MDR vs. SOC as a Service: Which One Is Right for You?

With cyberthreats growing more complex and sophisticated every day, businesses of all sizes are taking steps to strengthen their security posture. Threat detection and mitigation are key components in a smart cybersecurity strategy. But how do you gain this capability?

Both MDR and SOC as a service empower organizations to stay protected in real time.

But how do MDR and SOC as a service compare?

Which one is right for you?

Here’s everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

What is MDR?

Managed detection and response (MDR) is a managed service that provides threat detection technology to an organization without internal cybersecurity staff. There are two essential components here:

• Endpoint detection and response software (EDR) that spots malicious activity on endpoints, i.e. devices connected to the network.
• Managed services, including 24/7/365 incident triage, containment, and remediation, as well as recommendations to improve security posture, provided by cybersecurity experts.

MDR offers a great foundation for a strong cybersecurity practice, but it isn’t enough for most organizations. Rather, it’s one piece of the puzzle.

SOC as a service, on the other hand, is far more comprehensive.

What is SOC as a service?

A security operations center (SOC) is an integrated team of experts that handles an organization’s cybersecurity operations using sophisticated technology. At a minimum, the team is usually composed of a SOC manager and several SOC analysts with unique responsibilities like threat hunting, triage, and incident response. To function effectively, a SOC team requires powerful cybersecurity technologies like SIEM (security information and event management), EDR, firewall, VPN, ticketing software, and automation.

You can stand up a SOC in-house, or you can outsource it—an arrangement which is called SOC as a service (SOCaaS). Between staff resources and sophisticated technologies, an in-house SOC can be prohibitively expensive, which is why many organizations turn to SOCaaS.

But how does SOCaaS compare to MDR?

MDR vs. SOCaaS

Every SOC as a service offering should include MDR, but standalone MDR solutions don’t include all the components of SOC as a service.

Think of it like this: SOCaaS is a big circle that covers many things, and MDR is one of those things.

Here’s what that comparison looks like in detail.

How do different scenarios play out with MDR vs. SOCaaS?

How do MDR and SOCaaS look in real life? Here are several situations to consider.

Weak VPN password attack

A weak VPN password can give attackers an entry point to your network. MDR can detect this threat after the attacker has accessed the network, but this service may not detect the weak VPN password itself, since VPN management isn’t part of an MDR offering. A SOCaaS approach should prevent weak VPN passwords because VPN management falls within the scope of the service.  

Accidental malware download

If an employee unknowingly clicks on a dangerous link, they may download malware to their computer. This is a classic MDR use case. The MDR software will detect the malware and notify your managed services team, who can take action to lock down the machine and eliminate the malware. Since MDR is part of a SOCaaS offering, this scenario looks the same with both approaches.

Zero-day attacks

A zero-day vulnerability is one that’s known to hackers but not to the developers of the system. These vulnerabilities are especially dangerous because you may not learn of them until hackers exploit them.

MDR can detect an attack once it starts, and your managed services team can act quickly to lock down the threat. But MDR can’t detect vulnerabilities that haven’t been exploited.

In this regard, SOCaaS is more likely to prevent zero-day attacks from even starting. SOCaaS includes threat hunting supported by more comprehensive monitoring and integration in the form of a SIEM solution. It puts you in a better position to address the root cause of a zero-day attack rather than waiting for an attack to happen. Naturally, though, SOCaaS includes MDR, so you get the full benefit of MDR for any zero-day attack that does occur.

Which managed service is right for your organization?

Every company is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But here’s how to know which approach is best for you.

Do you have a limited budget, no cybersecurity staff, and no systematic approach to cybersecurity?

In this scenario, it may be unrealistic to hire your own internal SOC team. You could engage an MSSP (managed security services provider) for MDR services, but that won’t include everything you need to stay secure. The best solution is SOC as a service.

Do you have some cybersecurity controls in place and some staff resources?

If you already have internal employees helping with cybersecurity, and you have some cybersecurity assets in place (like a firewall, VPN, and processes and technologies for ticketing), you may not need the full offering of SOCaaS. In this scenario, supplementing your existing tools and resources with MDR can round out your strategy and improve your security posture.

Are you unsure what you need or what you can afford?

Reach out to us if you’re not sure. We can help you determine where you’re at today, where you need to go in terms of cybersecurity, and how to get there. Just drop us a line.

Moving forward: Getting the cybersecurity services you need

MDR is a powerful service that’s included in a more comprehensive SOCaaS offering. If you have cybersecurity resources in place already, MDR can take your efforts farther and protect your organization. If you aren’t addressing cybersecurity today, SOCaaS offers a more all-encompassing approach to protect your company both today and in the long term. Contact us today, and let’s determine which solution is right for you.

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