Fast reacting to ever-evolving threats – Security Operations Center (SOC) monitors for you .

Effective cybersecurity supports risk management and stabilizes the business environment for companies and organizations. The security risks are constantly changing, so monitoring the threat landscape is important. For example, before COVID-19 the focus was on monitoring the physical networks in offices, while the subsequent rise of hybrid work has emphasized the importance of identity and endpoint monitoring. For most organizations, a Security Operations Center (SOC) is the easiest way to safeguard systems against even the latest threats and to respond quickly to security anomalies. The SOC service offered by Enfo utilizes advanced technologies and solutions that can be deployed in a short timeframe.

Over the last ten years, SOC has proven to be by far the most effective way to take care of security in companies and organizations. The SOC service focuses on rapid response as well as containing and remediating any malicious activity. SOC monitors the activity in the customer IT environment and gathers data that can be used to identify anomalies or any events that require response.

The strict trio of cybersecurity

Security is not just about installing software, setting up the monitoring targets and then walking away.  Cybersecurity consists of three equally important core components, which are controlled processes, effective tools and skilled experts. The SOC offered by Enfo is a complete package of services that handles each of the three areas:

1. Controlled processes

Even in many medium-sized organizations, security matters are handled by the company IT staff alongside their other duties. However, in security incidents a rapid response is essential. What’s more, security threats or, in the worst cases, direct attacks and serious breaches do not follow office hours. The advantage of Enfo's around-the-clock security operations center is its constant on-call capability and a rapid response: When the SOC control room receives a signal from the monitoring technology indicating that something undesirable is happening or is about to happen in the customer's IT environment, the control room takes notice, assesses the situation, and takes immediate action to prevent the threat or risk from escalating. The whole procedure is based on pre-planned, well-thought processes.

A solid understanding of IT environments, technologies and the different risk situations lays the foundation for helping the customer to stop or mitigate threats as soon as possible. In extreme cases, an attack can escalate to a truly damaging level within hours of the initial exploitation. A SOC service that extends the resources of in-house IT is a significant asset in these situations.

2. Effective tools

Many Finnish companies operate in the Microsoft ecosystem, where most or all the end-user computers are Windows workstations. These run the familiar Exchange email and Office suite, while identity management is typically carried out using Active Directory or Entra ID. Microsoft security products used by Enfo, such as Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel, integrate seamlessly to this environment, while having all the tools from a single vendor offers clear synergies.

Microsoft has always had to take security into account in its products, and these days it is challenging its competitors on a broad front – also with solutions directly related to security. Here, the wide-ranging expertise of an experienced standards setter is a clear advantage. However, management is not limited to Windows products, as customer environments typically consist of a mix of different technologies.

3. Skilled experts

Security experts integrate the SOC service into an effective whole by implementing the agreed processes and utilizing tools in a controlled manner. This expertise adds value to the deployment phase as well as to maintenance and response. Implementing a security solution in an IT environment requires know-how to shape the alert policies, settings and configurations into a set of rules that makes anomalous behavior visible in the customer environment. When anomalies occur, the assessment of their severity and the necessary actions to take requires expertise and knowledge. The experts at Enfo also have visibility beyond a single company, allowing them to try and take a broader range of protective measures in response to specific acute threats or risks. This expertise includes continuous monitoring of the general security landscape in terms of incidents, risk types and technological developments. Enfo is a security of supply operator and also bears responsibility through this role among Finnish IT operators.

Security concerns everyone

Security is like so many other things we take for granted: when everything works, we hardly notice it. But when things go wrong, it can get very ugly. This results in both business disruption and costs. However, the level of security maturity varies between companies: some may have almost no visibility into their environment, others may have security products in place but lack the resources and skills to keep situation up to date, while others are well advanced in protecting their operations. Whatever the size of the business, the most essential thing is to keep the core of the business protected from cyber threats. This is why every company should target a sufficient share of its IT budget for security.

With Enfo, security can be brought up to date with a low threshold. One way to get started is to arrange workshops with the customer to map their security needs. At the same time, it is often possible to get products and licenses for a trial period. In this way, the capabilities and concrete benefits of the products can be applied to the everyday life of the customer, while gaining deeper knowledge of any problem areas that may require special attention. Secured by the well-thought-out processes for the necessary target areas, the right tools and skilled experts, the people responsible for security can sleep better at night, despite the world’s turmoil.

The blog is written in collaboration with Marko Kortelainen, Senior Specialist, Security Operations at Enfo. Marko is a security specialist who works on developing, monitoring and maintaining cybersecurity for customers. Cyber threats, observations about preventing them as well as continuous development of skills are part of his daily work.