Most companies have adopted the monitor-and-response strategy via SOC or NOC. The two complement each other but should stay separate.
The NOC
Handles performance and availability. Meets SLAs and reduces downtime. Network, application, and systems engineering skills.
The SOC
Focuses on security of information assets. Protects intellectual property and customer data. Security engineering skills.
Why separate
The SOC focuses on intelligent adversaries. The NOC deals with naturally occurring system events. Combining them is a recipe for failure.
Originally published 27 March 2017. Migrated to the new IRC site in 2026.