SOC Teams Overwhelmed: Cybersecurity Tools Fail to Deliver

A recent study by Vectra AI revealed growing dissatisfaction among SOC teams with current cybersecurity tools. Experts note that the abundance of disparate solutions and the lack of precise indicators of compromise make it difficult to effectively detect and prioritize genuine threats.

Security operations professionals point to a growing distrust of cybersecurity solution providers. They feel that the tools in use hinder rather than assist in identifying attacks. Despite increased confidence in their own skills and optimism about the use of artificial intelligence, many teams still face challenges when analyzing cyber threats.

Moreover, the rise of hybrid attacks and the adoption of new generative AI-based tools have further complicated the work of SOC teams. Generative AI creates additional opportunities for attackers, while cybersecurity professionals struggle with an overload of false positives and alert noise. Despite heightened confidence in their defenses, a significant portion of SOC experts still believe they lack the necessary tools for effective threat detection.

According to the study, 71% of SOC professionals fear missing a genuine attack due to the flood of alerts, while 51% admit they cannot keep up with the growing number of threats. Furthermore, 47% do not trust the functionality of their tools, and 54% believe that these tools increase the workload on SOC rather than alleviate it.

One of the main issues is the excessive number of tools in use: 73% of teams have implemented more than 10 solutions, and 45% have adopted more than 20. Many SOC teams are considering the implementation of extended detection and response (XDR) systems as an alternative.

Dissatisfaction with cybersecurity tools is intensifying: over 60% of experts believe that vendors offer solutions that generate too much noise and too many alerts. Meanwhile, 71% feel that vendors should take greater responsibility for failed attempts to prevent breaches.

SOC professionals spend more than two hours a day processing and classifying events, and only 50% believe their tools genuinely help in detecting real attacks. Realistically, they can process only 38% of alerts, with just 16% of those classified as actual threats.

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly sought after in SOC to enhance the efficiency of threat detection and response. According to 85% of experts, investments in AI have grown over the past year, and 67% believe AI has positively impacted threat identification. Additionally, 89% plan to expand the use of AI in the future to replace outdated tools. However, for AI to be fully embraced, vendors need to build trust by demonstrating real value without adding complexity to SOC operations.

Thus, the crisis of trust in cybersecurity underscores the need to rethink protection strategies. Instead of chasing more tools and generating endless alerts, the industry should focus on developing intelligent, integrated solutions that can effectively identify real threats. Only a balanced combination of cutting-edge technology and human expertise can provide reliable protection in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.