SecOps (Security Operations)

What is SecOps?

SecOps, short for Security Operations, is the combination of people, processes and technologies that work together to prevent, detect, investigate and respond to Cybersecurity threats and incidents.

Its purpose is to maintain continuous security monitoring across an organisation's technology environments and turn security information into actions that help reduce risk.

What is the difference between SecOps and a SOC?

Although they are closely related, they are not exactly the same. SecOps is the security operations model, while a SOC (Security Operations Center) is the centre from which many of those operations are coordinated and carried out.

SecOps also encompasses the processes, capabilities and teams involved in activities such as detection and response, Cyber Threat Intelligence, Threat Hunting and incident management.

■ SecOps defines how security operations are carried out; a SOC is one of the environments in which those operations are performed.

What technologies and capabilities are part of SecOps?

Security operations combine technologies such as SIEM, XDR and SOAR with capabilities including Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), Threat Hunting, vulnerability management and incident response. Integrating these capabilities makes it possible to correlate signals from different sources, prioritise threats and coordinate the response, reducing the time between detecting anomalous behaviour and containing it.

How is Artificial Intelligence changing SecOps?

AI is transforming SecOps by helping to analyse large volumes of telemetry, contextualise alerts, automate tasks and assist analysts during investigation and response. The concept of AI-Native SecOps takes this evolution further: it proposes an operating model designed from the outset for people, platforms and AI agents to work together in a coordinated way, while maintaining the necessary oversight and governance of automated decisions.

■ AI-Native SecOps is not simply about adding AI to existing security operations, but about rethinking how those operations are organised and carried out.