logo
Building The Future Of Smarter Security Operations

Building The Future Of Smarter Security Operations

Forbes20-05-2025

Security teams are overwhelmed, but a smarter, unified approach—powered by AI and streamlined ... More workflows—could finally bring order to the chaos inside the SOC.
Security Operations Centers are meant to be the command hubs of cybersecurity. But many are bogged down by tool sprawl, false alerts and burned-out teams. Splunk's State of Security 2025 report shows that security teams are spending more time maintaining tools than stopping threats—and it's costing them.
I sat down with Michael Fanning, CISO at Splunk, to talk about what insights the reports revealed for him. He summed it up clearly: 'The future SOC is extremely streamlined. Analysts will be freed from mundane, repetitive tasks, so they can apply their expertise where it truly matters: defending the organization.'
SOCs today face a flood of alerts. About 59% of respondents say they get too many, and 55% are dealing with too many false positives. That slows down response times and wears down teams. Nearly half of security professionals say they spend more time managing tools than actually protecting systems.
Fanning noted that this isn't just inefficient—it's demoralizing. Spending an hour on a low-value alert that turns out to be nothing is frustrating, and it adds up fast. Downtime during an incident can cost over $500,000 per hour.
AI is already making a difference in the SOC. About 59% of security leaders say it has improved their team's efficiency. Fanning was surprised by how many teams have already started using it. 'Greater than 50% of the respondents had mentioned that their security operations are already adopting AI in some form or fashion.'
But AI is not a fix-all. It still needs oversight. Only 11% of respondents fully trust AI for mission-critical decisions. Most prefer a 'human-in-the-loop' approach. That means AI helps with repetitive tasks, but people still make the final call.
Fanning put it this way: 'I don't see it as a complete replacement, but more of an aid to help an engineer or an analyst do their job faster than they were before.'
Detection engineering is a top skill for modern security teams—but also one of the hardest to find. About 41% of teams say they lack it. Detection as Code is catching on because it lets teams create, test and improve detections like software. But only a third of organizations are using it regularly.
Fanning stressed that quality detection is key. With good data and smart rules, analysts waste less time and respond faster. Better alerts mean better decisions.
Overwork is a serious problem. More than half of SOCs report staff burnout. Many professionals have even thought about leaving the field.
Some automation can help—but it also raises new questions. If AI handles the basics, how will new analysts learn the fundamentals? Fanning pointed out that his early help desk experience gave him the skills to succeed in cybersecurity. If junior staff skip that step, they may lack the deeper knowledge needed to solve complex problems.
Splunk's own SOC has automated many tier-one tasks. But instead of cutting jobs, they use the freed-up time for higher-priority work. It's about shifting focus, not shrinking teams.
One major problem is tool sprawl. Seventy-eight percent of respondents say their tools don't work well together. That makes fast response harder. When teams adopt a unified platform, they report better results—faster response times, less tool upkeep and stronger coverage.
Security is no longer just a job for the SOC. It takes support from across the company—from HR and IT to legal and engineering. But only a small number of teams always share data across these departments. Fanning says that building those connections is crucial for quicker, more accurate responses.
The future of the SOC is about using people, processes and platforms in a smarter way. That means making thoughtful use of AI, improving detection methods, closing skill gaps and unifying security workflows.
The threats are faster, and the stakes are higher. But the Splunk report suggests that with the right strategy, SOCs can keep up—and even get ahead.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nvidia chief calls AI ‘the greatest equalizer' — but warns Europe risks falling behind
Nvidia chief calls AI ‘the greatest equalizer' — but warns Europe risks falling behind

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Nvidia chief calls AI ‘the greatest equalizer' — but warns Europe risks falling behind

PARIS (AP) — Will artificial intelligence save humanity — or destroy it? Lift up the world's poorest — or tighten the grip of a tech elite? Jensen Huang, the global chip tycoon, offered his opinion on Wednesday: neither dystopia nor domination. AI, he said, is a tool for liberation. Wearing his signature biker jacket and mobbed by fans for selfies, the Nvidia CEO cut the figure of a tech rockstar as he took the stage at VivaTech in Paris. 'AI is the greatest equalizer of people the world has ever created,' Huang said, kicking off one of Europe's biggest technology industry fairs. But beyond the sheeny optics, Nvidia used the Paris summit to unveil a wave of infrastructure announcements across Europe, signaling a dramatic expansion of the AI chipmaker's physical and strategic footprint on the continent. In France, the company is deploying 18,000 of its new Blackwell chips with startup Mistral AI. In Germany, it's building an industrial AI cloud to support manufacturers. Similar rollouts are underway in Italy, Spain, Finland and the U.K., including a new AI lab in Britain. Other announcements include a partnership with AI startup Perplexity to bring sovereign AI models to European publishers and telecoms, a new cloud platform with Mistral AI, and work with BMW and Mercedes-Benz to train AI-powered robots for use in auto plants. The announcements reflect how central AI infrastructure has become to global strategy, and how Nvidia — the world's most valuable chipmaker — is positioning itself as the engine behind it. At the center of the debate is Huang's concept of the AI factory: not a plant that makes goods, but a vast data center that creates intelligence. These facilities train language models, simulate new drugs, detect cancer in scans, and more. Asked if such systems risk creating a 'technological priesthood' — hoarding computing power and stymying the bottom-up innovation that fueled the tech industry for the past 50 years — Huang pushed back. 'Through the velocity of our innovation, we democratize,' he told The Associated Press. 'We lower the cost of access to technology.' As Huang put it, these factories 'reason,' 'plan,' and 'spend a lot of time talking to' themselves, powering everything from ChatGPT to autonomous vehicles and diagnostics. But some critics warn that without guardrails, such all-seeing, self-reinforcing systems could go the way of Skynet in ' The Terminator ' movie — vast intelligence engines that outpace human control. 'Just as electricity powered the last industrial revolution, AI will power the next one,' he said. 'Every country now needs a national intelligence infrastructure.' He added: 'AI factories are now part of a country's infrastructure. That's why you see me running around the world talking to heads of state — they all want AI to be part of their infrastructure. They want AI to be a growth manufacturing industry for them.' Europe, long praised for its leadership on digital rights, now finds itself at a crossroads. As Brussels pushes forward with world-first AI regulations, some warn that over-caution could cost the bloc its place in the global race. With the U.S. and China surging ahead and most major AI firms based elsewhere, the risk isn't just falling behind — it's becoming irrelevant. Huang has a different vision: sovereign AI. Not isolation, but autonomy — building national AI systems aligned with local values, independent of foreign tech giants. 'The data belongs to you,' Huang said. 'It belongs to your people, your country... your culture, your history, your common sense.' But fears over AI misuse remain potent — from surveillance and deepfake propaganda to job losses and algorithmic discrimination. Huang doesn't deny the risks. But he insists the technology can be kept in check — by itself. 'In the future, the AI that is doing the task is going to be surrounded by 70 or 80 other AIs that are supervising it, observing it, guarding it, ensuring that it doesn't go off the rails.' The VivaTech event was part of Huang's broader European tour. He had already appeared at London Tech Week and is scheduled to visit Germany. In Paris, he joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch to reinforce his message that AI is now a national priority. — Chan reported from London.

Alphabet (GOOGL) Lands Surprise Win as OpenAI Picks Google Cloud for AI Expansion
Alphabet (GOOGL) Lands Surprise Win as OpenAI Picks Google Cloud for AI Expansion

Yahoo

time26 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Alphabet (GOOGL) Lands Surprise Win as OpenAI Picks Google Cloud for AI Expansion

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is one of the 10 AI Stocks on Wall Street's Radar. On June 10, Reuters reported that OpenAI is planning to add Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s Google cloud service to meet its growing needs for computing capacity. Despite being competitors in the artificial intelligence space, the collaboration is a surprising highlight of the strategic need for companies to pool resources to accelerate AI adoption. According to the sources, the deal was under discussion for a few months and was finalized in May. The massive demand for computing to train and deploy AI models significantly reshapes competitive dynamics, highlighting OpenAI's latest efforts to diversify its compute sources beyond Microsoft. Google's cloud unit will now supply additional computing capacity to OpenAI's existing infrastructure for training and running its AI models, a major win for the company. Discussing the aforementioned deal, Scotiabank analysts have deemed the development to be 'somewhat surprising.' They pointed toward growth opportunities for Google's Cloud unit and also expressed caution regarding competition from ChatGPT. 'The deal … underscores the fact that the two are willing to overlook heavy competition between them to meet the massive computing demands. Ultimately, we view this as a big win for Google's cloud unit, but … there are continued worries that ChatGPT is becoming an incrementally larger threat to Google's search dominance.' While we acknowledge the potential of GOOGL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

FAA nominee tells senators he will modernize air traffic control system
FAA nominee tells senators he will modernize air traffic control system

Washington Post

time26 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

FAA nominee tells senators he will modernize air traffic control system

Bryan Bedford, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, told a Senate panel on Wednesday that if confirmed, he will push the agency to act with urgency on the administration's multi-billion-dollar revamp of the nation's air traffic control system. 'I know change can be hard, but I believe the agency can get back on the right track,' Bedford told members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Bedford, 63, the CEO of regional carrier Republic Airways, acknowledged that public confidence in the safety of the nation's airspace has been rattled this year by the midair collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, as well as by equipment failures that caused thousands of delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport. He said he is committed to rebuilding trust in the agency, which has seen an exodus of veteran leaders as part of staff reductions championed by the U.S. DOGE Service. 'The FAA is sorely in need of his steady leadership,' said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the committee's chairman. 'No Senate-confirmed head of the agency completed a full five-year term since 2018.' The agency has seen a parade of permanent and acting leaders in recent years, which some analysts and lawmakers think has hampered its ability to move forward on efforts to tackle decades-old problems including the persistent shortage of air traffic controllers. The FAA's last permanent leader, Michael Whitaker, stepped down in January after just over a year in the job. Bedford told lawmakers he is committed to serving out his full five-year term. Bedford pledged to 'to build a new best-in-class air traffic control system and to rectify the chronic understaffing in our nation's air centers. However, to accomplish this, I hope we can agree we can't repeat the mistakes of the past. We can't accept half measures.' In response to written questions from the committee, Bedford signaled that he would not hesitate to shake up an agency that he views as too cautious and risk-averse. 'There appears to be no incentive for anyone at FAA to take any innovation risk for fear that it could fail,' he wrote. 'You could say there was an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' attitude, but that has morphed into a quiet resignation that 'we can't fix it, but we can do our very best to make the system work safely today' mindset.' Bedford said as a result a 'malaise' has set in at the FAA, where 'managers believe the agency is helpless to make the necessary changes, and furthermore, they rationalize it isn't really their fault,' he continued. 'The best they can do is fight every day to make the current system limp along safely.' Bedford has served as CEO of Republic Airways, a regional carrier based in Indianapolis, since 1999. He is married with nine children, several of which joined him at Wednesday's hearing. He has a bachelor's degree in business from Florida State University. Bedford has won praise from an array of industry groups, with Airlines for America, the trade group that represents the nation's largest carriers, calling him a 'superb choice' to lead the agency. 'He intimately understands the importance of a strong working relationship between the FAA and airspace operators of all sizes,' the group said in a statement, urging the Senate committee to move quickly to confirm him. But his nomination has drawn opposition from Democrats on the panel and some labor unions, including the Air Line Pilots Association, which cited his support of efforts to reduce the number of flight hours required to become a commercial pilot. Though repeatedly pressed by several Democratic senators about whether he would seek to reduce the current 1,500-hour requirement, Bedford would only say that he would not take any action that would compromise safety. 'It's important that we have an FAA administrator who strengthens our aviation standards to honor the families who have lost loved ones in these tragic accidents,' said Sen. Maria Cantwell (Washington), the committee's ranking Democrat. 'The tragic midair collision in January between the Army Blackhawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 took the lives of 67 people and is a stark reminder of what happens when the system fails.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store