IBM Launches AI-Powered Cybersecurity Assistant for Threat Detection

IBM has launched a new generative AI-powered cybersecurity tool designed to enhance managed threat detection and response services. 

The IBM Consulting Cybersecurity Assistant aims to accelerate and improve the identification, investigation and response to critical security threats for clients.

Built on IBM's watsonx data and AI platform, the assistant will be incorporated into IBM Consulting's threat detection and response practice as well as its AI services platform, IBM Consulting Advantage.

“As cyber incidents evolve from immediate crises to multi-dimensional and months-long events, security teams are facing the enduring challenge of too many attacks and not enough time or people to defend against them,” said Mark Hughes, IBM Consulting’s global managing partner of cybersecurity services. 

IBM’s Cybersecurity Assistant can autonomously perform tasks such as opening or summarizing tickets, running queries, pulling logs, explaining commands and enriching threat intelligence.

Developed using IBM’s Granite line of foundation models, with watsonx Assistant providing the conversational chat interface the assistant provides real-time insights for operational tasks in a conversational style for clients and IBM security analysts.

The AI-powered assistant can analyze historical correlations to auto-recommend actions to accelerate threat investigations. It can also create a timeline view of attack sequences to help analysts better comprehend critical threats and provide more context to investigations.

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The tool can continuously learn from investigations, enabling its speed and accuracy to improve over time.

The assistant is offered as part of IBM’s Threat Detection and Response Services, which the company claims can automatically handle up to 85% of alerts. 

By adding generative AI offerings like its new assistant feature, IBM says users can expedite investigating remaining alerts that require action.

The company claimed the new tool helped an unnamed client reduce alert investigation times by 48%.

“By enhancing our Threat Detection and Response services with generative AI, we can reduce manual investigations and operational tasks for security analysts, empowering them to respond more proactively and precisely to critical threats and helping to improve overall security posture for clients,” Hughes said.