SOC as a Service
SOC as a Service (SOCaaS), also known as Security Operations Center as a Service, is a cloud-based, subscription model that delivers outsourced cybersecurity monitoring and threat detection. Instead of building and maintaining an in-house SOC, businesses can rely on SOCaaS providers to protect their digital environments 24/7.
SOCaaS enables organizations of all sizes to access enterprise-grade cybersecurity infrastructure, threat intelligence, and response capabilities without the high cost of developing their own security operations center.
What is SOC as a Service?
SOC as a Service is a managed security solution that provides continuous monitoring, detection, and response to cyber threats - delivered by an external team of cybersecurity experts. It’s designed to help businesses:
- Detect and respond to security incidents faster
- Reduce the cost of maintaining an internal SOC
- Stay compliant with industry regulations
- Gain access to advanced threat intelligence and tools
This model is especially beneficial for SMBs and mid-market enterprises that lack internal security resources.
SOCaaS Meaning
The SOC as a Service meaning centers on outsourcing the functions of a traditional SOC to a trusted third party. This includes threat detection, incident response, log management, and security alert triage.
The SOCaaS model is flexible, scalable, and typically offered on a monthly or annual subscription basis.
Types of SOC
There are several types of Security Operations Centers that organizations can choose from based on their needs:
In-house SOC: Built and managed internally; requires significant budget and skilled staff
Co-managed SOC: A hybrid model where internal teams work with an external SOC provider
Fully Managed SOC as a Service: The entire SOC function is outsourced to a third-party provider
The managed SOC as a service approach is ideal for businesses that want full protection without the overhead.
Benefits of SOCaaS
Implementing SOC as a Service offers organizations a proactive, cost-effective way to strengthen their cybersecurity posture without the need for an in-house Security Operations Center. In today’s threat landscape - where attacks are constant, sophisticated, and fast-moving - SOCaaS provides the continuous protection, expertise, and visibility required to keep digital assets secure. By combining cutting-edge technology with round-the-clock human oversight, SOCaaS empowers businesses of all sizes to detect and respond to threats faster, meet compliance requirements more easily, and scale their defenses as they grow.
Below are some of the key benefits of adopting SOC as a Service:
24/7 Monitoring and Response: One of the primary benefits of SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) is 24/7 threat monitoring and response without the need to build or maintain an in-house Security Operations Center. Traditional SOCs require significant investment in infrastructure, personnel, and tooling. With SOCaaS, organizations gain immediate access to enterprise-grade security capabilities - including threat detection, incident response, and continuous log monitoring - all managed by seasoned cybersecurity professionals. This ensures that attacks are detected and mitigated in real time, even outside regular business hours.
Cost Efficiency: Another key advantage is cost efficiency and scalability. Building a SOC internally can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, factoring in analyst salaries, software licenses, and maintenance. SOCaaS operates on a subscription model, allowing businesses to scale their coverage up or down as needs evolve - whether they’re expanding their IT environment, onboarding new systems, or responding to increased threat activity. This pay-as-you-go flexibility enables smaller organizations to access high-quality security resources that were previously only feasible for large enterprises.
Access to Advanced Tools and Expertise: SOCaaS gives organizations immediate access to enterprise-grade security technologies and highly skilled analysts without the heavy investment required to build them internally. Most SOCaaS providers leverage advanced tools such as next-generation SIEMs, endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms, threat intelligence feeds, and AI-driven analytics. These technologies continuously evolve to detect emerging attack vectors that traditional tools might miss. Combined with a team of cybersecurity experts who specialize in monitoring, investigating, and mitigating threats, SOCaaS delivers a level of sophistication and experience that most in-house teams would take years to develop - at a fraction of the cost.
Faster Threat Detection and Mitigation: With continuous 24/7 monitoring, SOCaaS enables organizations to identify and respond to threats in real time. Instead of relying on periodic reviews or delayed manual processes, advanced automation and machine learning models within the SOCaaS environment detect anomalies as they occur. Security analysts can then immediately investigate and neutralize threats before they escalate into full-blown incidents. This rapid detection and response cycle drastically reduces dwell time - the period an attacker remains undetected within a system - minimizing damage, downtime, and data loss.
Scalability to Grow with Your Business: As organizations expand, their IT environments become more complex - introducing new users, endpoints, applications, and cloud systems. SOCaaS is designed to scale effortlessly with this growth. Whether you’re adding remote offices, adopting multi-cloud infrastructure, or integrating new technologies, the service adjusts coverage and monitoring parameters automatically. This flexibility ensures that security protection remains consistent and comprehensive, regardless of changes in business size or structure. SOCaaS providers can also adapt to industry-specific requirements, offering tailored protection that evolves alongside your organization’s digital transformation.
Improved Compliance and Reporting: SOCaaS not only strengthens security posture but also simplifies compliance with industry regulations and standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001. Providers maintain detailed audit trails, generate automated reports, and deliver continuous visibility into your organization’s security status. These capabilities streamline internal and external audits while ensuring that data handling practices align with regulatory expectations. Additionally, many SOCaaS platforms offer customizable dashboards and compliance mapping tools, giving businesses confidence that their security operations not only protect data but also demonstrate accountability and transparency to regulators and stakeholders.
By choosing from top SOC as a Service providers, organizations gain a stronger security posture and peace of mind.
SOC as a Service Pricing
SOC as a Service pricing can vary depending on several factors:
Number of endpoints or users
Log sources and volume
Level of service (e.g., monitoring only vs. full response)
Compliance requirements
Some SOC as a Service companies offer tiered pricing models to fit businesses of different sizes. SonicWall provides flexible SOCaaS pricing to ensure maximum protection at an affordable cost.
Industry Trends and Developments
The demand for outsourced security operations centers has surged as cyber threats grow more complex. Organizations across industries are recognizing that maintaining an effective, in-house SOC is both costly and resource-intensive — requiring continuous investment in technology, staffing, and training. In response, SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) providers are emerging as essential partners, delivering scalable, always-on protection supported by the latest advancements in cybersecurity. Several major trends are shaping the evolution of this industry and driving adoption at record pace. Key industry trends include:
AI and machine learning in threat detection: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have become central to modern SOCaaS offerings. These technologies enable faster, more accurate identification of anomalies and potential intrusions by analyzing massive volumes of data in real time. Unlike traditional signature-based detection, AI-powered systems learn from historical patterns and adapt to new threat behaviors, detecting subtle indicators of compromise that humans or legacy tools might overlook. This predictive capability allows SOCaaS providers to detect emerging attacks before they escalate - improving accuracy, reducing false positives, and accelerating incident response.
Integration with XDR and SIEM platforms: Modern SOCaaS solutions are increasingly integrated with Extended Detection and Response (XDR) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms to deliver unified visibility across endpoints, networks, cloud environments, and applications. This integration allows for centralized monitoring and correlation of security events, simplifying investigations and improving response coordination. By bringing all threat data into a single view, organizations can better understand attack chains and take faster, data-driven action. The synergy between SOCaaS, XDR, and SIEM is helping businesses bridge gaps between detection, analysis, and response — leading to a more cohesive and efficient defense posture.
Cloud-native SOCaaS solutions: As organizations continue to migrate workloads to the cloud, SOCaaS providers are developing cloud-native architectures designed specifically for dynamic, distributed environments. Cloud-native SOCaaS leverages automation, elastic scalability, and API-based integrations to deliver real-time protection across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures. This enables continuous monitoring regardless of where assets reside — whether in on-premises systems, SaaS platforms, or public clouds. Cloud-native SOCaaS also reduces deployment friction, allowing organizations to onboard quickly and gain immediate visibility without heavy hardware or maintenance costs.
Increasing demand for compliance-ready services: With data privacy and security regulations tightening globally, compliance has become a top driver of SOCaaS adoption. Providers are now embedding compliance-ready frameworks that align with key standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS. These offerings include automated reporting, audit logs, and policy mapping to help organizations maintain continuous compliance without overburdening internal teams. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, compliance-ready SOCaaS not only mitigates the risk of fines and reputational damage but also demonstrates accountability to customers and partners.
As cyber threats continue to evolve in scale and sophistication, businesses are increasingly turning to SOCaaS providers to stay ahead of attackers. By combining human expertise with AI-driven automation, advanced integrations, and compliance support, SOCaaS empowers organizations to transform cybersecurity from a reactive burden into a proactive, strategic advantage.
SonicWall’s SOCaaS Offerings
SonicWall’s SOC as a Service delivers powerful, real-time threat monitoring and response capabilities powered by our global cybersecurity intelligence.
SonicWall’s SOCaaS model includes:
24/7 monitoring by expert analysts
Threat intelligence from SonicWall Capture Labs
Integration with SonicWall firewalls and endpoint protection
Customizable alerts and reporting
Scalable pricing to meet your business needs
Whether you're exploring what is SOCaaS or ready to partner with a provider, SonicWall delivers industry-leading protection without the overhead of building your own SOC.
Explore SonicWall’s SOCaaS today and gain enterprise-grade security tailored to your business needs.