Preparing to build a SOC: five questions to settle before choosing a technology

As incidents multiply, many organisations are considering a security operations centre (SOC). It is tempting to start with the tool — the SIEM or the XDR platform. Yet the SOC projects that succeed are those that first answered a handful of organisational questions.

1. What must be protected first?

Identifying critical assets — business applications, sensitive data, payment systems — defines the initial scope and avoids collecting logs that bring no value.

2. In-house, outsourced or hybrid?

The model depends on available skills, confidentiality requirements and multi-year operating budget, not only on acquisition cost.

3. Where will security data be hosted?

Security logs contain sensitive information. Where they are stored must be decided in line with regulatory and sovereignty requirements.

4. Who decides during an incident?

A SOC detects; the organisation must be able to act. Escalation paths and decision authority should be formalised before go-live.

5. How will effectiveness be measured?

Time to detect, time to respond, scope coverage: a few simple indicators tracked regularly are worth more than an exhaustive, unused dashboard.