SOC services for business: how they work and why they matter

With cyber threats on the rise, more and more businesses are turning to third-party Security Operations Center (SOC) providers to strengthen their defenses. But many of the key dilemmas around SOC arise even before contacting a service provider — and for good reason. What should the first steps be? Is a SOC the right fit for every business? And if not, what are the alternatives?

In a moderated discussion, Povilas Kaminskas, Head of Security Operations Center at Blue Bridge, and Tautvydas Jasinskas, Chief Information Security Officer at Connect Pay, explored these questions from two different perspectives: that of a SOC service provider and that of a business navigating security needs. Together, they shared the most important considerations and common challenges that arise in collaboration – plus a few tips for businesses looking to take a future-ready approach to cybersecurity.

 Does every business need a SOC? 

There is a common belief that every organization should take care of cybersecurity. But does every company need it at the SOC level? Additionally, there is still confusion about what these services actually involve and how companies can integrate them into their broader ecosystems. According to T. Jasinskas, cybersecurity – and especially prevention – is relevant to every modern business. 

“The real value of a SOC goes beyond incident detection. It allows you to analyze detected events and prevent them altogether. Monitoring the critical infrastructure is also not enough – you need to focus on system messages, too. These small signals will help you build a solid information security strategy,” he explained. 

To achieve the best results, he recommends implementing SOC services in full – not just for critical servers.

“A company is only as strong as its weakest link. That is why the SOC needs full integration,” added T. Jasinskas. 

P. Kaminskas also noted that companies without a SOC take approximately 200 days to detect a security incident. 

Attackers typically need to go through 4–6 steps to carry out an attack, and in such scenarios, the damage is only discovered after the attack. In comparison, a SOC can catch early probing attempts before they escalate. 

“Based on industry practice, having a SOC can shorten incident detection from 200 days to just one day,” P. Kaminskas said.

How does a SOC actually work?

 Businesses that are considering SOC services often ask: will this ensure full and instant protection?

 According to T. Jasinskas, a SOC is a highly effective tool for managing cybersecurity incidents: it gathers system data, maps out the entire attack chain, and shares that insight with the company. “Having a SOC in place lets you not only reverse malicious actions but also use the observations to prevent future incidents,” he notes. In the practice of ConnectPay, potential incidents are confirmed or dismissed within 15 minutes of being flagged. 

“By catching the very first signs of intrusion, you greatly reduce the risk of high-level incidents down the line,” add ed their Chief Information Security Officer.

According to P. Kaminskas, another common question from executives is whether implementing a SOC means hiring more employees. 

“Actually, that is not the case,” he says. “As long as someone – security officer or IT lead, for example – is responsible for responding to alerts, no further resources are needed. The SOC takes care of detection and risk assessment; the team just needs to follow a clear, pre-defined process.” 

Protection is not a 100% guarantee

 Without a doubt, a SOC is a solid step toward data protection. 

“There is no such thing as a 100 percent guarantee,” P. Kaminskas admitted. “But there are important quality benchmarks. One of them is response time – 15 minutes is an excellent standard. In my view, it is unacceptable to learn about a breach two or three days later: companies need to know those benchmarks and demand a fast response from their SOC provider.” 

Another critical factor is the availability of data logs. Ensuring uninterrupted log collection is especially important because cutting off data streams is one of the tactics attackers may use to hide their activity. 

“And then there’s detection breadth,” added P. Kaminskas. “Not every SOC solution covers the same spectrum of threats. It is important to ensure broad detection capabilities, but such progression takes conscious investment of both time and resources.” 

Advice to those who already have a SOC in place and wish to improve its effectiveness? Simulate a cyberattack. Known as penetration testing (or pentesting), this approach provides a clear picture of how well a SOC can detect threats and react to them. 

“You can do these tests regularly, and when something unexpected happens, your SOC provider will see the full picture in real time,” T. Jasinskas said. 

That’s why tight collaboration between the business and the SOC provider is so important – it leads to better ser vice and stronger, more aligned collaboration. 

Security is not a product – it is a process 

According to T. Jasinskas, companies make a big mistake when they try to buy a feeling of security. 

“Security isn’t something you can buy off the shelf, but you can buy a security process and continuously improve it by playing an active part in it,” he noted. That means asking questions, setting expectations, and working closely with your SOC provider. 

According to him, the relationship should be built on a strong foundation of technology, processes, and expertise. For businesses who are currently evaluating potential SOC partners, T. Jasinskas recommended looking for proven experience, trusted technology, and industry expertise.

 Consulting with other companies and learning from their setups is another helpful practice. “Most importantly,” he concluded, “don’t let your SOC operate in isolation. These services need to be fully integrated into your organization, as well as continuously analyzed and improved.”