AI and Cybersecurity 102: Leveraging AI & Automation for a More Efficient Security Team

AI and automation are quickly becoming transformative tools for teams in many different departments serving virtually all industries. Leveraging AI for adding efficiency to cybersecurity teams blossomed in 2023 as the development of new tooling became more prevalent.  

By automating routine tasks, expediting response times, and ensuring proactive security measures, businesses can stay one step ahead of cyber threats. Embracing these technologies will not only fortify your cybersecurity posture but also contribute to the overall success of your organization. For instance, Microsoft's Security Copilot is already helping customers save up to 40 percent of their time on core security operations tasks with capabilities such as writing complex queries based only on natural language questions and summarizing security incidents. 

Before we examine further how leveraging AI can be a vital component of your cybersecurity plan, it could be helpful to review some AI basics. Get our primer on artificial intelligence (with the prism of 2023) here; it includes context useful for dialing in further into how security teams can use this emerging technology.  

Eliminate Reactive: Talk to one of our experts to begin adding tailored security solutions paired with innovative technologies to safeguard your business.  

5 Examples of How Leveraging AI Enhances Security Operations 

Enhanced SOC Operations 

In the Security Operations Center (SOC), AI-driven security information and event management (SIEM) systems play a crucial role. Working on their own or in conjunction, these systems can take the incredible amounts of data generated and analyze them in real-time—giving SOC teams actionable information to identify potential threats and anomalies more quickly than through manual processes. By automating incident response, AI minimizes the risk of human error and ensures a more efficient incident-handling process. 

Infrastructure as Code for Cloud Security 

Emerging tools fueled by AI enable organizations to create cloud environments that adhere to security standards automatically. This ensures consistent, secure, and compliant infrastructure across cloud platforms, reducing manual configuration and deployment time. More importantly, you can rest easy knowing every detail is accounted for and aligned correctly. 

Code Review for Secure Software Development 

AI-powered code analysis tools can identify security vulnerabilities in code during the development phase. This proactive approach saves time by reducing the need for manual code reviews and patches after deployment. These tools help ensure secure code from the start and these applications were early adoptions of AI into the security landscape.  

Automated Vulnerability Scanning and Patching 

Forget coverage gaps between scans. Automation tools can conduct continuous vulnerability scans and provide prioritized lists of vulnerabilities based on risk. Security teams can then automate the patching or mitigation process, ensuring that critical vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.  

Reporting and Compliance Automation 

AI and automation can handle routine security tasks such as log analysis, user access management, and reporting. This allows security analysts to focus on more complex and strategic security activities, making the team more efficient and agile. 

Need more information about the CMMC process? We run down every step in the certification process here.  

Sample Solutions Already Leveraging AI 

These solutions use AI to automate security tasks, detect threats more quickly and accurately, and improve the overall security posture of organizations. Here are some specific solutions already in play for organizations that are effectively bolstering their resiliency and have a proven track record to prove it.  

Microsoft Security Copilot 

Security Copilot can help security analysts with a variety of tasks, including writing complex queries, summarizing security incidents, and investigating potential threats. It can also help to identify patterns and trends in security data that may be indicative of malicious activity. 

SentinelOne 

SentinelOne is an endpoint protection platform that uses AI to detect and respond to threats in real-time. It can automatically block malicious activity, remediate compromised systems, and provide insights into the attack surface. 

Abnormal Security 

Abnormal Security is an email security solution that uses AI to detect and block targeted email attacks. It can identify malicious emails based on a variety of factors, including the sender's reputation, the content of the email, and the recipient's behavior. 

These are just a few examples of the many AI-powered security solutions available today. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, AI will play an increasingly important role in helping organizations to protect themselves from cyberattacks. 

Expanded Protection: XDR protection provides comprehensive cybersecurity solutions for an organization’s entire digital landscape. Learn more today. 

Looking to Leverage AI? Lean on Inversion6 

Inversion6 has the insight into cutting-edge technologies to determine what works, what needs time to develop and how to put them in place to help protect your organization. We’ve been at the forefront of learning how to further implement automation and AI in security programs to provide a more proactive approach to cybersecurity. 

Inversion6 has: 

• Developed strategies for leveraging AI technology into our own processes for increased efficiency and protection 
• Extensive experience solving complex challenges across many industries 
• Built long-running partnerships with many of the leading-edge solutions providers in the space today 

For more than 30 years, Inversion6 has created comprehensive, effective and manageable cybersecurity solutions that include a Security Operations Center (SOC),  managed detection & response (MDR),  autonomous penetration testing, and more. Leveraging AI and automation is the next step in the evolution of stronger cybersecurity programs. 

Schedule a consultation today to discover how we can put these new tools to work for your organization.