SOC vs. vulnerability management: Do you need both?

There's a lot of buzz around SOCs

At Holm Security, we meet with thousands of organizations every year. A clear trend is that more and more organizations are starting a vulnerability management program, but many organizations are considering implementing a Security Operations Center (SOC). 

It’s a natural development as the general level of maturity and awareness within cyber security is improving. A vital component in a SOC is the human element – behind a stack of cyber security products. This involves monitoring cyber security events around the clock and taking necessary actions. Both the tech stack and the human monitoring function are costly, so organizations often look for alternative, cost-efficient solutions.  

This has made the market for outsourced SOC functions explode, and we expect to see this development continue. 

“On a daily basis, I meet with customers that need guidance, particularly regarding the differences between reactive and proactive cyber defenses. It’s common that organizations do one or the other, rather than both. If you start up a SOC without a proactive defense in place, you will for sure keep the SOC busier and it will, in the end, be more costly,” says Jan Willem Plokkaar, Sales Director Benelux at Holm Security.  

The difference between proactive & reactive cyber defense 

The core functions of a SOC are incident detection and response to stop and minimize the damage – when an incident is about to happen or has already occurred. This is an important component in the cyber defense for any organization, but it’s one component, not the complete solution. 

From a logical perspective, the proactive defense comes first (see figure). But that is not all. It also makes the SOC more efficient and less busy. This will not only strengthen your cyber defense, but also help you keep costs down and maintain better cost control for the SOC.  

“Why would you need the fire brigade to turn out the fire if everyone took the necessary proactive actions?” adds Plokkaar. 

Relationship between SOC & vulnerability management 

So, are vulnerability management programs and SOCs separate functions that run simultaneously but independently, or can they be integrated in some way?  

“Very few organizations have integrated their SOC with their vulnerability management program. This is not because it doesn’t make sense - it’s more about maturity, and accordingly, we expect to see more vulnerability management programs integrated with SOCs in the future,” says Plokkaar. 

Integrated threat management 

A SOC could use vulnerability data to understand the organization's exposure to threats. By knowing the vulnerabilities present in the systems, SOC teams can prioritize monitoring and defenses against the most critical threats. 

Proactive security 

Vulnerability management provides a proactive approach to cyber security by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This reduces the number of potential incidents that the SOC needs to respond to. 

Incident response 

When a SOC detects an incident, understanding existing vulnerabilities can help in assessing the scope and impact of the attack. It can also inform the response strategy by highlighting which vulnerabilities might have been exploited. 

Continuous improvement 

Insights from SOC operations, such as recurring attack vectors or common exploits, can feed back into the vulnerability management program to refine scanning and remediation efforts. 

Coordination & communication 

Effective communication and coordination between the SOC and the vulnerability management teams ensure that identified vulnerabilities are promptly addressed and that security measures are continuously improved based on the latest threat intelligence and incident data. 

Conclusion: you need both, but start with vulnerability management 

A SOC solution and a vulnerability management program are complementary components of a robust cyber security strategy. The SOC focuses on real-time threat detection and incident response, while the vulnerability management program aims to proactively identify and mitigate vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Together, they help an organization maintain a strong security posture and reduce the risk of security breaches. 

Based on our experience, most organizations lack the budget for both, so vulnerability management is the first and most important step, as it enhances the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the SOC and other cyber security measures.