide you over regulatory hurdles, and support your ongoing resilience.
At Talanos Cybersecurity, we work with IT, cybersecurity and business leaders who demand more than just a service—they demand assurance. With a scientific, results-driven and tailored approach, we deliver real-time threat detection, action within 15 minutes, and proactive risk mitigation that stops attacks before they escalate. Our clients stay with us because we don’t just protect systems. We protect reputations, operations, and peace of mind.
The evolving landscape of cyber threats brings increasing sophistication and challenges. But with the right SOC partner by your side, you can move forward with confidence. At Talanos, cybersecurity isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are.
Cyber threats are evolving—your defence should too. Get in touch with our team today to learn how our tailored SOC solutions can help you stay ahead, stay secure, and stay confident.
