Having a Security Operations Center (SOC) is not enough, but having the right SOC is what truly matters. Many organizations assume that as long as they have an SOC in place, their security is covered. However, experience has shown that not all SOCs are built the same, and a poorly structured SOC can be just as dangerous as having none at all, and a waste of money.

Hana Abriyansyah, our CEO, has spent years working with cybersecurity teams, investigating breaches, and even conducting simulated attacks to test security defenses. From firsthand experience, he has identified what separates an ineffective SOC from one that genuinely protects businesses. And the reality? Most SOCs today are still stuck in outdated methods that don’t keep up with modern threats.

The Three Core Principles of a Proper SOC — According to Our CEO

1. Speed is Everything: If It’s Not Fast, It’s Not Working

When it comes to cybersecurity, time is the defining factor between containment and catastrophe. If an SOC takes 30 minutes to detect a critical attack, the hacker has already gained deep access, escalated privileges, and possibly exfiltrated sensitive data. At that point, mitigation efforts become significantly more challenging.

"An SOC is only as good as its ability to detect and respond to threats quickly," says Hana Abriyansyah. "If your SOC takes 30 minutes to identify a critical attack, the hacker is already deep inside your system, moving laterally, escalating privileges, and exfiltrating data. By the time your team reacts, it’s already too late."

The best SOCs detect threats in real-time, not hours later. That’s why Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are now truly necessary. AI can analyze billions of data points instantly, identify hidden anomalies that manual methods might miss, and correlate security events across different layers.

Also read: AI and Machine Learning, the Future of Cybersecurity

At Cisometric, our SOC has the standard service level agreement (SLA) for critical incident detection set for just five minutes. Compare that to traditional SOC providers, where detection can take 30 minutes or more, and the difference becomes clear: a slow SOC is an ineffective SOC.

2. Reducing False Positives: Less Noise, More Actionable Alerts

One of the biggest pain points in cybersecurity today is alert fatigue where SOC analysts are bombarded with thousands of alerts every day, many of which turn out to be false positives. False positives occur when a security system mistakenly identifies an activity as a potential threat. This leads to unnecessary investigations, wasting valuable time and resources, and can cause real threats to be overlooked due to the overwhelming volume of alerts.

"If your SOC isn’t built to filter and validate threats automatically, your security analysts are wasting time chasing shadows," explains Hana. "AI-driven correlation is crucial as it validates alerts across multiple security layers, so only real threats trigger an escalation."

Without the right system in place, security teams waste valuable time chasing down benign activities instead of focusing on real threats. This is where AI-powered correlation comes in. By validating alerts across multiple security layers, AI ensures that only genuine threats escalate for human intervention. The result? Analysts spend their time on actual security incidents rather than getting lost in noise.

3. Full Visibility: If Your SOC Can’t See Everything, It’s Missing Something

Many SOCs operate with limited visibility, often focusing only on server security. But cyberattacks often start at endpoints through phishing emails, or via compromised employee devices.

"A lot of SOCs only monitor servers, and that’s a huge blind spot," warns Hana. "Cyberattacks don’t always start from the server, they often come from user endpoints like phishing emails, or compromised employee devices. If your SOC isn’t integrated with Extended Detection & Response (XDR), you’re missing a massive piece of the puzzle."

Consider this scenario:

• A company’s financial data is stored securely in a data center

• Then, instead of attacking the data center directly, a hacker compromises an employee’s laptop through a phishing email

• A traditional SOC won’t detect the attack until the hacker moves deeper into the network

• A proper SOC, equipped with Extended Detection & Response (XDR), detects the breach at the first point of entry before significant damage occurs

This is why full integration with security tools like firewalls, antivirus, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and more, is critical. A truly effective SOC centralizes and correlates data across the entire security ecosystem.

Investing in the Wrong SOC: A Waste of Money

SOC services are a significant investment, whether organizations build them in-house or outsource to a provider. But if the SOC lacks the necessary speed, efficiency, and integration, it’s not just failing to protect the business—it’s also a waste of money.

"SOC services aren’t cheap," says Hana. "If the SOC you have or are using isn’t built with these principles, then it’s not protecting your business AND you’re wasting money. It’s just giving you a false sense of security."

A slow or inefficient SOC provides a false sense of security. Businesses may believe they are protected when in reality, they are vulnerable to sophisticated cyber threats. Investing in the wrong SOC is costly not just in terms of finances, but in terms of potential breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory consequences.

Join Us and See a Next-Gen SOC in Action

What does a next-generation SOC actually look like? How does AI-powered security transform the way businesses detect and respond to threats?

Cisometric is hosting a Security Operations Center Demo Day on February 20, 2025, at Midplaza to answer these questions and more. This is an opportunity to see how a modern, AI-driven SOC operates in real time and why it is a game-changer for businesses looking to strengthen their cybersecurity.

Spots are limited—reserve your place now!
🔗 Sign up here: https://bit.ly/SOCDemoDayCisometric

Don’t miss this chance to witness firsthand how a proper SOC should function. We look forward to seeing you there!

Also read: Our Security Operations Center is Now Live ; Security Operations Center Launch

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