Does your business manage Security Operations in house or contract a managed security services provider? The data, device, identity, network, and app perimeter is always growing, and businesses need a method to keep pace. That’s one of many reasons why the AI hype hasn’t fallen since its introduction into security operations. But is it worth the hype? And how should managed security partners or in house Security Operations Centers (SOCs) best leverage AI?
Machine learning integration in the SOC
From our early vantage, AI is worth the hype. Artificial intelligence and machine learning integrated in the Security Operations Center drives modernization and matches threat actor pace. Instead of replacing humans, AI supports and enhances incident response and alert triage. If you contract managed security services, ask these questions to judge whether your MSSP is using AI to your full advantage:
1: Does your MSSP use AI to improve security orchestration?
Let’s make sure we clarify up front: AI doesn’t replace MSSPs or reduce the investment you should be making in trained professionals. It’s not meant to coopt the human ingenuity needed for creative tasks, much less anticipating and addressing security incidents. The combination of human know-how with machine analysis directs analyst attention to the most critical alerts.
Your managed security services provider should leverage tools like Microsoft Copilot for Security to inform analyst problem solving.
2: Does your MSSP increase SOC efficiency with AI?
Used properly, AI does not undercut your service level agreements (SLAs). It only improves the speed to resolve incidents. Manual processes could seem more secure than AI, but tested machine responses increase SOC efficiency.
Anything that enables humans to move faster than contractual obligation is an asset to MSSP clients. Service level agreements should be the baseline, not the standard of service. AI-enhanced process in a SOC allows for efficient detection engineering so you’re catching the right alerts at the right time. Ask if your MSSP uses AI to reduce the mean time to respond (MTTR).
3: Does your MSSP use embedded AI capabilities within its tech stack to drive modernization?
AI isn’t a double investment. It’s not a replacement for human analysts managing security toolsets, but it can reduce the manual effort analysts expend. Tooling like Microsoft Copilot for Security is only as good as the data its connected to. Copilot pulls information from Microsoft Security Solutions and non-Microsoft security tools, creating custom reporting for threat intelligence, vulnerabilities present in your environment, and much more.
Your managed security services provider should build automation and detection capabilities with and around AI products so operational processes and event data are both improved.
Find an MSSP who uses AI to your advantage
Adding AI into security operations isn’t enough. Your managed security provider should use AI to your advantage. AI should supplement human critical thinking so SOC analysts decrease time to detect and time to respond. Like Microsoft’s Copilot for Security, AI embedded within a unified tool stack should allow your MSSP to draw from a wealth of tested data.
Ascent’s uses Copilot for Security to reduce the time between alert and incident close. Our analysts practice rigorous detection engineering across Microsoft Security Solutions. We reduce risk and save our clients licensing dollars on duplicate products. If you’re interested in learning more about managed security operations powered by Microsoft Security Solutions, reach out to info@meetascent.com.
