Critical Start Security Operations Center (SOC) - Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is a 24x7x365 security monitoring, investigation, and response service delivered from multiple U.S.-based SOC facilities. The service is built around human-driven analysis supported by AI-assisted tooling. SOC analysts follow an 8-week intensive onboarding program and receive over 300 hours of specialized training, including post-exploitation investigations, malware reverse engineering, and security engineering. Analysts dedicate 10 hours every two weeks to ongoing training. Key operational characteristics: - Contractual SLAs apply to every alert regardless of priority - Response Authorizations allow the SOC to take containment actions such as isolating hosts, disabling user accounts, and forcing session logoffs - All response actions require two-person approval for quality control and compliance - The Trusted Behavior Registry (TBR) is used to auto-resolve known-good activity and reduce alert noise Analysts work within the Critical Start Cyber Operations Risk & Response (CORR) platform, which provides customers full visibility into alert escalation, triage timelines, threat analysis, evidence, and recommendations. A companion MobileSOC app extends this access to mobile devices. Analysts can create custom detections and incorporate Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) derived from current threat intelligence. Certifications and memberships include ISO 27001, Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security, and Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) membership.