Setting up your own in-house Security Operations Centre is expensive, complex and difficult to sustain — especially for small and medium sized businesses. Adding to this, the UK is facing one of the worst cybersecurity skills shortages on record. That’s why many organisations are now turning to an outsourced SOC. It's like having your own security team for 24/7 monitoring, spotting threats, and fixing problems, but without all the hiring headaches and costs.An outsourced SOC (also known as SOC as a Service or SOCaaS) gives you instant access to a team of experienced security experts, established processes, and important enterprise-grade technology. It’s a scalable, cost-effective way to strengthen your security posture — and often a smarter route when compared to building from scratch.

Picking the right outsourced SOC provider isn't easy, though. That's why we made this guide. We'll go over what an outsourced SOC does, when it makes sense to outsource, what to look for, and how to choose the best option. Let's dive in!

For a quick list of good providers, see our picks for the best UK outsourced SOCs.

What Is an Outsourced SOC (SOC as a Service)?

Understanding what an outsourced SOC is quite simple - it functions as an extension of your security team. Instead of hiring, training, and retaining full-time experts, you partner with a specialist provider who already has the people, tools, and processes in place to protect your organisation around the clock.

While the term SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) is sometimes used interchangeably, both describe the same idea: your threat monitoring, detection, and incident response are handled by external experts who work round the clock to keep your systems safe. You stay in control of strategy and decisions, while they manage the day-to-day security operations.

Core Functions of an Outsourced SOC

Most outsourced SOCs do both proactive and reactive tasks. Their sole focus is to detect, contain, and prevent cyber incidents. This includes:

• 24/7 monitoring – Continuous tracking and visibility of endpoints, networks, and cloud environments.
• Threat detection and analysis – Identifying unusual activity and assessing potential impact.
• Incident response – Investigating and containing threats to minimise downtime.
• Threat hunting – Actively searching for signs of compromise, even before they escalate.
• Vulnerability management – Scanning for cyber weaknesses and prioritising remediation.
• Forensic investigation – Understanding what happened, how, and how to prevent a repeat.
• Reporting and compliance support – Producing evidence for standards such as ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, and GDPR.

Every outsourced SOC will promise all the above. But do they all perform these functions to the same ability? No – which is why it’s so important to know exactly what you’re looking for and to ask the right questions.

Outsourced SOC vs In-House vs Hybrid — Which Model Suits Your Business?

When setting up a Security Operations Centre, every company has the same choice: Do we build it ourselves, buy it, or do a bit of both? The answer? It depends.

In-House SOC: Full Control, Heavy Overhead

Running your own SOC does offer complete control over processes, data, and technology — but it’s expensive to build and resource. Then you’ve got the challenge of recruiting and retaining skilled analysts, maintaining 24/7 coverage, and keeping tooling up to date.

Outsourced SOC: Enterprise-Grade Protection Without the Complexity

An outsourced SOC gives you continuous monitoring, detection, and response delivered by an external team of specialists. You gain instant access to advanced technology, threat intelligence, and experienced analysts.

Hybrid SOC: Shared Responsibility, Flexible Coverage

A hybrid SOC combines the strengths of both approaches. Your internal IT or security team retains control over day-to-day operations, while an external provider supplies additional expertise, tooling, or 24/7 monitoring.

Why UK Businesses Outsource Their SOC

Recent threat intelligence from Microsoft's Security Signals Report confirms that UK businesses face increasingly sophisticated attack patterns requiring local expertise to interpret and respond to effectively.

The decision to outsource usually comes down to four factors:

Cost:

Building an in-house SOC means recruiting a team of analysts for 24/7 coverage - at UK salaries starting around £50,000 - plus SIEM platforms, threat intelligence, and infrastructure. First-year costs easily hit £750,000, then £600,000+ annually. Outsourcing delivers the same capabilities for 60-80% lower costs.

Efficiency:

Your internal IT team stops drowning in security alerts they're not equipped to handle. False positives get filtered by specialists. Your people can focus on strategic projects instead of triaging threats at 3am.

Speed:

In-house SOCs take 6-12 months to build – and that’s if you can even find the people. Outsourced providers get you operational in 2-6 weeks. When the UK government reports that 43% of businesses faced attacks in 2024, according to the Governments latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey, waiting a year to get protected isn't viable.

Expertise:

The UK's cybersecurity skills shortage isn't getting better. Even if you recruit successfully, what happens when your lead analyst gets poached? Outsourced providers maintain deep benches of certified analysts, invest millions in detection technology, and stay current with UK compliance requirements like NIS2, GDPR, and Cyber Essentials Plus.

Signs Your Organisation Should Outsource Its SOC

How many of these sound familiar?

1. Your IT team spends more time chasing security alerts than doing their actual jobs
2. You have no one monitoring your systems outside business hours
3. Security incidents take days or weeks to identify and investigate
4. You've been trying to hire a security specialist for months with no luck
5. Your "security person" is actually your sysadmin
6. You're paying for security tools no one really understands how to use
7. Audit reports keep highlighting the same monitoring gaps
8. Your cyber insurance premiums are climbing (or insurer is demanding better controls)
9. Client contracts are starting to require SOC capabilities or security certifications
10. You're finding out about security incidents from customers, not your own detection
11. Compliance requirements (NIS2, Cyber Essentials Plus, GDPR) are piling up faster than you can handle them
12. Ransomware genuinely keeps you or your board awake at night

If you ticked three or more, outsourcing is worth serious consideration.

What Makes a Good Outsourced SOC Provider

It isn’t always easy. You want a company you can trust.

But choosing an outsourced SOC provider can feel stressful. We know this because we hear it from nearly every prospect who walks through our doors. You're essentially handing over your organisation's security to people you've never met, trusting them to spot threats you might miss.

It's the kind of decision that weighs heavily on IT directors. And frankly, it should.

After working with hundreds of UK businesses over two decades, we've seen what separates truly valuable providers from those who simply tick boxes.

Clear, Business-Focused Communication

Great SOCaaS providers speak your language, not cybersecurity jargon. When something happens, you'll get a phone call explaining what it means and what actions have been taken. The reports you receive should help you sleep better at night, not leave you wondering what any of it actually means.

Authentic Industry Knowledge

There's real comfort in working with providers who genuinely understand your world. Whether you're navigating FCA regulations in financial services or managing patient data in healthcare, experienced providers recognise the specific threats targeting your sector. They know which compliance requirements apply to your business and can distinguish between genuine risks and background noises that plague your industry.

Open Security Approach

Trustworthy providers welcome your questions about their methods. They'll gladly walk you through their detection techniques, explain how they fine-tune alerts for your environment, and share their incident response procedures.

Adaptable Service Structure

Smart outsourced SOC providers recognise that businesses evolve constantly. They offer trial arrangements, flexible contract terms, and service levels that can grow alongside your company. Whether you're expanding rapidly or tightening budgets, they adjust their support rather than forcing you into rigid packages that don't fit your reality.

Collaboration

You want a provider that is a genuine ally for your organisation’s security. Someone to take the time to understand your business challenges, industry pressures, and growth plans. Instead of just monitoring alerts, find one that can offer strategic insights that help strengthen your overall security posture.

How to Choose Your Outsourced SOC Provider: What to Look For

Here's how to separate genuine capabilities from those masked by polished sales presentations.

Essential Evaluation Criteria

Team Expertise & Structure

Discuss who'll actually be monitoring your systems.

• High expertise and low staff turnover
• Dedicated account manager vs "whoever answers the phone"

Technology Stack & Capabilities

Transparency is everything.

Essential questions:

• What SIEM platform do you use? (Sentinel, Splunk, QRadar – not some DIY solution)
• How do you integrate with our existing security tools?
• What threat intelligence feeds do you use?
• Can we see your actual portal, not just slides?

Service Scope & Coverage

Detection without response is pointless.

Make sure you're getting:

• True 24/7/365 monitoring (humans actively watching, not just automated alerts)
• Investigation AND containment (not just "something looks weird" emails at 3am)
• Proactive threat hunting (finding threats before they find you)

SLAs & Performance Metrics

Get specific commitments.

Don't accept vague promises like "rapid response." Pin them down.

Also demand:

• Clear escalation procedures (who gets involved when?)
• Defined MTTD/MTTR metrics
• Reporting frequency and format

Data Handling & Compliance

These are non-negotiables for UK businesses.

Must haves:

• UK data residency (processed and stored in UK data centres)
• ISO 27001
• Cyber Essentials Plus
• Clear GDPR data processing agreements
• Industry-specific knowledge

Your 5-Step Selection Process

At this point you might be thinking “where do I start”. Don’t worry – we've covered that too:

Week 1-2: Define Your Requirements

• Document current security posture honestly
• Set realistic budget range
• List must-haves vs nice-to-haves

Week 2-3: Create Shortlist

• Research 5-7 providers serving businesses your size
• Verify certifications and client reviews
• Eliminate poor fits early

Week 3-4: Request Demos

• Review their live portal
• Meet actual SOC experts – not just salespeople
• Ask about incidents they've handled and how

Week 4-5: Compare Proposals

• Watch for hidden costs (per-incident fees, data ingestion charges)
• Speak to current clients in similar industries
• Review sample SLAs for vague language

Week 5-6: Negotiate Contract

• Start with 12-month term (not multi-year lock-in)
• Ensure clear exit clauses
• Nail down change management process

Outsourced SOC Pricing Models in the UK

Knowing the various pricing models makes comparing quotes significantly easier. Here's what you'll typically encounter when evaluating outsourced SOC services.

Per-User Pricing Models

Pay a set monthly price for each employee. Simple math, easy to plan your budget, easy to predict when people join or leave.

Good if everyone in your company needs the same security. Gets tricky if you have contractors, part-timers, or staff with different access levels who are all charged the same.

Per-Device/Endpoint Pricing

When you’re charged for each device - laptops, servers, phones, IoT things. Providers often have different prices based on device type, since watching a server is more work than a regular computer.

Makes sense for BYOD environments or businesses where device counts don't correlate easily to headcount. However, hardware refreshes can make things messy with constant pricing recalculations.

Data Ingestion/Volume-Based Pricing

Charged based on how many gigabytes of log data you use each day. Common for bigger setups with lots of systems that make lots of security info.

Scales with actual usage rather than arbitrary metrics. But a misconfigured system pumping out huge logs can balloon costs before you notice. This can often be prevented through overage caps though.

Tiered Service Packages

Bronze, Silver, Gold - or Essential, Professional, Enterprise. Different service levels with varying response times, features, and analyst access at each tier.

What actually differs between tiers matters more than the names. Does Gold include threat hunting? Does Bronze cover weekends? Get specifics on what you're paying for at each level.

Bespoke Arrangements

When standard packages don't fit - complex compliance needs, unusual infrastructure, multi-site operations requiring different service levels - providers build custom quotes.

Flexibility comes at the cost of easy comparison. You'll negotiate terms specifically for your situation, which needs precise clarity on exactly what's included versus what costs extra.

What Really Matters

Don't obsess over pricing structure. What matters is total cost versus value delivered. The provider charging slightly more per user but including comprehensive incident response might cost less overall than the "cheap" option that bills separately for every investigation.

Implementation: What to Expect

Most outsourced SOCs are up and running in 2-6 weeks, but it's good to check how fast your provider can get things going. Most implementations go something like this:

How Reflective Delivers Outsourced SOC Excellence

We've gone over what good outsourced SOC performance looks like. Here's how Reflective delivers on those things for UK businesses like yours.

UK-Based, UK-Focused

• 100% UK-based SOC team with data in UK data centres
• Know the ins and outs of FCA, Cyber Essentials Plus, GDPR

Built for SMEs

• Purpose-built for mid-market businesses
• Direct access to senior analysts who understand your constraints

Transparent Partnership

• Full visibility into tools and processes—no black box monitoring
• Regular strategy sessions, co-managed options available

Incident Lifecycle Management

• We investigate, contain, remediate, and help you learn
• Playbooks tailored to your business, not generic runbooks

Microsoft Expertise

• Specialists in Microsoft 365 and Azure security
• Leverage what you're paying for, fill the gaps Microsoft doesn't cover

Strengthen Your Cybersecurity Posture

We help UK businesses build robust security programmes, from SOC services to incident response, compliance support to security assessments.

Let’s discuss your security challenges.

FAQS

What is an outsourced SOC?

An outsourced SOC (Security Operations Centre) is a third-party service that provides 24/7 security monitoring, threat detection, and incident response for your organisation. Instead of building your own security team, you partner with specialists who already have the people, processes, and technology in place. They monitor your networks, endpoints, and cloud environments around the clock, investigating threats and responding to incidents on your behalf.

What's the difference between outsourced SOC, managed SOC, and MDR?

These terms are often used interchangeably. Outsourced SOC and managed SOC both refer to external teams handling your security operations. MDR (Managed Detection and Response) is essentially the same service with slightly more emphasis on endpoint security and active threat response. The core offering is identical: 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, investigation, and incident response delivered by external security specialists.

Is outsourcing cheaper than in-house?

Yes, significantly. Building an in-house SOC requires huge upfront costs in the first year for hiring, infrastructure, and tooling, then significant additional annual costs to operate. Outsourced SOC services deliver equivalent or better capabilities for a fraction of the price. It often works out 60-80% than building an internal team SOC team.

How long does implementation take?

Most outsourced SOCs are operational within 2-6 weeks. Simple Microsoft 365 environments at the lower end, complex hybrid setups with legacy systems at the upper end or more. The process involves discovery and planning (week 1-2), deployment of monitoring tools (week 2-3), tuning and optimisation (week 3-4), then full 24/7 operations. This is a lot faster than building an in-house SOC, which takes 6-12+ months assuming you can even recruit the necessary staff.

What happens to our existing security team?

Your internal IT team doesn't become redundant - they're freed from the burden of 24/7 security monitoring and alert triage. They can focus on strategic projects like implementing new security controls, managing user access policies, security awareness training, and compliance initiatives. Many organisations find this actually improves team satisfaction and retention because staff aren't burning out on constant firefighting.

How quickly do you respond to incidents?

Response times should be clearly defined in your SLA. For critical alerts indicating active threats, expect human analyst review within minutes. High-priority alerts warrant response within 15-30 minutes. Medium-priority issues typically get attention within 1-4 hours. "Response" means a qualified analyst investigates and communicates findings, not just an automated email acknowledgement.