What Is a SOC?
A SOC (Security Operations Center) is the central unit that monitors an organization's entire IT infrastructure, applications, and data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, detecting, analyzing, and responding to security incidents. A SOC is composed of the integration of people, processes, and technology.
While large organizations can build a dedicated SOC in-house, many companies procure this service externally from a security service provider as a managed SOC.
Core Functions of a SOC
Continuous Monitoring
SOC analysts review security events collected through the SIEM platform in real time. Network traffic, user behavior, endpoint activity, and application logs are made visible in a centralized dashboard.
Threat Detection
Correlation rules and machine learning models are run against the collected data to identify anomalies and indicators of compromise (IoC).
Incident Response
When a security incident is confirmed, the SOC team acts within a defined process:
- Classify and prioritize the incident.
- Isolate the affected systems.
- Determine the scope of the threat.
- Carry out cleanup and recovery operations.
- Complete root cause analysis and report.
Threat Hunting
SOC teams that go beyond passive monitoring proactively search for hidden threats that have not yet been detected. This process includes log analysis, forensic investigation techniques, and threat intelligence feeds.
Technologies Used by a SOC
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
The heart of the SOC. It normalizes log data collected from all sources, applies correlation rules, and presents prioritized alerts to analysts. Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk, and IBM QRadar are among the most commonly used platforms.
SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response)
Automates repetitive response steps. For example, when a suspicious IP is detected, the SOAR platform can automatically activate a firewall blocking rule.
EDR / XDR (Endpoint/Extended Detection and Response)
Monitors threats at endpoints in depth and provides SOC analysts with forensic investigation data.
Threat Intelligence Platforms
Fed from global threat databases, these platforms provide up-to-date information on known malicious IP addresses, domains, and malware signatures.
SOC Maturity Levels
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Basic log monitoring and alert management |
| Level 2 | Correlation rules, incident response, and basic threat hunting |
| Level 3 | Proactive threat hunting, forensic analysis, red/blue team integration |
| Level 4 | Automated response, AI-assisted analysis, cyber threat intelligence production |
The Cost of Building Your Own SOC
Building an in-house SOC requires significant investment:
- At least 3 shifts for 24/7 monitoring, meaning 8–12 analysts
- SIEM licensing and infrastructure costs
- Continuous training and certifications (CISSP, CEH, GIAC, etc.)
- A physically secure operations room
For this reason, the majority of mid-sized organizations prefer the managed SOC model.
The Need for SOC in Turkey
The volume of cyberattacks in Turkey increases every year. Regulatory bodies such as BDDK, SPK, and EPDK expect financial institutions and critical infrastructure operators to have SOC-like monitoring and reporting capabilities. Additionally, the existence of security monitoring mechanisms is checked during ISO 27001 certification processes.
Managed SOC or In-House SOC?
Reasons to choose Managed SOC (MDR):
- Rapid deployment
- Experienced analyst team
- Predictable monthly cost
- Guaranteed 24/7 coverage
Reasons to choose In-House SOC:
- Full control and data sovereignty
- Deep organization-specific context
- Long-term cost advantage (for large-scale organizations)
Conclusion
A SOC is the symbol of the transition from a reactive security mindset to proactive cyber defense. It represents not waiting for threats, but actively searching for them and being in a state of constant readiness. As NRC Sistem, we develop a SOC strategy suited to your organization's maturity level and budget, and provide end-to-end support — from SIEM deployment, integration, and analyst training to managed SOC services.