iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
AI may give security operations center (SOC) analysts more room to investigate complex threats, but current evidence does not show that it broadly causes skill loss. In a 2026 vendor-sponsored survey, 62% of respondents said AI improved their skill development, while 24% said it limited their ability to develop security skills. Those are perceptions, not measured changes in competence or proof of cause and effect.
What the survey says about AI and SOC analyst capacity
Swimlane released The New SOC Career Ladder: How AI Is Reshaping the Security Operations Workforce on September 30, 2026. Sapio Research conducted the online survey between August and September 2026 under Swimlane’s guidance. It covered 500 security operations professionals and leaders at companies with at least 500 employees in the United States and United Kingdom. The findings are self-reported, and the survey was commissioned by a security software vendor, so they should be read as respondents’ views rather than independent measurements of productivity or job outcomes. Swimlane’s survey release
A secondary report by Infosecurity Magazine attributed several capacity findings to the survey: 47% of respondents named greater capacity among AI’s two biggest impacts; 35% said they had more time to investigate complex threats; and 35% said they could focus more on strategic or cross-functional work. The primary release does not show the 47% figure in its release text, so that number is attributable to the secondary report, not independently confirmed here. Infosecurity Magazine’s report
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11
Skill development: mixed perceptions, not proof of deskilling
In the same Swimlane survey, 62% of respondents said AI had improved their skill development, while 24% said it had limited their ability to develop security skills. These responses can coexist: analysts may find AI useful for learning or taking on more complex work, while also losing opportunities to practice certain routine tasks. The survey does not establish that AI caused either outcome, measure respondents’ actual skills, or show how perceptions vary by role or experience.
The concern is credible because routine work can provide practice in the fundamentals. Swimlane co-founder and CEO Cody Cornell said, “The challenge is that routine work has also been one of the ways analysts learn the fundamentals.” He added, “As more of that work is automated, organizations need to rethink training and career paths so people still develop the judgment to know when AI is right and when it is not.” These are a vendor executive’s observations, not independent study conclusions. Swimlane’s survey release
Could AI make it harder to become a SOC analyst?
Survey respondents expressed concern that entry routes may change. Swimlane reported that 47% expected cybersecurity to become harder to enter: 37% anticipated higher entry-level requirements, and 10% expected fewer junior opportunities to gain foundational experience. At the same time, 41% anticipated new roles focused on AI oversight, validation, and orchestration. These are expectations, not evidence that entry-level jobs have already disappeared or that new roles will offset any reduction in junior opportunities.
Responses also differed by seniority. Swimlane reported extensive AI deployment across multiple security functions among 74% of leaders and 49% of practitioners. Leaders were more likely than practitioners to say roles had been formally redesigned around higher-value work: 46% versus 28%. That gap suggests that leaders and frontline staff may experience AI-driven workflow changes differently; it does not, by itself, establish why.
Rank #2
- Matt-laminated and greaseproof pages ensure glare-free reading and long life
- The outside covers are made from a new rubberized material for better Handling and Grip
- All the Tool Holder Identification Sections now include a full INCH section along with a METRIC section
- Updated and Improved Index Searching
What researchers have observed in SOC workflows
A 2025 field study examined 3,090 queries from 45 analysts over 10 months at one enterprise SOC. The queries came from live investigations between May 2023 and March 2024 and involved GPT-4. Analysts commonly used the model to interpret raw telemetry, improve task-related communication, and get brief, on-demand help. The authors describe LLMs as aids for sensemaking and context-building, with analysts retaining final judgment. Because the study covered one organization and described usage, it does not establish effects on long-term learning or productivity across SOCs. Singh et al., “LLMs in the SOC”
A separate Cloud Security Alliance benchmark tested one AI-enabled platform with 148 participants randomly assigned to AI-assisted or manual investigation for two escalated-alert scenarios: an AWS S3 bucket alert and a Microsoft Entra ID failed-login alert. In those scenarios, the AI-assisted investigations were 45% and 61% faster and scored 22% and 29% higher in accuracy, respectively. These results apply to the tested platform and scenarios; they are not a general estimate for every SOC task or evidence about analysts’ long-term skills. Cloud Security Alliance’s benchmark announcement
How SOC teams can balance automation with hands-on learning
The studies do not prove which training or deployment approach best preserves skills. They do point to practical questions SOC leaders can use when deciding what to automate. These are prudent management measures, not interventions validated by the cited studies.
- Keep practice in the workflow. Decide which routine tasks can be automated outright and which should remain supervised exercises, especially for analysts still learning core investigative patterns.
- Make recommendations inspectable. Analysts should be able to review the evidence behind an AI suggestion rather than treating its output as an unexplained answer.
- Set human approval boundaries. Define when an analyst can pause or override a recommendation and which consequential actions require explicit human approval. Swimlane CISO Mike Lyborg said, “Security teams need to see how a recommendation was reached, understand what action will follow and be able to step in before a consequential decision is made.” He also said, “AI may be taking on more work in the SOC, but accountability still belongs with people.” These are statements from a vendor representative. Swimlane’s survey release
- Measure learning as well as operational results. Track investigation quality and speed alongside whether analysts can explain the evidence, identify errors, and handle cases without assistance. A faster workflow alone does not show that people are developing or retaining investigative judgment.
- Check outcomes by role and task. Automation may benefit experienced analysts differently from new hires. Review local outcomes by experience level and task instead of assuming one deployment pattern works equally well for everyone.
How confident are analysts in checking AI?
Swimlane reported that 92% of respondents were confident they could recognize an incorrect or incomplete AI recommendation, and 48% said they rely on their own judgment when AI conflicts with evidence or could affect critical systems. These are statements of confidence and preference—not tests showing how accurately analysts identify errors in practice. Teams should verify that confidence against reviewed cases and clear escalation procedures.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
