From Reactive to Resilient: How SOC-as-a-Service Transforms Cybersecurity for Growing Businesses

As organisations face rising threats and stricter regulations, building a traditional Security Operations Centre (SOC) becomes increasingly unrealistic for small and mid-sized businesses. The cost, complexity, and global talent shortage in cybersecurity make maintaining 24/7 security coverage internally a significant challenge. That’s where modern SOC delivery models—SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS) and Dedicated SOC—step in.

Why Building Your Own SOC Is So Difficult

Creating and running an in-house SOC requires:

• A skilled team of cybersecurity analysts, engineers, and incident responders (who are in global shortage)

• Substantial infrastructure investments

• Ongoing 24/7 operations and training

• Regulatory readiness (e.g., DORA, NIS2, GDPR)

The time-to-launch can stretch for months, and the cost can quickly exceed €500,000 annually for even a modest-sized team. For most organisations, especially SMBs and SMEs, this approach is impractical.

The Modern SOC Delivery Models

Instead of building from scratch, organisations can now choose between two modern service-based options:

1. SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS)

This is a shared, cloud-powered solution that provides 24/7 security operations without the cost or complexity of owning the tools or staff. Our version includes:

• Managed SOC as a custom extension with flexible SLAs

• Optional MDR (Managed Detection and Response)

• Seamless onboarding and integration

• Compliance-ready setup for financial and critical infrastructure clients

2. Dedicated SOC

This model assigns a dedicated team that works within your tools and processes. It provides a high level of customisation and internal alignment but comes with higher setup and operational costs.

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS)	Dedicated SOC
Team Model	Shared expert team	Fully dedicated team
Deployment Time	2–4 weeks	6–12 weeks
Customisation	Moderate	High
Control	Moderate	High
Tooling	Provided & managed	Bring-your-own or hybrid
Threat Detection	24/7 automated(AI, ML) & human-led	24/7 fully analyst-led
Regulatory Compliance (e.g. DORA)	Built-in	Custom setup required
Focus	Rapid protection & compliance	Tailored integration
Best For	SMBs, SMEs, Fintechs, Scaleups	Enterprises
Estimated Monthly Cost (Varies by Scope)	€3,000–€8,000	€10,000–€25,000+

Why SOC-as-a-Service Is the Smarter Choice for Most

Businesses

SOC-as-a-Service offers unmatched advantages for small and mid-sized businesses:

• Rapid launch and faster time-to-value

• No upfront investments in infrastructure or security tools

• Access to rare cybersecurity talent without hiring challenges

• Lower operational costs with scalable pricing

• Compliance support built-in for DORA, NIS2, GDPR

With the flexibility of custom SLAs, modular capabilities, and optional add-ons like MDR and Incident Response, SOCaaS can grow with your organisation.

Conclusion

You no longer need to build a SOC from the ground up. With Q-Sec’s SOC-as-a-Service, you gain immediate access to an enterprise-grade security operation that’s affordable, scalable, and regulation-ready. Whether you’re a fast-growing fintech or a mid-sized enterprise preparing for DORA, our solutions are designed to help you stay secure and compliant.

Let’s move your cybersecurity from reactive to resilient—without building a SOC from scratch.