Microsoft Enhances Enterprise Security With New Copilot-Powered AI Agents

As the digital landscape evolves, so do the threats and opportunities. This is especially true for digital security, with both businesses and bad actors being on their toes to keep up with the latest in enterprise security.

We've seen this play out recently with Cloudflare's innovative "AI Labyrinth," a clever AI-powered honeypot designed to combat AI data scraping. However, AI-powered solutions can do a lot more–and that’s precisely what Microsoft has announced.

Microsoft Security's latest initiative to bolster enterprise security comes in the form of its Security Copilot program, with a suite of eleven different AI agents to streamline various aspects of enterprise security.

Dive in and explore what Microsoft’s new AI agents have to offer!

What Is Microsoft’s New AI Offering For Security Teams?

Microsoft's latest announcement unveils a series of AI agents designed to empower security professionals by offering a powerful arsenal of tools against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.

Microsoft's new AI agents - six developed internally and five by third-party partners - will be available for preview starting in April. Integrated directly with Microsoft's security products, these agents aim to streamline the often-overwhelming workload faced by security professionals and teams.

The AI agents are built on Microsoft's Zero Trust framework, meaning they're designed to learn from user feedback and adapt to an organization's specific workflows. So, how will this help enterprise security and IT teams?

Let's explore the five Microsoft Security Copilot agents to understand their functionality.

What Can Microsoft’s AI Agents Do?

 

• Phishing Triage Agent In Microsoft Defender
  It's designed to sift through the deluge of phishing alerts, distinguishing genuine threats from false alarms. By offering clear explanations for its decisions and continuously learning from your input, this agent aims to refine its detection capabilities over time.

• Alert Triage Agent In Microsoft Purview
  This agent focuses on data loss and insider risks by prioritizing alerts, enabling you to focus on the most critical issues in a timely manner.

• Conditional Access Optimization Agent In Microsoft Entra
  By proactively identifying new users and apps that might slip through the cracks of existing security policies, this agent suggests necessary updates to close potential security gaps.

• Vulnerability Remediation Agent In Microsoft Intune
  With the help of this agent, you can prioritize security flaws, identify app and policy configuration issues, and get recommendations on the right Windows patches. 

• Threat Intelligence Briefing Agent In Security Copilot
  The agent provides relevant and timely intelligence tailored to your organization's specific risks.

Well, it’s imperative to know that despite Microsoft’s security expertise, it isn't developing these AI agents alone. It has partnered with five third-party companies to bring even more specialized agents to the Security Copilot platform.

What Can Microsoft’s Third-Party AI Agents Do?

To deliver greater value, five AI agents developed by Microsoft and its partners are also available in Security Copilot. These include:
 

• Privacy Breach Response Agent By Onetrust
  This agent helps you navigate the complex world of data breaches and regulatory compliance.

• Network Supervisor Agent By Aviatrix
  It monitors network security risks, alerting you to VPN, gateway, and Site2Cloud connection issues.

• The SecOps Tooling Agent by BlueVoyant
  This provides insights into your security operations center, suggesting improvements to your controls.

• Alert Triage Agent by Tanium
  This agent adds context to security alerts, helping you make informed decisions.

• Task Optimizer Agent By Fletch
  This AI agent prioritizes critical security alerts, ensuring you focus on the most urgent issues.

Microsoft mentioned it views security as a team sport and is committed to contributing to the security ecosystem with an open platform with its partners. Alexander Stojanovic, the Vice President of Microsoft Security AI Applied Research, mentioned in the press release for Microsoft Security Copilot’s AI agents, “This is just the beginning; our security AI research is pushing the boundaries of innovation, and we are eager to continuously bring even greater value to our customers at the speed of AI.”

So, how are these AI agents changing the enterprise game? 

Why Is Security Copilot Important For Cybersecurity?

Microsoft's Security Copilot, introduced approximately a year ago, leverages AI to track and assess security threats. Its aim is to automate routine tasks, thereby freeing up valuable time. This AI-powered tool can also offer guidance, enabling IT security teams to prioritize tasks and respond to threats more quickly and efficiently.

A recent study highlights that Security Copilot helps security teams speed up threat response by 30% while minimizing the impact of incidents —a crucial advantage in the current cybersecurity environment.

Another advantage is its cost, as Security Copilot operates on a pay-as-you-go model, priced at $4 per hour via a Security Compute Unit (SCU). Microsoft estimates that continuous 24/7 use would cost around $2,920 each month. However, flexible pricing options will allow organizations of all sizes to scale the usage of AI agents based on their requirements.

However, like any AI-driven technology, these tools have limitations in accuracy. As Kris Bondi, CEO and co-founder of Mimoto, states, "While AI agents aren't able to detect a threat, they should be able to help in responding to what has been found.”

J. Stephen Kowski, Field CTO at SlashNext Email Security+, also emphasizes the need for caution, saying, "AI agents promise improved threat response, but results from baseline models haven't been overwhelming, with many customers reporting that even high-tier solutions miss significant numbers of threats."

He further notes that while Microsoft's Security Copilot holds promise, adoption has been slower than expected due to concerns about data handling, required services, and licensing costs. 

Is Agentic AI Security Still A Work In Progress?

By taking over routine tasks and providing actionable insights, Microsoft’s AI agents autonomously assist with data security, giving security professionals more time to focus on critical threats. Yet, at the end of the day, human expertise and vigilance are still crucial to staying ahead of evolving risks.

Just as Cloudflare is helping businesses tackle the risk of illegal AI web scraping, Microsoft’s latest step will help in adapting to the paradigm of AI threats. Businesses that bolster their security with AI agents will be able to adapt to the rising volume of cyber-attacks without being overwhelmed.

Do you think AI-powered security tools like Microsoft's Security Copilot agents will keep the growing cyber threats at bay?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!