(MSOC) Managed Security Operations Center
Managed Security Operations Center , fully outsourced or hybrid, operated by a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). An MSOC delivers all the core functions of a SOC, but with some differences in deployment, scope, and responsibilities.
1. Managed Security Operations Center
a. 24/7 Threat Monitoring
- Real-time log and alert monitoring across networks, endpoints, and cloud assets
- Use of SIEM and EDR tools, often managed by the provider
b. Incident Detection and Response
- Alert triage and escalation
- Investigation and analysis
- Automated or manual containment and response (depending on SLA)
c. Threat Intelligence Integration
- Threat data feeds and IOC correlation
- Proactive threat hunting (in more advanced MSOCs)
d. Vulnerability Management
- Continuous scanning and prioritization of vulnerabilities
- Patch validation and reporting
e. Security Automation (SOAR Integration)
- Automated playbooks for phishing, malware, access anomalies
- Workflow orchestration across customer environments
f. Compliance Monitoring
- Regulatory support: GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001
- Compliance-driven alerting and reporting
2. Tools and Technologies Provided/Managed
- SIEM (e.g., Splunk, IBM QRadar, Azure Sentinel)
- SOAR platform for automated responses
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools
- Firewall and IDS/IPS monitoring
- Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) integration
- Log collection and long-term storage (often cloud-based)
3. Team Structure and Support
a. MSOC Personnel
- Tier 1–3 analysts
- Incident responders
- Threat hunters (optional)
- SOC Manager and Service Delivery Manager
- Customer liaison or Technical Account Manager
b. Customer Interaction Model
- SLA-backed response and resolution times
- Regular threat intelligence briefings
- Monthly/quarterly service reports
- Escalation matrix and 24/7 contact point
4. Deliverables and Documentation
- Daily/Weekly/Monthly Reports (threats, alerts, resolutions)
- Incident tickets and response records
- Security dashboards (real-time or client portal access)
- Compliance audit support documentation
- Threat trend analysis and recommendations
5. Security Use Cases Covered
- Malware infection & containment
- Phishing attacks
- Insider threats & data exfiltration
- Lateral movement detection
- Suspicious login attempts (geo-anomalies, brute force)
- Cloud misconfiguration monitoring (e.g., AWS, Azure)
6. Onboarding & Operational Processes
- Asset and log source inventory
- Integration setup and testing
- Use case mapping and playbook customization
- SLA definition and response workflows
- Knowledge transfer and escalation protocols
7. Key Metrics Tracked by MSOC
- Mean Time to Detect (MTTD)
- Mean Time to Respond (MTTR)
- False positive rate
- Number of escalated incidents
- SLA adherence
- Monthly threat volume trends
8. Optional / Premium Services
- Digital forensics and incident response (DFIR)
- Red teaming or adversary emulation
- Penetration testing
- Security awareness training
- Advanced threat hunting
- Cloud security posture management (CSPM)
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