Managed security pricing
Managed security services pricing in Southern California
What managed security costs per user, what each service level includes and how it compares to hiring in-house security staff.
The short answer
Managed security services typically cost $35 to $165 per user per month. Endpoint protection, MFA and email security sit at the low end; 24/7 monitoring, threat hunting and compliance support sit at the high end. Most organizations choose the middle tier, around $65 to $110.
Service levels
What each managed security tier includes
| Tier | Per user per month | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | $35–$65 | Endpoint detection and response, MFA, email security and phishing protection, security training, monthly reporting, cyber insurance documentation |
| Advanced | $65–$110 | Foundation plus 24/7 security monitoring and response, vulnerability scanning, dark web credential monitoring and phishing simulations |
| Enterprise | $110–$165 | Advanced plus proactive threat hunting, vCISO time, compliance audit support and incident response planning |
Only need 24/7 monitoring on top of tools you already have? See managed SOC services.
Example costs
What organizations of different sizes pay
Examples on the Advanced tier, the level most organizations choose.
| Organization size | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| 50 users | $3,250–$5,500 | $39,000–$66,000 |
| 100 users | $6,500–$11,000 | $78,000–$132,000 |
| 200 users | $13,000–$22,000 | $156,000–$264,000 |
Price factors
What moves your managed security price
These factors decide which tier fits and where you land within it.
- Monitoring depth
- Endpoint alerts only cost less than 24/7 monitoring across firewalls, email, identity and cloud logs.
- Compliance
- HIPAA, PCI, SOC 2 and CMMC add controls, evidence collection and audit support.
- Existing tools
- Keeping tools you already own can lower the per-user price.
- Environment
- More servers, cloud platforms and locations mean more to monitor.
- Insurance requirements
- Many cyber insurers now require endpoint detection, MFA and monitoring.
Your options
Ways to buy managed security
Bundled with managed IT
Security included in a single per-user price for your whole IT environment.
Managed security
A security-only service on top of your internal IT team or another provider.
This page
Managed SOC only
24/7 monitoring and response for organizations that already run their own security tools.
FAQ
Managed security pricing questions
How much do managed security services cost?
Most organizations pay $35 to $165 per user per month. Foundation (endpoint detection and response, MFA, email security and training) runs about $35 to $65. Advanced adds 24/7 security monitoring and vulnerability scanning for about $65 to $110. Enterprise adds threat hunting, vCISO time and compliance audit support for about $110 to $165.
What's the difference between managed IT and managed security?
Managed IT runs your whole IT environment, with security as one part. Managed security focuses only on protecting it: endpoint detection, monitoring, vulnerability management and compliance. Companies with internal IT or another IT provider often add managed security on top. Smaller companies usually get security bundled into managed IT.
Are the security tools included?
Yes, on most service levels the endpoint detection, email security and monitoring tools are included in the per-user price. If you already own tools you want to keep, we can price around them.
How does pricing change with company size?
It scales mostly with users and devices. A 50-person company on the Advanced tier typically pays about $3,250 to $5,500 a month; a 200-person company about $13,000 to $22,000. Per-user rates usually drop somewhat for larger organizations.
Is managed security cheaper than hiring security staff?
For most organizations under several hundred employees, yes. One experienced security analyst in Southern California costs well over $100,000 a year fully loaded, and round-the-clock coverage takes several. Managed security spreads those people and tools across many customers.
Does managed security help with compliance?
Yes. We put in place and document the controls that HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, CMMC and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework expect, and on the Enterprise tier we help prepare evidence for your auditor. We don't perform certification audits ourselves.
What happens during a security incident?
The SOC investigates and contains confirmed threats by isolating devices, disabling accounts and blocking traffic, and notifies you. Larger incidents can involve your cyber insurer and outside forensics firms, which we coordinate with.
Related
Related guides and services
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