What frameworks and tools drive security maturity?

This article summarizes SANS-backed survey findings on SOC effectiveness and maturity: about 70% of organizations use a framework (with 74% of those using NIST CSF), roughly two-thirds use operational security metrics (top metrics: security incidents, vulnerability assessments, intrusion attempts), and 61% perform routine cyber-readiness exercises (penetration tests, tabletop exercises, incident response testing). The report highlights gaps—roughly 30% lack frameworks or readiness testing—and encourages adoption of standardized frameworks, continuous measurement, and regular exercises to improve SOC performance.