SOC as a service is a powerful offering for companies that can’t justify an in-house SOC (security operations center) but still need round-the-clock cybersecurity operations. SOC as a service provides the 24/7/365 monitoring and response that’s required in today’s complex cyber threat landscape.
But how much should you pay for SOC as a service?
What goes into the cost of this service?
How do you know if you’re getting a good price?
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is SOC as a service?
SOC as a service (also known as SOCaaS) is a managed service that provides the power of a SOC without the cost and complexity of staff hiring and internal management. A company may turn to SOC as a service if they need 24/7/365 threat detection and remediation, but they don’t have the internal resources to run a SOC around the clock. In this scenario, outsourcing is a smart choice to keep the company secure while controlling costs.
So how much does SOC as a service cost?
The answer depends on several factors.
SOCaaS pricing factors
Every organization has unique requirements that will influence how much they pay for SOC services. Common cost factors include:
- Number of employees
- Number of business locations
- Number of devices
- Complexity of technology environment
- Regulatory compliance
- EDI and data integration (if your provider supports these technologies, as Corsica does)
- Changing service consumption
These factors will determine how many cybersecurity experts your SOC requires. They will also determine what technology your SOC team needs to operate effectively.
But there’s more to the picture. These additional cost factors may also influence your SOCaaS pricing.
- SOC manager salary
- Number of SOC tier 1 analysts required
- Number of SOC tier 2 analysts required
- SIEM software (security information and event management)
- EDR software (endpoint detection and response)
- Firewall (managed security infrastructure)
- VPN (managed security infrastructure)
- Automation, ticket handling, and SOAR tools
Each of these factors will influence the cost of SOC as a service, whether directly or indirectly.
But these factors alone don’t determine SOC pricing. Your provider’s pricing model will have a significant impact on your monthly cost and its stability (or instability).
Here’s what you need to know about pricing models.
SOCaaS pricing models
Most SOCaaS providers use pricing models that create unpredictable monthly costs. Though these companies may promise stable monthly pricing, the fine print in the contract reveals the truth. Many scenarios won’t be covered by the monthly cost. Rather, these scenarios will create additional bills.
Some providers do offer 100% predictable monthly pricing—but we’ll get to that in a moment.
First, let’s talk about these unpredictable pricing models.
Unpredictable SOC pricing models
Any pricing model that uses unit pricing and multipliers can end up creating unpredictable bills. These models typically fall into two categories.
- User count. Your SOC provider may calculate your pricing from the number of users supported. Your cost may appear to be a simple calculation, but the contract may contain exceptions that aren’t covered by that quoted monthly price.
- Device count. Your SOC provider may calculate your pricing from the number of devices supported. This method may also be subject to exceptions, just like the user count model.
100% predictable SOCaaS pricing
You don’t have to pay unpredictable bills for SOC as a service. There is an alternative.
Here at Corsica Technologies, we offer 100% predictable monthly pricing. No matter how your service consumption fluctuates, you’ll pay one stable monthly price. This makes it easy to budget for essential SOC services—and it takes the guesswork out of cybersecurity. Learn more here: The Corsica Difference.
The SOC pricing wildcard: Incident response services
There’s one thing that doesn’t get enough airtime in the world of SOC as a service.
It’s the cost of incident response.
Some providers will bill separately for any services required to remediate a cybersecurity incident. The average cost of a data breach is $4.88M (according to IBM), and some portion of that cost will come from remediation services.
Clearly, this cost can devastate a business.
That’s why the best SOCaaS companies provide a cybersecurity service guarantee.
Here at Corsica Technologies, we’re proud to offer covered incident remediation services, with limitations. Learn more here: Our Cybersecurity Service Guarantee.
Choosing your ideal pricing model
Which SOC pricing model is right for you?
Predictable—or unpredictable?
There’s no right answer for every company. It depends on how your organization operates—and what type of expenses you prefer.
Here’s what that looks like.
Prefer capex with higher financial risk
If you have larger cash reserves, you may prefer to spend less on SOC services when you can. Significant, unexpected bills may not be a problem. In this scenario, unpredictable SOC pricing may work just fine.
Prefer opex with lower financial risk
If you have dependable cashflow but a lack of cash reserves, you may prefer stability, even if it means spending the same amount on SOC services when you experience lower consumption. In this scenario, 100% stable SOC pricing will help you stick to a predictable budget, stay financially healthy, and keep your business secure.
SOC pricing calculator
How much will you pay for SOCaaS?
And how does that cost compare to an internal SOC team?
These are great questions. While every organization’s cost will look different, we can provide rough estimates for the purpose of illustration. Use our FREE SOC pricing calculator to compare the cost of SOCaaS to the expenditures required for an internal SOC.
Moving forward: Getting the best SOC pricing
While many factors go into SOC pricing, organizations can get their best price by looking at the provider’s pricing model. If you really need 100% predictable pricing, you should take a hard line when asking providers about their cost structure. Here at Corsica Technologies, we’re proud to offer 100% predictable monthly SOCaaS pricing—regardless of how much support you need in any given month. Get in touch with us today, and let’s secure your business while controlling your SOC costs.
Ready to calculate your SOC pricing?
Use our free interactive calculator to determine what you should pay.
