7AI Launches Managed Security Service Based on AI SOC
7AI this week launched a managed security service based on an agentic artificial intelligence (AI) framework that analyzes data where it resides versus requiring organizations to first aggregate their data.
The PLAID Elite service is based on a security operations center (SOC) platform that 7AI developed using AI agents that are trained to automate repetitive tasks and run investigations.
7AI CEO Lior Div said that the platform now enables the company to provide a 24/7 service that combines AI agents with human security expertise to provide a managed service that scales more cost effectively than legacy approaches to managed security services. As investigation volume increases, system performance improves, creating a compounding advantage where outcomes become faster and more accurate over time, he noted.
The PLAID Elite service doesn’t require organizations to centralize their data before they can apply AI, said Div. In effect, 7AI has developed a more federated approach that brings AI to where data already resides, he added.
It’s not clear how many managed security service providers (MSSPs) will be adopting similar approaches to apply AI to security operations but it’s clear that the fundamental economics of providing these services is changing. MSSPs in the AI era should be able to provide 24/7 coverage relying on fewer personnel. Less clear is to what degree that approach lowers costs to the point where savings can be passed on to organizations once the total cost of AI is calculated.
In the meantime, the one thing that is certain is that adversaries will be using AI to create more sophisticated attacks that can be launched at machine speed. Like it or not, organizations are now caught up in an AI arms race where exploits to newly discovered vulnerabilities can now be created and weaponized in a few hours.
Unfortunately, few organizations today can defend themselves against cyberattacks launched at machine speed, so in many cases there will be a greater need to rely on an MSSP that has the financial resources needed to build, deploy and maintain an AI platform.
In total, 7AI claims that its AI agents have already processed 7 million investigations for organizations such as DXC Technology, BigID, Duck Creek Technologies, OneSpan, and Cole Scott & Kissane, with a 95-99% reduction in false positives from investigations that are now completed in minutes. That capability is crucial because it provides cybersecurity teams with the additional time needed to investigate serious issues versus investigating ones that can be easily resolved by AI agents that over time are more likely to be more consistently accurate, said Div.
No one yet knows exactly what the right mix of humans and AI agents will be to ensure security. However, it’s not likely AI agents will completely eliminate the need for cybersecurity professionals any time soon. Instead, AI will eliminate many of the tedious tasks that have historically conspired to burn out cybersecurity professionals who, all things considered, would generally much rather be spending their time on issues that require more creativity and insight to resolve.
