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Find your cybersecurity service model

Compare common security operating models by internal staffing, coverage domains, threat hunting, compliance reporting, and monthly budget.

Find your cybersecurity service model

Compare common security operating models by internal staffing, coverage domains, threat hunting, compliance reporting, and monthly budget.

Showing 8 of 8 vendors that match

1st

Open-source DIY SIEM (Wazuh / Security Onion)

A self-operated open-source SIEM stack for log collection, endpoint telemetry, detections, and investigations.

Free

Software can be free, but infrastructure, storage, tuning, and staff time are material operating costs.

  • Lowest software cost and highest deployment control
  • Good learning path for hands-on security teams
  • Can support compliance logging and basic detection use cases
  • Requires real engineering time to deploy, tune, and maintain
  • No built-in 24/7 analyst coverage unless you add a service provider
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2nd

Managed EDR (e.g., Huntress, S1 Vigilance)

A provider manages endpoint detection, triage, and response on laptops and servers, usually with lightweight human analyst review.

$500/mo

Typical small deployments can start around $5-$15 per endpoint/month, often landing under $5k/month for smaller teams.

  • Fastest practical upgrade from unmanaged antivirus
  • Affordable coverage for endpoint-heavy small businesses
  • Usually includes analyst review and guided remediation
  • Limited visibility outside endpoints unless add-ons are purchased
  • Compliance and executive reporting are often basic
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3rd

Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)

A provider operates security tools, alert monitoring, reporting, and sometimes compliance tasks across a broad managed service scope.

$2500/mo

Smaller MSSP retainers can start around a few thousand dollars per month; scope and response depth vary widely.

  • Can bundle tool management, reporting, and operational support
  • Often easier procurement for organizations already using an MSP
  • Useful when compliance reporting matters more than deep hunting
  • Detection quality varies dramatically by provider
  • Some MSSPs monitor alerts but do not deliver strong response outcomes
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4th

Extended Detection & Response (XDR)

A product-led detection model correlating endpoint, identity, email, cloud, and network telemetry across a vendor ecosystem.

$3000/mo

XDR cost depends on platform licensing and seat count; managed service layers are usually extra.

  • Good correlation across multiple security domains
  • Works well when a company standardizes on a major platform
  • Can reduce alert fragmentation compared with separate tools
  • Still needs skilled operators unless paired with MDR
  • Coverage can be strongest inside one vendor ecosystem
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5th

vCISO advisory + tooling

A virtual CISO or advisory firm designs the security roadmap, manages risk and compliance, and helps select or oversee tooling.

$3000/mo

Fractional vCISO retainers commonly start around $3k-$10k/month; security tools and MDR are often separate.

  • Good first security leadership layer for startups and small companies
  • Useful for board reporting, risk planning, and compliance readiness
  • Can coordinate vendors without hiring a full-time CISO
  • Not a substitute for 24/7 monitoring or incident response
  • Tooling and operational coverage usually cost extra
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6th

Managed Detection & Response (MDR, e.g., CrowdStrike Complete, Arctic Wolf)

A human-led service monitors security telemetry, investigates alerts, hunts threats, and guides or performs response.

$5000/mo

Mid-market MDR commonly starts in the low thousands per month and scales by endpoint count, telemetry, and response scope.

  • Balanced service model for lean teams that need 24/7 coverage
  • Can cover endpoint, identity, cloud, and logs depending on package
  • Threat hunting and response guidance are usually included
  • Costs rise quickly as telemetry sources expand
  • Response authority and SLAs must be carefully negotiated
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7th

Co-managed SIEM

A shared operating model where a provider helps tune, monitor, and report from your SIEM while your team retains ownership.

$10000/mo

Typical spend includes SIEM licensing plus a managed service retainer; $10k-$25k/month is a common planning range.

  • Good for teams that need SIEM ownership without staffing every shift
  • Supports custom detections and compliance evidence workflows
  • Keeps data and tooling closer to internal control
  • Log ingestion and storage costs can dominate the budget
  • Requires internal security ownership to get full value
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8th

In-house Security Operations Center (SOC)

A fully internal team owns security monitoring, detection engineering, threat hunting, incident response, and reporting.

$100000/mo

A 24/7 SOC requires staff, tooling, telemetry, training, and management; monthly fully loaded cost usually exceeds $100k.

  • Maximum control over detection logic, data, response, and priorities
  • Best fit for high-risk, high-scale, or heavily regulated enterprises
  • Can build deep business-specific threat knowledge
  • Very expensive and difficult to staff around the clock
  • Slowest model to stand up if no security function exists
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About this comparison

Compare cybersecurity service models including managed EDR, MDR, XDR, MSSP, co-managed SIEM, in-house SOC, vCISO advisory with tooling, and open-source DIY SIEM. Filter by organization size, internal security staffing, endpoint, network, and identity coverage, proactive threat hunting, compliance reporting, and practical monthly budget tier.