The Smarter SOC Blueprint: Building, Buying, and Automating Your Security Operations

Most SOCs are drowning in tools and noise. This webinar with AirMDR and SACR CEOs cuts through the clutter to show what to build, buy, and automate for real results.

Most security teams today are buried under tools. Too many dashboards. Too much noise. Not enough real progress.

Every vendor promises "complete coverage" or "AI-powered automation," but inside most SOCs, teams are still overwhelmed, stretched thin, and unsure which tools are truly pulling their weight. The result? Bloated stacks, missed signals, and mounting pressure to do more with less.

This live session, "Breaking Down the Modern SOC: What to Build vs Buy vs Automate," with Kumar Saurabh (CEO, AirMDR) and Francis Odum (CEO, SACR), clears the fog. No jargon. Just real answers to the question every security leader faces: What should we build, what should we buy, and what should we automate?

The Modern SOC Crisis

Security Operations Centers have become victims of their own success. As threats evolved, so did the tools—but not always in the right direction. Today's SOCs typically feature:

15-25 different security tools on average
3-5 separate consoles for threat detection and response
Manual processes that consume 60-80% of analyst time
Alert fatigue from thousands of daily notifications
Skills gaps that make hiring and retention difficult

This complexity creates a vicious cycle: more tools generate more data, which requires more analysts, which drives up costs, which leads to more pressure to automate—often poorly.

What You'll Learn in This Webinar

The session goes beyond theory to provide actionable insights:

1. What a Healthy Modern SOC Actually Looks Like

Top-performing teams have moved past the "more tools equals better security" mindset. They've embraced a strategic approach that focuses on:

Core capabilities that matter most for their specific threat landscape
Integration-first architectures that reduce tool sprawl
Automation that enhances, not replaces, human expertise
Metrics that measure outcomes, not activity

2. Real Customer Case Study

See how one organization transformed their SOC from overwhelmed to optimized. The case study covers:

Before state: 22 tools, 4 consoles, 300+ daily alerts, 4 analysts
Transformation approach: Strategic consolidation and automation
After state: 12 tools, 2 consoles, 50 prioritized alerts, same 4 analysts handling 3x the workload
ROI: 60% reduction in operational costs, 40% improvement in mean time to detect (MTTD)

3. Side-by-Side SOC Model Comparison

Understand the trade-offs between different SOC approaches:

Model	Build	Buy	Automate	Best For
In-house	High	Low	Medium	Large enterprises with security expertise
Managed SOC	Low	High	Low	Organizations needing 24/7 coverage
Hybrid	Medium	Medium	High	Mid-sized organizations with some expertise
Virtual SOC	Low	Medium	High	Resource-constrained teams

4. Practical Implementation Checklist

The webinar provides a step-by-step guide to evaluate and optimize your SOC:

Assessment Phase

Inventory all current tools and their actual usage
Map tools to specific security outcomes
Identify redundant capabilities
Measure current operational metrics
Survey analyst satisfaction and pain points

Planning Phase

Define your "must-have" vs "nice-to-have" capabilities
Set realistic automation targets (start with 20-30% of workflows)
Create a phased consolidation roadmap
Budget for both technology and training
Establish success metrics before making changes

Execution Phase

Start with high-impact, low-risk automation opportunities
Consolidate tools in stages, not all at once
Train analysts on new workflows before full deployment
Monitor metrics closely during transitions
Adjust based on real-world feedback

Why This Matters Now

Several factors make SOC optimization urgent:

Budget Constraints: Security budgets are tightening while threats are escalating. Organizations can't afford to maintain bloated tool stacks that don't deliver proportional value.

Skills Shortage: The cybersecurity talent gap continues to widen. Teams need to do more with fewer skilled analysts.

Threat Evolution: Attackers are becoming more sophisticated, requiring faster detection and response times that manual processes can't provide.

Regulatory Pressure: Compliance requirements are increasing, demanding better documentation and evidence of security effectiveness.

Register for the Live Session

If your SOC feels overloaded, underfunded, or always one step behind, this session is your reset point. You'll leave with clarity, not buzzwords—a grounded view of how to strengthen your SOC with the people, tools, and budget you already have.

Budgets are shrinking. Threats are scaling. The noise is deafening. It's time to pause, rethink, and rebuild smarter.

While optimizing your SOC, stay informed about critical vulnerabilities affecting your infrastructure:

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Researchers Find 175,000 Publicly Exposed Ollama AI Servers Across 130 Countries - Read more
Critical Grist-Core Vulnerability Allows RCE Attacks via Spreadsheet Formulas - Read more
Fake Moltbot AI Coding Assistant on VS Code Marketplace Drops Malware - Read more

About the Speakers

Kumar Saurabh - CEO of AirMDR, bringing extensive experience in managed detection and response services and SOC optimization strategies.

Francis Odum - CEO of SACR, specializing in security automation and helping organizations streamline their security operations.

Both speakers bring real-world experience from working with hundreds of organizations to solve the exact challenges you're facing today.

#SOC #Security Operations #Automation #Tool Consolidation #Cybersecurity