How to Implement a SOC in Your Company: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

At TecnetOne, we understand that the idea of implementing SOC can feel overwhelming. And that’s completely normal—setting up a SOC means coordinating people, processes, and technology to protect your business against increasingly sophisticated threats.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone. In this guide, we walk you through the process step by step, with practical tips based on real-world experience. Our goal is to help you not only understand what a SOC is and how to implement it, but also why it has become essential in any modern cybersecurity strategy.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or already have an operation you want to strengthen, this guide is designed to give you clarity, confidence, and useful tools to make the right decisions.

What Is a SOC and Why Might Your Company Need One?

At TecnetOne, we’ve previously explained what a SOC (Security Operations Center) is, but here’s a quick summary to keep it fresh:

A SOC is essentially the command center for your cybersecurity. It’s the team—both human and technological—that monitors, detects, and responds in real time to any threats trying to breach your systems.

The key difference is that it doesn’t act when it’s already too late—it acts before problems escalate. It works 24/7, keeping watch over your critical infrastructure to identify suspicious activity before it turns into serious or costly incidents.

So Why Is Having a SOC So Valuable?

1. Quick and Controlled Response: When an incident happens, every second counts. A well-structured SOC can contain the threat and restore operations in hours—not days.
   
   
2. Regulatory Compliance and Reputation: If your company needs to align with standards like ISO 27001, SOC 2, or PCI DSS, having a SOC makes compliance much easier. It also builds trust with your customers and partners by showing you take security seriously.
   
   
3. Operational Efficiency: By centralizing alerts and analysis, redundancies are eliminated, real threats are prioritized, and time and resources are optimized. Translation: less stress, more focus, better return on investment.

Think a SOC Is Only for Big Companies?

Many see it as a “luxury” or something that “can wait,” but the data tells a different story:

1. Gartner estimates that by 2026, 50% of executives will have cybersecurity risk management KPIs tied to their contracts.

2. IBM reports that 1 in 3 security breaches is caused by shadow IT—technology not authorized or controlled by the IT department.

3. Sophos reported that 59% of organizations fell victim to ransomware in 2024.

In this context, a SOC is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s a key tool to anticipate threats, protect your operations, and keep your reputation intact.

Read more: Ransomware in Mexico: 237,000 Attack Attempts in the Past Year

Before Implementing a SOC: Is Your Company Truly Ready?

Before implementing or outsourcing a SOC, it’s crucial to pause for a moment and ask yourself: Does my company have the right foundation for it to work effectively?

Because a SOC isn’t just about installing tools or hiring an external service. It’s a mechanism that requires people, processes, and technology to work together. If any of those components are missing or weak, the SOC won’t perform as it should.

Here are some key points to help you assess whether you're ready—or if it's better to strengthen a few areas before moving forward:

1. Complete Inventory and Visibility: First things first—you need to know exactly what you’re protecting. This includes systems, applications, endpoints, cloud environments, and more. Without an up-to-date inventory, the SOC won’t be able to effectively monitor or detect threats. That leaves blind spots right where you need protection the most.
   
   
2. Executive Support (and a Clear Budget): A SOC without executive backing is doomed to stall. You need visible support from leadership to streamline decisions, allocate resources, and justify investments in personnel, tools, and training. When leadership is committed, everything moves more smoothly.
   
   
3. Well-Defined Security Processes: Do you already have documented procedures for handling incidents, escalating alerts, notifying stakeholders, and remediation? If not, the middle of an attack is the worst time to improvise. Clear processes speed up response times and help avoid chaos.
   
   
4. Cybersecurity Culture: A SOC can only operate effectively if there’s real awareness of risk and collaboration across departments: IT, security, compliance, development, and business. If everyone works in silos or guards their own data, it becomes much harder to detect and respond in time.
   
   
5. Talent and Technical Capabilities: Does your current team have experience in alert analysis, threat hunting, and incident response? If not, that’s okay—but it’s important to recognize it early. You may need to strengthen your team through hiring, training, or partnering with a specialized provider (like TecnetOne).

8 Key Steps to Implement a SOC from Scratch

Here’s a practical guide with the 8 essential steps to get started on the right foot:

1. Define the Scope and Objectives from the Start

Before buying tools or assembling a team, you need to be clear on what you’re protecting. Just the internal network? Endpoints too? Cloud apps? OT environments?

Then, set clear, measurable goals:

1. Reduce average detection time

2. Establish a response SLA

3. Integrate external threat intelligence

This helps you prioritize resources and invest wisely—not just to check a box.

2. Set a Realistic Budget (and Justify the Investment)

Do the math: SIEM licenses, EDR, SOAR automation tools, storage, personnel, consulting, etc.
Then build a business case showing potential savings: fewer incidents, reduced fines, improved regulatory compliance… All of this helps justify the spend to leadership.

3. Choose the Model That Best Fits Your Company

1. In-house SOC: More control and flexibility… but requires greater investment in talent and technology.

2. Managed SOC (MSSP): Ideal if you don’t have an internal team yet. More affordable, but with less direct control.

3. Hybrid SOC: The best of both worlds. Your team makes key decisions while relying on external experts to operate and scale.

4. Build a Team with Clear Roles

You don’t need a large team—but you do need structure. Here’s a basic setup:

1. Level 1: Analysts handling initial alert triage.

2. Level 2: Analysts conducting deeper investigations and escalation.

3. Level 3: Threat hunters proactively searching for threats.

4. SOC Lead/Architect: Oversees the team and evolves processes.

5. Choose the Right Tools (That Integrate Well)

It’s not about having the most tools, but the ones that truly work well together. Consider:

1. SIEM

2. EDR / NDR

3. SOAR

4. Threat intelligence platforms

5. Ticketing systems

Ensure they integrate via API, offer strong event correlation, and reduce noise—so critical alerts don’t get lost.

6. Design Clear Operational Processes from Day One

Document everything—from how to detect and classify an incident, to how to escalate and resolve it.
Create playbooks for common attacks like phishing, ransomware, or data exfiltration, and set up clear internal communication channels. This avoids improvisation when every minute counts.

7. Train Your Team and Run Real-World Simulations

Host workshops, technical training, and red team / blue team attack simulations. This helps:

1. Validate whether your processes work

2. Fine-tune playbooks

3. Identify blind spots before it’s too late

And don’t forget to document everything you learn for continuous improvement.

8. Monitor, Adjust, and Continuously Improve

Your SOC is never “done.” In fact, it should constantly evolve.
Track metrics like:

1. MTTD (Mean Time to Detect)

2. MTTR (Mean Time to Respond)

3. False positive rate

Conduct regular architecture reviews, update your correlation rules and playbooks, and stay on top of emerging threats.

Read more: How to Choose the Right SOC for Your Business

Build or Outsource a SOC? What You Should Consider Before Deciding

If you’re already convinced your company needs a Security Operations Center, a key decision awaits: should you build an internal team or contract a managed service (MSSP)?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—it all depends on your context, resources, and priorities. Here are the most important factors to consider so you can make an informed decision aligned with your business.

In-House SOC

Advantages:

1. Full control over processes, tools, and sensitive data.

2. Complete customization of workflows and incident responses.

3. Direct alignment with company culture and business goals.

Disadvantages:

1. High upfront investment in talent, licenses, and infrastructure.

2. Longer implementation and maturity timeline.

3. Risk of key staff turnover.

Managed SOC (MSSP)

Advantages:

1. Faster implementation.

2. Access to specialists and threat intelligence sources.

3. Predictable costs through subscription models.

Disadvantages:

1. Less control over rules and processes.

2. Limited customization and analysis depth.

3. Dependency on the provider and their service levels.

Hybrid SOC

Advantages:

1. Combines internal control with external support.

2. Reduces operational burden without losing visibility.

3. Flexible and scalable as your business grows.

Disadvantages:

1. Requires careful integration and coordination.

2. Potential for alert duplication if not managed properly.

3. Needs clear governance between both teams.

Read more: What are Network Monitoring Tools?

7 Common Mistakes When Implementing a SOC (and How to Avoid Them)

Launching a SOC isn’t just about tools and talent. Even with good planning, there are some recurring mistakes that can limit the real impact of your Security Operations Center. Here are the most common ones—so you can spot and avoid them early:

1. Trying to Cover Too Much from Day One: Attempting to monitor every system and asset right from the start only leads to alert overload, unnecessary noise, and team burnout. Start with what's critical: business servers, identity systems, key networks. Then expand in phases.

2. Failing to Fine-Tune SIEM Rules: Detection tools don’t work on autopilot. If you don’t adjust rules, thresholds, and filters, you’ll end up drowning in false positives.

3. Not Investing in Ongoing Training: Your SOC team needs to stay up to date. What worked six months ago may already be outdated. Provide regular training and run hands-on exercises like simulations to strengthen real-world incident response.

4. Poor Integration Between Tools: If your SIEM, EDR, SOAR, and other solutions operate in silos, you're losing value. Ensure they integrate via APIs and share data in real time to enhance detection, analysis, and response.

5. Lack of Leadership Support: A SOC without executive backing becomes “just another IT project” with no priority or budget. Bring in an executive sponsor to champion the initiative, review metrics, and keep it aligned with business goals.

6. Outdated or Unused Playbooks: Having documented policies isn’t enough. If they aren’t tested and updated, analysts end up improvising. After every incident or simulation, review and improve your playbooks so they’re actually useful when needed.

7. Not Measuring Results from the Start: Waiting too long to show progress can stall support for the SOC. Set KPIs from the beginning (false positive reduction, triage time, detected incidents) and communicate them early. Showing early wins keeps stakeholders engaged and validates the effort.

How Can TecnetOne Help You Implement Your SOC?

At TecnetOne, we have a team of security operations (SOC) specialists with the experience and knowledge to adapt to your company’s reality, size, and infrastructure. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to scale your current operation, we’ll help you design, implement, and optimize a SOC tailored to your needs.

Interested in learning how we can support you? Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our cybersecurity specialists.