SOC Metrics: The Key Metrics & KPIs to Measure Your SOC Success

Security Operations Center (SOC) metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) offer tangible insights into the efficacy, efficiency, and impact of SOCs in illuminating the organization’s path towards a robust defense strategy. In this guide, we delve into the key metrics and KPIs essential for measuring SOC success. From Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) to Incident Escalation Rate, we explore the metrics that provide critical benchmarks for evaluating SOC performance. Additionally, we will discuss how the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into SOC operations is expected to impact SOC performance. 

The Importance of SOC Metrics and KPIs

Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within a Security Operations Center (SOC) offer measurable data reflecting the overall SOC performance and impact of cybersecurity endeavors. 

Generally speaking, organizations rely on a standard set of metrics, chosen based on organizational objectives, industry standards, and the maturity of their security programs. These metrics serve to evaluate the efficiency of the SOC, how well it uses resources, and the effectiveness of incident response and remediation efforts undertaken by SOC teams. 

KPIs also serve as targeted benchmarks assessing how well the SOC fulfills and supports the company’s overarching objectives, both in terms of cybersecurity defense, but also its impact on the company’s business goals.

These metrics serve as crucial tools for showcasing the SOC’s value to stakeholders and leadership. The ability to quantify the SOC’s efficacy and indispensability is invaluable because it offers tangible proof of the SOC’s contribution to the company’s security posture. It also facilitates informed decisions regarding resource allocation and strategic adjustments and actively contributes to the company’s cybersecurity planning efforts.

Additionally, SOC metrics facilitate benchmarking against industry peers and regulatory compliance by generating reports that demonstrate adherence to security controls. They also assist in optimizing SOC team staffing by analyzing incident-handling capacity and effectiveness. Furthermore, metrics play a crucial role in assessing the efficacy of training and development initiatives for SOC personnel.

Next, we’ll dive into the specific metrics and KPIs and provide a detailed explanation of each. 

Key SOC Metrics and KPIs

We have so far established that deploying efficient SOC reporting metrics and leveraging robust tools for monitoring security operations center performance are essential for overseeing and enhancing the efficacy of any security operations center and its analysts. Let’s take a look at the commonly used metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge SOC’s performance. 

Mean Time to Detect (MTTD), is a critical metric that quantifies the average duration required for a SOC team to identify an incident or security breach. A lower MTTD signifies superior performance, reflecting the team’s adeptness at promptly identifying and addressing incidents, thus mitigating client impact. Furthermore, MTTD serves as a yardstick for assessing the efficacy of monitoring tools and the proficiency of detection capabilities.
Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) complements Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) by evaluating the efficiency and expediency of a SOC’s incident response efforts. A lower MTTR denotes swift and highly effective incident resolution processes. Typically encompassing tasks such as root cause investigation, implementing remedies, and executing recovery procedures, MTTR enables organizations to pinpoint areas warranting enhancement within their incident response framework. This metric holds paramount importance as the swifter an incident is addressed, the lesser the potential damage it can inflict. Depending on who you ask, the R in MTTR can also stand for response or remediation, in all cases the metric measures resolution.
Mean Time to Attend and Analyze (MTTA&A) serves as an important metric in assessing the average duration taken by SOC teams to comprehensively respond to and analyze an incident. Commencing from the moment an incident is identified, MTTA&A concludes when the team acknowledges and thoroughly evaluates its priority, impact, and feasible resolution strategies to delineate its magnitude and repercussions. Consequently, this metric facilitates an evaluation of the efficiency and efficacy of the SOC’s incident response protocols. 
The Number of Security Incidents metric quantifies the count of security incidents identified and reported within a designated time frame, furnishing organizations with valuable insights into prevailing patterns or trends in security incidents. For instance, a surge in incident occurrences may signal deficiencies in existing security controls, prompting organizations to consider enhancements. Moreover, monitoring the frequency and cadence of security incidents facilitates the identification of prevalent types, enabling the prioritization of mitigation efforts.
False Positive Rate (FPR) gauges the proportion of incidents erroneously categorized as cybersecurity threats when they are not genuine risks. This metric assesses the precision of threat detection systems in discerning between authentic threats and benign activities. A heightened false-positive rate suggests an increased likelihood of generating false alarms, while a diminished False Positive Rate underscores the proficiency of your SOC in identifying genuine threats. This proficiency aids in curtailing the expenditure of time and resources on investigating harmless events.
False Negative Rates (FNR) represent the proportion of incidents erroneously classified as non-cyber threats when they are, in fact, genuine cybersecurity threats. A heightened false-negative rate signifies an increased propensity for the system to overlook authentic security threats.
The cost of an Incident metric enables organizations to quantify both the direct and indirect expenses associated with an incident. Direct costs encompass expenditures like time and resources allocated for detection and response, along with legal fees. Indirect costs involve revenue loss stemming from customer turnover, regulatory fines, reputational harm, and other related factors. Moreover, there might be additional outlays, such as expenses linked to software upgrades and preventive measures against future incidents.
Incident Escalation Rate assesses the proportion of incidents necessitating escalated resolution involving higher-level team members or external specialists, usually via escalated calls. A heightened escalation rate may signify either a deficit in expertise within the SOC team or the requirement for additional resources to adequately handle incidents. Such a scenario might indicate the need for augmenting expertise within the team or expanding personnel capacity through automation.
Incident Closure Rate quantifies the proportion of resolved security incidents compared to the total reported incidents within a specified time frame. A robust Incident Closure Rate signifies the proficiency of a SOC in not only detecting and responding to threats but also in conclusively resolving them.
Incident Containment Rate serves as a key performance indicator (KPI) gauging the SOC’s proficiency in containing incidents post-identification. A robust Incident Containment Rate is pivotal in reducing the potential extent and consequences of cyber threats.

Now that we have looked at the fundamental SOC metrics and KPIs, we can briefly mention some essential guidelines for establishing an effective measurement and evaluation framework in SOCs:

Adopt a proactive approach to measuring your SOC: Identify the SOC reporting metrics that resonate with your specific organization’s aims and targets, facilitating the comprehensive monitoring and assessment of your SOC performance and cybersecurity endeavors. This proactive approach enables effective tracking of achievements within the overarching cybersecurity program.

Agree on the specific measurable KPIs you want to track: Establishing precise and measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for accurately assessing the effectiveness of your SOC endeavors. KPIs should encompass aspects most important to your organization. Most choose to track many of the above-mentioned standard KPIs such as incident response time, threat detection rate, and false positive rates, but you may want or need to define more specific metrics to ensure comprehensive tracking of your SOC service performance.

Choose the right tools: Opting for suitable security operations center performance monitoring tools holds paramount importance in gathering, analyzing, and reporting data concerning SOC performance. These tools should offer user-friendly interfaces, real-time insights, and flexibility to adapt to evolving organizational requirements.

Implement regular reporting on SOC performance: Institute a recurring reporting schedule regarding Security Operations Center performance to keep stakeholders informed and cultivate an ethos of ongoing enhancement. This approach enables prompt identification and resolution of any gaps or vulnerabilities.

With the advancement of technology and tools to support the modern SOC, more and more organizations nowadays harness cutting-edge technologies such as AI tools for SOC automation. This trend also impacts the way SOC performance is evaluated.

AI-based SOC: Ensuring Effectiveness and Success 

Today, the utilization of continuous monitoring methodologies and understanding the intricacies of SOC metrics and KPIs goes beyond technicality; it serves as a vital shield, fortifying organizations against the ever-evolving threats posed by cyber adversaries.

To enhance these efforts, integrating AI tools into SOC operations emerges as a key strategy. AI offers the capability to mitigate observable risks in your environment, expedite response times, and continuously refine the triaging, investigation, and decision-making processes – autonomously, with minimal human intervention.

The adoption of AI in SOC operations yields impacts SOC’s performance in many ways:

Reduction in mean time to remediation
Significant decrease in response times
Enhanced visibility into the scope of incidents and affected systems
Broadened detection and response capabilities
Expanded technical security proficiency
Streamlined and unified threat responses

By leveraging AI, organizations can alleviate the burdensome and time-consuming tasks associated with triaging and investigating security alerts, allowing them to operate with greater efficiency and confidence in their cybersecurity posture.Discover more about Radiant’s Next-Gen AI SOC Analysts and how it can further empower your cybersecurity initiatives.