Highlights
Just a few years ago, the question “do we need a SOC?” could spark long discussions. Today, on the eve of 2026, the topic is essentially settled. A Security Operations Center is no longer an add-on to IT – it has become one of the pillars of organizational cyber resilience.
What has changed is something else. We ask whether less and how more often: what kind of SOC do we need, and which technology should it be built on?
In a world where the number of cyberattacks is growing faster than the size of security teams, and where new regulations – from NIS2 to DORA – impose additional obligations on organizations, the choice between a traditional SOC and Microsoft Sentinel is no longer purely a technological decision. It is becoming a strategic one.
IT Security in 2026 - the moment when improvisation ends
According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2024 report, the average time to identify and contain an incident (MTTD + MTTR) remains very high – even exceeding 258 days (although it has decreased compared to previous years). However, it can be shortened – by as much as 98 days. How? By making intensive use of automation and AI.*
The challenges related to detection and incident response do not end there. The cybersecurity sector in the EU is also struggling with a serious shortage of experts across the Union. ENISA points out that the lack of specialists is one of the key problems affecting organizations’ ability to respond to incidents and implement security mechanisms at the required level.*
The combination of these two factors is particularly dangerous: more incidents, more alerts, and fewer people to handle them. It is therefore no surprise that the classic model of manual event analysis is becoming increasingly inefficient.
That is why today there is so much discussion about:
- automated response,
- real-time event correlation,
- cloud-native solutions.
These are no longer “innovations”. They are the new starting point – as we discussed in more detail, among others, in the article devoted to the topic “What is a SOC?”.
What exactly is Microsoft Sentinel?
Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR combined into one, designed with scale, integration, and automation in mind. It operates in the Azure cloud but is not limited exclusively to the Microsoft ecosystem – it also collects and analyzes data from on-prem systems and other clouds.
Its key strengths include:
- analytics based on machine learning and user behavior,
- automated response playbooks (SOAR),
- native integration with Microsoft Defender XDR, Azure, and Microsoft 365,
- a flexible cost model based on the actual volume of logs.
According to data from industry reports (e.g., Gartner Magic Quadrant for SIEM 2025), cloud-first SIEMs based on automation and integrations are becoming the new market standard*.
And this is exactly what sets Sentinel apart. Importantly, the cloud-native approach does not eliminate the need for SOC analysts – it simply changes their role. Instead of manually analyzing thousands of alerts, teams operating in this model can focus on real incidents and business decisions, becoming far more effective as a result.
Traditional SOC and SOCaaS - proven foundations
A traditional SOC is a well-known model: an in-house SIEM, teams of L1-L3 analysts, incident response procedures, 24/7 shifts, and full control over data. It is a mature solution, but a costly one – not only financially, but also organizationally.
According to our data, maintaining and developing a full SOC (including the analyst team) costs approximately 136 200 EUR per year. An alternative is SOCaaS (Security Operations Center as a Service), i.e. outsourcing security operations. This model allows organizations to launch monitoring faster, avoid infrastructure costs, and leverage the experience of teams that handle dozens of environments on a daily basis. Its cost is also significantly lower, amounting to approximately 38 280 EUR annually. We discussed a detailed comparison of both models and their costs here.
Sentinel or a traditional SOC? Differences that really matter
At first glance, this is a comparison of technologies. In practice, it is a comparison of operating philosophies.
Microsoft Sentinel offers:
- rapid deployment,
- automatic scalability,
- built-in automation,
- flexible operational costs.
A traditional SOC offers:
- full control over the environment,
- high operational predictability,
- the ability to adapt to specific regulations (e.g. in the public or defense-critical sector),
- higher fixed costs.
According to market analyses, cloud-first SIEMs based on automation and AI have become the dominant trend in SOC architectures, confirming the growing importance of hybrid and cloud solutions in security operations.*
Why does Microsoft Sentinel fit so well into the reality of 2026?
Sentinel works particularly well in organizations that are:
- operating in the cloud or a hybrid model,
- using Microsoft 365 and Azure,
- expecting rapid scaling and automation,
- looking to reduce dependence on manual analyst work.
In practice, Sentinel increasingly plays the role of a central SIEM/SOAR component in modern SOCs, collecting data from across the environment and giving it business context.
In modern SOCs, tools such as Sentinel often act as a “nervous system” that correlates data from diverse sources and automates tasks that were previously performed manually.
Limitations that must be addressed openly
Sentinel is not a cure-all or a universal solution. With very large data volumes, its costs may increase, and in sectors with very strict compliance and data localization requirements, additional challenges related to data policy and regulations arise. In such cases, building an in-house SOC or opting for the SOCaaS model may prove to be a more reasonable choice.
Traditional SOC and SOCaaS - when they still have the advantage
A traditional SOC or SOCaaS remains the natural choice wherever:
- full control over data is critical,
- the IT environment is highly non-standard,
- the organization is subject to strict sectoral regulations.
In such cases, the service-based model often becomes a reasonable compromise between security, cost, and access to expertise, and finds the greatest number of supporters.
Summary - Microsoft Sentinel vs a traditional SOC: what to choose in 2026?
The year 2026 will not provide a definitive “either–or” answer. However, in a landscape of intensifying cyber threats, it will increasingly highlight a hybrid model, in which:
- Microsoft Sentinel plays the role of the central SIEM/SOAR,
- an experienced SOC/SOCaaS partner is responsible for analysis, response, and operational continuity.
“In 2026, the question is no longer: Sentinel or SOC. What matters is how to combine cloud automation with the real experience of an operational team. Only such synergy makes it possible to reduce response times from days to minutes – and to be exactly where and when your organization needs it, in order to ensure full security“.
Because a modern SOC today is not a single tool or a standalone function within a company. It is an ecosystem of people, processes, and technologies that works when we truly need it.
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Bibliography:
- https://newsroom.ibm.com/2024-07-30-ibm-report-escalating-data-breach-disruption-pushes-costs-to-new-highs [access: 17.12.2025r.]
- https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/2024-report-on-the-state-of-the-cybersecurity-in-the-union [access: 17.12.2025r.]
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tamersaid_cybersecurity-artificialintelligence-siem-activity-7393597672424648704-a3qD [access: 17.12.2025r.]
