Why organizations consider MDR or a SOC
Companies often opt for MDR and SOC tools because they need to strengthen their security posture, respond rapidly to potential threats, and maintain compliance but lack the time, tools, or talent to do it alone.
The global cybersecurity skills shortage is around 4 million experts, with 90% of organizations facing data breaches, partially due to insufficient expertise. It’s a big deal: Worldwide, the average cost of a data breach has gone up to about $4.88 million.
The increasing volume and sophistication of threats (e.g., ransomware, supply chain, cloud-native attacks) make it difficult to manage alone. It can also be a constant struggle to wade through a never-ending flood of alerts, most of which turn out to be nothing.
Cloud-native infrastructure adds a new level of complexity, particularly with the use of ephemeral assets, APIs, and multi-cloud environments. Proactive detection and response are now a necessity.
Security leaders weighing “MDR vs. SOC” are really balancing speed, cost, and control. Managed Detection & Response (MDR) outsources 24 × 7 monitoring and incident response to a third-party provider; a Security Operations Center (SOC) builds those same capabilities in-house. Both models detect, investigate, and remediate threats—but they differ in ownership, customization, and total cost of operation.
This guide clarifies the trade-offs, highlights when a hybrid approach makes sense, and shows how cloud-native tools like Wiz Defend plug into either model for deeper context and faster mean-time-to-respond (MTTR).
What is MDR?
Managed detection and response (MDR) specializes in real-time threat detection and rapid response. Often provided by a third-party partner, this security model uses advanced tools and expert teams to quickly detect and respond to potential threats around the clock.
MDR offers continuous monitoring, proactive threat hunting, and incident investigation and remediation guidance, along with scalability and multi-tenant support.
Whenever a potential security event is flagged, it triggers automated response playbooks immediately. While that’s going on, a human SecOps team is alerted to investigate further and resolve the incident.
MDR tools
MDR tools popular among security teams include cloud security tools, remote investigation and remediation, and threat intelligence platforms. In fact, threat intelligence platforms play a crucial role in MDR by enriching security data with external threat feeds, open-source intelligence , and Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures information, improving detection accuracy. This way, there’s some context to help SecOps teams respond more effectively.
MDR tools also provide metrics like detection accuracy and false positive rates to help security teams understand how effectively this contextualized information improves alerts, reduces noise, and ensures timely intelligence application. More good news? MDR metrics help teams improve workflows, prioritize high-risk threats, and demonstrate the value of enriching data in cybersecurity.
MDR metrics
Mean time to detect (MTTD): The time it usually takes to detect a security incident or threat
Mean time to respond (MTTR): The average time to contain and remediate a security incident.
Detection accuracy: The number of true positives (TPs) and false positives (FPs); high accuracy reduces alert fatigue and noise
Threat detection types: Malware, ransomware, phishing, insider threats, lateral movement, and cloud misconfigurations to identify patterns and tailor defense
Prioritization of incidents by severity level: Low, medium, high, and critical
Threat containment rate: The number of incidents successfully contained by MDR
Endpoint/asset coverage: The number of devices, users, or workloads monitored by MDR
Reports generated: The number of monthly or weekly incident reports created
Escalation rate: The number of security events escalated for higher-tier analyst intervention
What is a SOC?
A security operations center (SOC) is a department or team within an organization that relies on people, processes, and security tools to continuously monitor and improve the organization's security posture.
SOCs help different types of organizations detect, analyze, respond to, and prevent security incidents. But here’s the twist: No two SOCs are the same. The centralized nature of a SOC doesn't always mean that the team is based in-house; they can also be outsourced or hybrid. They comprise different teams, various processes, SOC tools, and SOC best practices. Still, all SOCs share key capabilities:
Core features of a SOC
Around-the-clock monitoring
Centralized log collection and analysis
Log aggregation from various sources (applications, firewalls, servers)
Threat detection and alerting (signature- and behavior-based)
Incident triage and prioritization
Incident response coordination
Threat hunting
A combination of different threat intelligence protocols
SOAR
Compliance monitoring and reporting
SOC tools popular with security teams include intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS), threat intelligence platforms that sync up with the organization's unique use case, and cloud security tools (for hybrid SOCs).
SOC metrics
Alert triage time: The time it takes to categorize and delegate alerts for analysis
Analyst productivity: The number of incidents or alerts handled per analyst
Dwell time: The length of time a threat has gone unnoticed within the system
Incident volume: The number of incidents managed over a specific period
Threat detection coverage: The number of potential threats that the SOC can detect using its tools and processes
Threat detection costs: The average cost of detecting and resolving an incident
Ticket resolution rate: The percentage of incidents completely resolved within a given timeframe
Like MDR, SOC metrics also include MTTD, MTTR, and false positive rates
How MDR and SOCs compare
Both SOC and MDR are all about constantly improving an organization's security posture and preventing security incidents. That’s why it makes sense to use both tools together to stop bad stuff from happening in the first place.
Core capabilities
Both MDR and SOCs use advanced tools and threat intelligence, but MDR’s service model prioritizes external expertise and speed, while SOC’s functional model emphasizes tailored oversight and long-term strategy. To address rapidly changing needs, hybrid approaches that combine MDR’s agility with a SOC’s control are increasingly common.
| Core capability | MDP | SOCs |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | 24/7 remote monitoring of cloud, endpoint, and network data | 24/7 internal or hybrid monitoring of logs, systems, and endpoints |
| Threat detection | AI/ML-powered behavioral detection across multiple data sources | Signature- and behavior-based via SIEM, EDR, IDS/IPS |
| Threat hunting | Proactive threat hunting is included as part of the service | Conducted manually or semi-automated by in-house analysts |
| Triage and prioritization | Automated triage with human oversight | Analysts manually review and categorize alerts |
| Incident response | Vendor-led response with prebuilt, automated playbooks | In-house coordination of investigation, containment, and recovery |
| Remediation | May assist or handle remote remediation directly | Requires internal IT/security teams to execute remediation steps |
| Threat intelligence | Curated, real-time global threat intelligence used to improve detection | Can integrate threat feeds into SIEM, but they are often static |
| Analytics | Built-in analytics platforms with cross-tenant insights | Custom correlation rules within SIEM/SOAR platforms |
| Automation and playbooks | Preconfigured automated playbooks built into the service | SOAR-enabled automation for repeatable tasks |
| Human oversight | Security experts from an MDR vendor oversee alerts and validate incidents | Internal security analysts and engineers supervise and manage the process |
| Proactive defense | Focused more on fast detection and response, with some strategic recommendations | May include vulnerability management, pen testing, and threat modeling |
| Reporting and compliance | Simplified, actionable reports with compliance-mapped outputs | Customizable internal dashboards, compliance support |
Key differences between MDR and SOCs
Right off the bat, it's clear that MDR is flexible, service-driven, and prioritizes speed and cloud-native expertise. A SOC is more rigid, controlled, and organization-specific and emphasizes strategic oversight. Combining both models can help balance agility and customization for optimal security.
| Feature/focus Area | MDR | SOCs |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery model | Fully managed service by a third-party provider | In-house or outsourced team |
| Focus area | Proactive threat detection, investigation, and response | Monitoring, detection, and incident management |
| Tech talent | Security expertise provided by the MDR provider | Requires in-house security analysts and engineers |
| Ownership | MDR provider supplies and manages detection/response tools | Organization owns and manages various tools, including SIEM and EDR |
| Response capabilities | Provides hands-on, real-time response and containment | May alert and guide, but the response is often manual |
| Setup time | Faster, plug-and-play with the provider's tools and expertise | Longer and requires pairing, hiring, and tuning |
| Cost structure | Subscription-based pricing, often more predictable | High upfront investment and ongoing staffing/tool costs |
Shared MDR and SOC tools
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) monitors and secures endpoints across the organization.
Extended detection and response (XDR) collects, correlates, and analyzes data across multiple security layers.
Security information and event management (SIEM) oversees network activity, analyzes security data, investigates alerts, and coordinates response.
Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) connects and automates workflows to cut down response times.
Network detection and response (NDR) monitors real-time network traffic, detects suspicious patterns, and identifies threats that might bypass endpoint or cloud defenses.
As we’ve seen, security teams use SOC metrics like MTTD, MTTR, and false positive rates to improve security operations. These SOC metrics are shared with MDR.
Service models and customization
Because MDR is outsourced, organizations can expect SLAs, faster onboarding, and limited customization.
A SOC can be wholly owned or hybrid. So security teams can customize it, but it's sure to require more resources.
Technology and tooling
As MDR is provided by a third-party vendor, your tooling will be mostly pre-integrated and focused on effectiveness and automation.
A SOC is handled chiefly in-house, offering total SOC tool ownership, greater control, and tailored plugins, pairings, or connections.
Organizations taking a hybrid approach will have a shared stack with SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and TI platforms.
Threat detection and response
MDR security teams use automated correlation and human review with consistent escalation processes.
SOC teams use custom workflows and broader detection tuning. (But it can be pretty slow without automating tasks like alert triage, incident response, and threat hunting.)
Human resources and expertise
MDR provides immediate access to expert analysts without an internal hiring burden.
If you're following a SOC model and don't have the necessary human resources, you have to shift from threat hunting to talent hunting.
Costs and ROI
MDR has a generally more predictable subscription model from day one, providing faster time to value.
SOCs come with higher upfront costs but better long-term ROI at enterprise scale.
If you’re trying to choose between the two, look at the three-year TCO and ROI, using metrics like MTTD, MTTR, and breach-cost avoidance.
How to choose
If organizations and SMBs don’t have the necessary internal resources and expertise, MDR is the ideal security solution. Security teams can quickly deploy MDR across cloud native environments and fulfill their 24/7 coverage needs. It also helps that MDR supplements existing tools, supports compliance, and improves maturity quickly.
Alternatively, a SOC is best for large enterprises with mature programs and unique security or compliance needs. It enables strategic alignment, operational control, and IP/data sovereignty. That said, a SOC requires a phased roll out plan, taking staffing, tooling, and governance frameworks into consideration.
SOC best practices, such as aligning strategy with business goals, help improve enterprise security posture. Building a proactive threat detection strategy also helps large organizations advance their security capabilities. Rolling out incident response (IR) plans and playbooks for various scenarios and automating and orchestrating can further strengthen an organization’s ability to manage and mitigate cyber threats effectively.
Most enterprises start with a hybrid model or MDR and gradually transition to a full SOC as their scale, risk profile, and internal security capabilities mature.
Hybrid approaches to MDR and SOCs
A hybrid MDR and SOC strategy helps balance in-house controls with outsourced expertise, addressing resource constraints, scalability needs, and complex threats.
For example, security teams can combine a co-managed SOC, MDR for off-hours, and cloud-specific MDR for extended coverage and to fill the gaps when SOC teams are unavailable or understaffed. MDR supplements an existing SOC with advanced tools (SOAR, XDR) and threat-hunting services to improve detection and response without overwhelming internal teams.
Flexible hybrid MDR-SOC models offer adaptable solutions to meet changing needs, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), cloud expansion, cybersecurity challenges, shifting attack surfaces, rapidly changing compliance requirements, and resource constraints.
MDR services can scale quickly to cover new cloud workloads or acquisitions while the SOC maintains control over core systems. Looking to ensure flexibility as your organization scales? Establish clear governance, shared dashboards, and unified KPIs.
Enhancing MDR and SOCs with Wiz Defend
Whether you outsource detection, build a SOC in-house, or run both, one truth remains: context wins. Wiz Defend supplies that context—linking cloud misconfigurations, identities, and runtime events so responders act faster and with confidence.
Accelerate MTTR with real-time threat detection, automated attack path correlation, and prioritized remediation.
Reduce alert fatigue by surfacing only exploitable, high-context threats tied to identities, misconfigurations, and runtime activity.
Bridge tool gaps by integrating easily with your SIEM, SOAR, and MDR/SOC workflows—without agents.
Support hybrid models by extending runtime, identity, and control plane visibility across cloud environments.
Wiz Defend’s agentless architecture and runtime sensors scale instantly across multi-cloud, Kubernetes, and serverless environments, providing immediate visibility into new assets during cloud expansion or M&A without requiring changes to SOC infrastructure. This visibility can improve MDR workflows by accelerating detection and response.
See how MDR and SOC teams can benefit from Wiz's industry-leading cloud security platform: Get a demo today.
