So, you’ve just signed off on a new Managed Service. Now what?
When you onboard with a Managed Security Service, your first contact is often a Security Service Delivery Manager (SDM)—your strategic partner in cyber defence. They sit at the nexus between technology and service, ensuring your Security Operations Centre (SOC) engagement delivers what it promises, and then some.
At The Missing Link, your SDM is part of our 24/7 onshore SOC team. They orchestrate the delivery of your cyber security service across the full lifecycle—onboarding, optimisation, and ongoing improvement.
Here’s what they’re responsible for:
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Change management: Approving, implementing and tracking changes across your security ecosystem.
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Service performance: Monitoring SLAs, daily deliverables, and incident response workflows.
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Strategic alignment: Keeping your IT and business goals in sync through capacity forecasting, performance reviews, and reporting.
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Proactive defence: Driving continuous service improvement and ensuring risks are identified and mitigated early.
It’s a role that blends technical insight, operational rigour and business acumen—essential for securing complex environments.
What is a Security Operations Centre (SOC)?
A Security Operations Centre is a dedicated team that monitors, detects, and responds to cyber security incidents in real time. Think of it as mission control for your digital security. SOC analysts use advanced tools such as SIEM platforms and XDR (Extended Detection & Response) systems to detect threats before they impact your business.
SOC services have evolved rapidly, integrating AI, threat intelligence, and behavioural analytics to outpace attackers. The best SOCs today offer 24/7 visibility, accelerated incident response, and compliance support—crucial in the wake of ACSC's Essential Eight, Notifiable Data Breaches laws, and tightening industry regulations.
⚠️ Did you know? As of late 2024, Australia experiences a reported cybercrime every 6.8 minutes, according to the ACSC.
Why do businesses need SOC services?
Modern threats are sophisticated, fast-moving and expensive. Without a SOC, your detection time could stretch into weeks—giving attackers the upper hand.
A modern SOC helps you:
- Reduce response time (median dwell time in breached organisations is still over 21 days globally).
- Achieve compliance faster, aligning with frameworks like the ASD Essential Eight.
- Access top-tier talent without hiring internally.
- Protect reputation and continuity with 24/7 monitoring and fast containment.
If your organisation operates in financial services, legal, education, aged care or government—sectors targeted for their data value—a SOC is not optional, it’s essential.
FAQs
What is a SOC service?
A SOC service is a managed cyber security offering that provides real-time threat monitoring, incident response, and ongoing security analytics through a dedicated team and platform.
How does SOC as a service work?
It involves outsourcing your security operations to an external provider. You get access to specialist analysts, tech platforms, and 24/7 coverage without building it in-house.
Is SOC part of MSSP?
Yes. A Security Operations Centre is typically a core function of a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), focused on proactive defence and response.
How does service delivery work at The Missing Link SOC?
Here’s how our SOC service delivery unfolds — from day one to full operational readiness — with your dedicated SDM guiding every step of the way.
1. Kick-Off
Your SDM reaches out to schedule your kick-off session. This initial meeting sets the stage—introducing key personnel, confirming scope, and outlining onboarding and hypercare timelines.
2. Onboarding
We secure platform access, configure log sources, and introduce you to your Watchers and Defenders. These are the security pros who’ll be monitoring your environment 24/7.
3. Hypercare
This is where the real-time triage begins. Alerts are fine-tuned, false positives are filtered, and known behaviours are white-listed. Your SDM ensures nothing is missed and everything is optimised.
4. Go Live
With onboarding complete, you’re transitioned into steady-state operations. Regular reporting, health checks and review meetings are now part of your rhythm—backed by one of Australia’s most advanced SOCs.
Benefits of SOC for different industries
Different industries face different cyber security risks—your SOC strategy should reflect that. Here’s how a modern Security Operations Centre delivers value across key sectors.
| Industry | Key benefits |
| Financial services | Faster detection, reduced risk exposure, APRA CPS 234 compliance. |
| Healthcare & Aged care | Patient data protection, Essential Eight alignment, privacy compliance |
| Legal | Maintains client confidentiality, secure collaboration, uptime assurance |
| Education | Safeguards student records, supports hybrid learning, manages BYOD security |
| Retail | Protects POS systems, detects fraud, defends against ransomware and phishing |
Common challenges in SOC service delivery
Even the best SOC strategies face hurdles. From alert overload to compliance complexity, these are the common challenges in SOC service delivery—and how we help you overcome them.
1. Alert Fatigue
Too many false positives drain resources. We solve this through contextual whitelisting and AI-enhanced triage.
2. Lack of Visibility
Siloed tools = poor visibility. Our SOC unifies data from endpoints, cloud, and network into a single view.
3. Talent Shortages
Security skills are in short supply. With The Missing Link, you’re backed by one of Australia’s largest onshore security teams.
4. Compliance Confusion
We simplify frameworks like ASD8, ISO 27001 and CPS 234—integrating them into day-to-day service delivery.
What happens after go-live?
You’re not left in the dark. Your SDM remains a key contact—delivering regular reports, organising service meetings, and answering your questions. Your Watchers and Defenders continue to monitor, investigate, and defend your environment around the clock.
And because threats evolve, so do we. Expect regular innovation, roadmap reviews, and service enhancements designed to outpace the threat landscape.
Ready to take control of your cyber resilience?
Our SOC is more than a monitoring centre—it’s your command centre. With a dedicated SDM and a globally integrated team, we help Australian organisations of all sizes defend what matters most.
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