SOC & SIRT considerations

Building and operating a SOC and SIRT is not just about tools, roles, or processes. Some nuances and trade-offs influence how your teams function, interact, and stay effective over time. This page outlines key considerations to guide your decisions.

Detection vs. response

  • The line between detecting threats and responding to them is often blurry.

  • Threat hunting, for example, identifies risks proactively but frequently overlaps with response activities.

  • Lean SOCs and agile SIRTs benefit from understanding this overlap, so that teams collaborate smoothly without stepping on each other’s toes.

Tooling and automation

  • Both SOC and SIRT leverage Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) tools to streamline workflows.

  • Automation can speed up routine tasks, like alert triage or data collection, freeing analysts and responders for higher-value work.

  • However, tools are only as effective as the processes and human oversight behind them—don’t rely solely on automation.

Team structure and job rotation

  • Tier 1 SOC work, monitoring dashboards, alerts, and logs, can be repetitive and exhausting, especially during nights and weekends.

  • Combined SOC + SIRT teams can rotate roles, giving analysts exposure to more interesting incident response tasks, helping maintain motivation and skill development.

  • Some argue that keeping SOC and SIRT separate allows each team to focus on its core objectives, but overly rigid separation can reduce overall effectiveness.

Multi-site operations

  • Organisations with multiple locations often benefit from distributed SOCs at each site for local monitoring.

  • A centralised SIRT coordinates cross-site incidents, ensures consistency, and supports complex investigations.

  • This hybrid model balances responsiveness with strategic oversight.

Resources for further reading

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