INE Releases New Guide to Help Security Leaders Build AI-Augmented SOC Teams
Cary, NC, March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INE today announced the release of a new guide designed to help security leaders build AI-augmented security teams, an approach that combines machine speed with human expertise to improve outcomes in modern Security Operations Centers (SOCs).
As AI adoption accelerates across cybersecurity platforms, many organizations have been told the same promise: AI will automate security operations, reduce staffing requirements, and dramatically lower costs. In reality, many security teams are discovering a more complicated picture.
While AI tools can increase detection speed and process massive volumes of telemetry, they also introduce new operational challenges—from rising false positives to increased analyst workload.
“At INE, we consistently see the same pattern across security teams,” said Lindsey Rinehart, Chief Executive Officer at INE. “AI helps with speed and scale, but it also changes the nature of security work. Organizations still need skilled defenders who can validate signals, apply context, and make critical decisions under pressure.”
Why Security Leaders Need This Guide Now
AI is rapidly becoming both a defensive tool and an offensive weapon in cybersecurity.
Security teams increasingly rely on AI to prioritize alerts, summarize evidence, and accelerate investigations. At the same time, threat actors are using AI to increase the scale and sophistication of attacks.
The guide highlights two realities many SOC leaders are now reporting:
- AI can increase alert noise. Forty-two percent of security professionals report that AI-powered tools are increasing false positives rather than reducing them.
- AI is amplifying attacker capabilities. Approximately 80% of ransomware attacks now leverage artificial intelligence to assist with tasks such as malware development, phishing content generation, and password cracking.
These developments create what INE calls the AI security paradox: the same technology strengthening defense is also accelerating the threat landscape.
As a result, skilled human defenders are becoming more valuable—not less.
What AI-Augmented Security Teams Look Like
The guide outlines how security leaders can structure teams where automation and human expertise reinforce each other.
AI tools perform best when applied to high-volume analytical work such as:
- Alert enrichment and data correlation
- Pattern detection across large telemetry datasets
- Drafting initial incident summaries and timelines
Human analysts remain critical for responsibilities that require context and judgment, including:
- Validating detections and reducing false positives
- Making risk-based response decisions when information is incomplete
- Safely containing incidents with potential business impact
- Interpreting attacker behavior and evolving response playbooks
What Security Leaders Will Learn
The guide provides a practical framework for SOC leaders planning future security operations and evaluating AI investments.
Topics include:
- Why AI security tools can create new operational challenges
- The measurable ROI of human expertise in AI-driven environments
- How to build and retain AI-augmented security teams
- How security leaders can answer the executive question:
“Can’t AI just do this?”
“AI is a powerful capability for cybersecurity teams,” said Rinehart. “But it doesn’t replace human judgment, experience, or leadership during real incidents. This guide helps security leaders communicate both the strengths and limitations of AI as they plan their security strategy.”
Availability
The guide, “The AI Security Paradox: Why Your Best Defense Is Still Human,” is available now from INE.
Download the guide: https://learn.ine.com/ebook/ai-security-paradox
About INE
INE is an award-winning, premier provider of online networking and cybersecurity education, including cybersecurity training and certification. INE is trusted by Fortune 500 companies and IT professionals around the globe. Leveraging a state-of-the-art hands-on lab platform, advanced technologies, a global video distribution network, and instruction from world-class experts, INE sets the standard for high-impact, career-advancing technical education.
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Andie Rice-Tanner INE press@ine.com
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