What works in a traditional SOC can fail in a hospital, and the consequences are far more human.
During Fortified Health Security’s recent webinar, Alerts to Action: The Needs of a Healthcare SOC, Fortified’s VP of Threat Services, Preston Duren, and Director of Threat Defense, Jake Bice, took a deeper dive into the differences between traditional and healthcare-specific outsourced Security Operations Centers (SOCs). They explained why speed alone isn’t enough and why patient safety must be the driving force behind every decision in a healthcare SOC.
What Healthcare Needs in a SOC
Most traditional SOCs are optimized for speed: detect, isolate, and contain. In many industries, that works. However, in healthcare, that same response can compromise patient care.
“If you take down a system that is actively supporting patient care, what does that do?” asked Jake Bice. “That’s why response can’t just be about speed. It has to include understanding.”
For example, a traditional MSSP might disconnect a compromised endpoint in seconds. But what if that device supports critical care? In healthcare, every action must be weighed against clinical impact. That’s why a healthcare-specific SOC needs a fundamentally different mindset—one that prioritizes patient safety.
“We’re doing this for the patients and the communities these clients serve,” shared Duren.
Why Context Matters
Security alerts are only as useful as the context behind them.
Fortified’s SOC analysts understand healthcare environments. They know how clinical systems operate, why certain devices are on guest networks, and when a threat is urgent or just background noise.
“A lot of MSSPs can tell you something bad is happening,” said Duren. “But they can’t always tell you what to do next because they don’t understand how that alert maps to a healthcare environment.”
This context allows for accurate, measured decisions that align with care delivery, not disrupt it. Other MSSPs might act before understanding a device’s role. At Fortified, our analysts consider clinical context first because a response without awareness can be dangerous.
Measuring What Matters
Metrics, like Mean Time to Acknowledge (MTTA) and Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR), are standard benchmarks. However, in healthcare, a third measure matters more: meaningful response.
“The question we ask is: Are we providing value? Not just moving fast, but solving the right problems without adding risk,” explained Bice.
It’s not just about speed; it’s about responding in a way that avoids disrupting patient care. Fortified’s healthcare-specific SOC balances urgency with clinical impact, using feedback from healthcare clients to refine and improve constantly.
Healthcare SOC: Build, Buy, or Blend?
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to a SOC.
Some health systems build their SOCs for complete control. Others outsource to gain around-the-clock coverage. Increasingly, Fortified sees success with hybrid models, blending internal knowledge with healthcare-specific MSSP support.
“The hybrid model allows us to act as a true extension of your team,” said Duren. “You get our analysts’ healthcare experience without losing the connection to your internal staff and workflows.”
A hybrid SOC gives you:
- 24/7 scalable threat monitoring
- Analysts with deep healthcare expertise
- Seamless integration with internal IT and clinical teams
You don’t have to choose between context and capability; you can have both.
What Every Healthcare SOC Should Deliver
Regardless of your structure, internal, outsourced, or hybrid, every healthcare SOC should include:
- 24/7 Endpoint Detection and Response
- Clinical and User Context for Decision-Making
- Proactive Threat Hunting to Reduce Noise
- Effective Coordination Between IT and Clinical Teams
These elements are essential for a risk-based, patient-centered security approach.
Healthcare SOC: The Core Message
The core message from the Alerts to Action webinar is simple: healthcare SOCs must put people first.
“We don’t see ourselves as just a vendor,” said Bice. “We’re a partner in patient safety. That’s the lens we look through every time we respond to an alert.”
Did you miss the webinar? Watch the full recording here: Alerts to Action: The Needs of a Healthcare SOC.
