SOCaaS vs In-House SOC: The Complete Guide for Canadian Businesses

Is building an in-house Security Operations Center (SOC) worth the investment, or should you outsource to a SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) provider? This guide breaks down the costs, benefits, and considerations for Canadian businesses—particularly those in Vancouver and British Columbia.

What is SOCaaS?

SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) is a fully managed security operations center delivered as a subscription service. Instead of building your own SOC with dedicated staff, technology, and facilities, you get 24/7 security monitoring from a specialized provider.

At Svalbard Security, our Vancouver-based SOCaaS combines:

• 24/7/365 monitoring by certified security analysts
• 4.6-minute average response time to security incidents
• Proprietary SIEM and SOAR technology built for Canadian compliance requirements
• 99.2% threat detection rate across all attack vectors

The True Cost of an In-House SOC

Building and operating a Security Operations Center is expensive. Here's what you're really looking at:

Personnel Costs

A 24/7 SOC requires a minimum of 8-10 FTEs to cover all shifts:

• SOC Manager: $150,000-$200,000 CAD
• Senior Analysts (2-3): $120,000-$150,000 each
• Tier 1 Analysts (4-6): $80,000-$100,000 each
• Benefits and overhead: Add 25-30%

Total annual personnel cost: $1.2M-$1.8M CAD

Technology Costs

• SIEM platform: $150,000-$500,000/year
• EDR/XDR: $50,000-$200,000/year
• SOAR: $100,000-$300,000/year
• Threat intelligence feeds: $50,000-$150,000/year
• Additional tools and integrations: $50,000-$100,000/year

Total annual technology cost: $400K-$1.25M CAD

Facility and Infrastructure

• Dedicated SOC space
• Multiple monitors per analyst
• Redundant network connectivity
• Physical security

Total annual facility cost: $100K-$300K CAD

Hidden Costs

• Recruitment: Security talent shortage means 6-12 months to fill positions
• Training: Continuous certifications and skill development
• Turnover: 30%+ annual turnover in SOC roles industry-wide
• 24/7 coverage gaps: Nights, weekends, holidays

Total estimated in-house SOC cost: $2M-$5M CAD annually

SOCaaS Cost Comparison

Svalbard Security's SOCaaS delivers enterprise-grade security operations for a fraction of in-house costs:

When to Choose SOCaaS

SOCaaS is the right choice for most Canadian businesses:

1. Mid-market companies that need enterprise security but can't justify $2M+ annually
2. Fast-growing companies that need to scale security quickly
3. Regulated industries (finance, healthcare) requiring 24/7 compliance monitoring
4. Companies with limited security headcount who need to extend their team

When to Consider In-House SOC

Building in-house may make sense if:

1. You're a large enterprise with 10,000+ employees
2. You have extremely specific regulatory requirements
3. You already have significant security operations capabilities
4. Budget is not a constraint

Even then, many large enterprises choose a hybrid model—internal security team augmented by SOCaaS.

Why Vancouver Businesses Choose Svalbard SOCaaS

Svalbard Security is Vancouver's premier SOCaaS provider. Here's what sets us apart:

• Canadian-based analysts who understand PIPEDA and provincial privacy requirements
• Local presence in Vancouver for on-site support when needed
• Proprietary technology built for Canadian compliance
• ISO 27001 certified and SOC 2 Type II compliant
• CREST accredited for penetration testing services

Getting Started with SOCaaS

Ready to explore SOCaaS for your Vancouver business? Here's how to start:

1. Schedule a free consultation with our security experts
2. Security assessment to understand your current posture
3. Custom proposal with pricing and deployment timeline
4. Deployment in 2-4 weeks

Contact us for a free SOCaaS assessment and see how much you could save while improving your security posture.

Svalbard Security provides SOC as a Service (SOCaaS), MDR, XDR, and penetration testing services to businesses across Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada. Learn more about our SOCaaS.