What’s the Difference Between NOC and SOC?

What is your organization doing to defend against criminal hackers? As new cyber threats continue to emerge globally, it’s crucial to be aware of the best ways to protect your organization and the services that can help you do so.

Indeed, a growing threat landscape calls for an equally evolving array of cybersecurity services to protect against new attacks.

Companies increasingly rely on a managed Network Operations Center (NOC) and Security Operations Center (SOC) to save time and money while keeping threats at bay. For context, consider that the SOC market is expected to grow to $16.18 billion by 2032, according to Polaris Market Research.

Because companies and associations often find it too expensive and time-consuming to support their own in-house operations center team to protect against security breaches, more and more organizations are opting to outsource these services. 

Accordingly, industry analysts anticipate that the cloud segment of SOC will proliferate in the coming years because of superior processing capacity at affordable prices.

With that in mind, how can managed NOC and SOC services benefit your organization? Let’s explore.

What Is a Network Operations Center (NOC)?

A Network Operations Center (NOC) is in charge of maintaining and monitoring an organization’s information technology infrastructure, from its vulnerable endpoints to its storage and computing assets based in the cloud.

Working behind the scenes, the NOC team assures constant access to computational resources via the company’s IT network.

A NOC will address a wide range of issues, including:

• Internet outages.
• Natural disasters, such as floods and hurricanes.
• Power failures (local or widespread).

What Is a Security Operations Center (SOC)?

A Security Operations Center (SOC) focuses on safeguarding an organization’s IT infrastructure against criminal hackers.

To that end, an SOC will constantly monitor the system for issues such as:

• Hackers trying to trick employees into giving their credentials to carry out a ransomware attack that holds data hostage until the company pays the criminals for restored access.
• Suspicious activity on the network that could indicate an imminent threat.
• SOC professionals identify emerging threats from hackers and then isolate their attacks to avoid an escalation that might compromise the entire network architecture.

What Are the Key Differences Between NOC and SOC?

When comparing SOC and NOC duties, the key differences consist of:

Areas of Focus and Goals

A NOC focuses on keeping your computational infrastructure safe against equipment failures, lack of power, and internet outages. The goal is to maintain 24/7 access for all your workers, customers, and partners.

An SOC focuses on ensuring security against emerging cyber threats, monitoring the system for suspicious actors. The goal is to keep intruders out or isolate them before they can do more harm.

Team Expertise and Responsibilities

NOC professionals stay on top of software and hardware developments and are aware of physical threats to your network, such as the potential for storms and other natural disasters in your region that may increase the likelihood of internet and power outages.

SOC professionals follow the latest industry best practices for IT security. They are responsible for keeping your systems from being taken over by hackers deploying malware and other methods to breach your networks.

Incident Response

NOC and SOC teams have a mandate to respond quickly to physical threats and security issues, protecting the IT network from disasters and criminals.

Of course, many organizations need a combination of NOC and SOC professionals to keep their systems running reliably, safely, and securely. Tec-Refresh has dedicated members who are experts in both areas of managed NOC and SOC to ensure that your organization is protected from all sides.

Why Do You Need Managed NOC and SOC Services?

• Cost-effectiveness: Managed NOC and SOC services reduce the financial burden of maintaining in-house teams, offering high-level expertise at a fraction of the cost.
• Access to specialized teams and cutting-edge technologies: External services provide access to skilled professionals and advanced tools that might be cost-prohibitive or difficult to manage internally.
• Scalability: Managed services allow businesses to easily scale their security and network operations as their needs grow or change.
• Continuous monitoring: Around-the-clock surveillance ensures immediate detection and response to potential issues, minimizing downtime and risks.
• Proactive threat management: Around-the-clock surveillance ensures immediate detection and response to potential issues, minimizing downtime and risks.

Keep Your IT Network Running and Boost Cybersecurity With NOC and SOC Services

As part of a holistic IT and cybersecurity strategy, consider partnering with third-party IT specialists whose NOC and SOC team knows how to keep networks running in the face of unexpected disasters or breaches that threaten your entire system.

Not sure where to start when assessing your current IT and cybersecurity requirements? For more information about our approach to NOC and SOC services, or to consult with our experts about how we can help your organization maintain a more resilient and secure IT network, connect with our team today.