Red Helix’s one million pound investment in UK SOC drives 150% headcount growth in 2024

A ten-fold increase in customers in the space of a year has led Red Helix, a market leader in cyber security and network performance, to invest £1million in expanding the capacity of its UK-based 24/7 security operations centre (SOC), increasing headcount by 150%. The company expects its SOC team to grow further in 2025, as demand for its specialised cyber services continues to soar.

Despite the global cyber skills shortage, Red Helix has been successful in recruiting and retaining SOC analysts who understand real-world security in small and medium-sized companies. The investment has been dedicated to creating innovative workspaces to support this talent, building a first-class team, and deploying an integrated suite of tools to ensure Red Helix can continue delivering industry-leading cyber security services tailored to the unique needs of SMEs.

Since its launch, Red Helix’s round-the-clock SOC coverage has brought enterprise-level security to the small and medium-sized businesses that often lack the in-house skills or resources to evaluate, integrate, and manage the security platforms they need.

As Red Helix CEO, Marion Stewart explained, “Our mission is to bridge the gap between the needs of small to medium businesses and the high-degree of complexity in security solutions they need - which are usually only accessible to larger enterprises.”

“By investing in our SOC,” she continued, “we’re able to protect more UK businesses from ever-evolving cyber threats. For many SMEs, one breach could jeopardise the entire company. Moreover, as small suppliers can be targeted to reach larger enterprises, there’s increased pressure on all supply chain members to uphold strong security. Each member of our SOC team understands the critical role our services play in protecting businesses from cyber disruptions. They are dedicated to providing proactive, reliable security, giving companies confidence that they’re in safe hands.”

The SOC, based at Red Helix HQ in Buckinghamshire, combines best-of-breed technologies with human expertise and provides a service that protects companies’ users, devices, networks, data, and applications in cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments. Through the company’s innovative pod structure, its team of analysts gain an in-depth understanding of each client’s systems and behavioural patterns. They then configure tailored triggers to detect anomalies and security breaches, taking swift and appropriate action as required.

“Taylor Howse, Cyber Security Analyst at Red Helix, said, “We equip our skilled SOC team with top-tier tools to deliver exceptional service. In the ever-evolving cyber world, every day brings new challenges, so staying ahead of threats requires constant readiness. Our structured training ensures we're prepared. Each day, I analyse security logs and investigate anomalies - not just because I love the work, but also because Red Helix plays a vital role in safeguarding our customers' environments, and being a part of that is hugely rewarding.”

The expansion of the SOC team comes as Red Helix continues its growth trajectory, having recently announced the appointed former British Army officer, Tom Exelby, as its new Head of Cyber Security. The company was also named as one of the top 40 cyber security companies in the UK and Europe 2024 by TechRound.