Microsoft Security Copilot Gets Upgraded With AI Agents To Battle Hackers

Black hat hackers are usually intelligent folks channeling their energy in the wrong direction that use sophisticated techniques to exploit vulnerabilities and cause security breaches. Most tech companies, however, don't simply wait and watch for attacks. They make continuous efforts to strengthen their products' security against hackers. In response to increasing cyberattacks, for example, Microsoft has announced an upgrade to its Security Co-pilot tool that will enhance AI agents to help cybersecurity teams identify and respond to threats.

In a blog post on Monday, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Security, Vasu Jakkal, announced plans to unveil 11 AI agents next month for previewing, which expand the capabilities of its Security Co-pilot feature. Out of these 11 agents, Microsoft says it will develop six, while five will be acquired from partners.

According to Microsoft, the Security Co-pilot is an AI feature integrated into Microsoft products and services that's designed to serve mainly as an intelligence assistant to cybersecurity teams. However, AI agents can operate independently without any direct contribution from a user as well. Jakkal revealed that these AI agents are "designed to autonomously assist with critical areas such as phishing, data security, and identity management." Microsoft also emphasized its importance by pointing out that these AI agents are needed to help respond effectively to increasing cyberattacks that have overwhelmed security teams. Jakkal says," The relentless pace and complexity of cyberattacks have surpassed human capacity, and establishing AI agents is a necessity for modern security."

Microsoft revealed that while its six AI agents are built to handle tasks independently, they are made to function under the supervision of humans. While the agents handle routine tasks, security teams can focus on more complex tasks.

Microsoft also announced a partnership with prominent cybersecurity firms such as OneTrust, Aviatrix, BlueVoyant, Tanium, and Fletch to develop five more security agents. These other agents will help simplify the processes for issues involving data breaches, network troubleshooting, security operation center(SOC) optimization, alert triages, and cyber threat analysis.

In 2024 alone, Microsoft reported over 30 billion malicious emails used as a mask for different social engineering snares. As these threats take new shapes and dimension, it's expected that Microsoft and other security vendors will tap the evolving power of AI to develop effective security solutions that will help combat the overwhelming activities of malicious actors.


Top Image Credit: Microsoft