Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

CISOs need an agentic SOC strategy because traditional staffing models can’t scale to match machine-speed threats, a global talent shortage, and rising alert volume. An agentic SOC pairs AI agents that collect evidence and investigate at machine speed with analysts who provide judgment, context, and accountability. Exabeam combines Agent Behavior Analytics (ABA), Exabeam Nova AI, and automated investigation to expand coverage and speed response without adding headcount.

Exabeam delivers stronger detection, faster investigations, and more flexible deployment than IBM QRadar and Cortex XSIAM. It combines user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), Agent Behavior Analytics (ABA), and agentic AI through Exabeam Nova AI to reduce alert noise and automate workflows. With cloud-native capabilities in New-Scale Fusion, Exabeam gives security teams a modern approach to SIEM and security operations.

The October 2026 LogRhythm SIEM release modernizes self-hosted security operations with an in-place migration from Elasticsearch to OpenSearch, a next-generation self-service reporting engine, generative AI collectors, and a community Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. The release also includes backend and API updates that improve event drilldown, rule administration, network routing, and telemetry quality while helping organizations maintain control of sensitive security data.

An agentic SOC uses AI-powered investigation, analysis, and automation to gather data, connect activity, and handle repetitive investigative work. Analysts remain in control and focus on judgment, prioritization, and response. This addresses the need for machine-speed security operations as AI agents gain autonomy and Tier 1 access to systems. Spend five minutes watching a security analyst at work and the “AI will replace analysts” headline starts to sound out of touch.

Last week I wrote a piece talking about OpenAI’s misalignment blog and how it was a flashing red neon sign for security teams.

AI Agents are no longer the new insider threat. They’ve become firmly planted as the primary challenge for security leaders when it comes to insider threat activity. They have credentials, they act autonomously, and increasingly, they can take real actions on real systems. How would you know when one of your digital workers starts doing something it’s never done before?

Insider threat models have historically had one thing in common: somewhere in the chain, there is a person. That person may be malicious or negligent. Their credentials may have been compromised. Their actions may be intentional or accidental. But there is still a human principal at the center of the risk. Agentic AI is beginning to challenge that assumption.

AI security is entering a more demanding phase. The market is moving beyond who can add AI to a product and toward who can make it useful in the real world — across existing security environments, partner ecosystems, and day-to-day operations. CRN’s 2026 Annual Report Card offers a useful snapshot of that shift. In the AI Security category, Exabeam earned the top overall score at 90.6, leading all four subcategories and every one of the 21 individual evaluation criteria.

CISOs can strengthen security budget conversations by replacing feature comparisons with measurable operational evidence. Establish the current burden, show how an investment changes security operations, and connect those improvements to financial impact. Metrics such as alert volume, analyst investigation time, manual effort, and capacity gained help CFOs evaluate security investments in terms of cost, benefit, predictability, and measurable business value. Every CISO has been there.

Autonomy breaks traditional security operations workflows because AI agents can act continuously and independently inside approved environments. When activity is initiated and executed without a human in the loop, event-by-event review and short correlation windows fail to capture progression, intent, and accumulated risk.