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
Sophos says AI agents built through OpenAI’s Daybreak program reduced average response time to about 89 seconds for cases those agents handle—not for every Sophos MDR case. The reported result describes a specific, authorized subset of cases and comes from a vendor case study, not an independently audited efficacy study.
What does Sophos’s 89-second figure measure?
In an OpenAI case study published October 9, 2026, Sophos CTO John Peterson said the average response time for cases using the company’s Daybreak-built agents fell from about 38 minutes to about 89 seconds. Sophos’s May 2026 announcement defines the 89 seconds as the time from case creation to a fully automated response for cases AI is authorized to resolve.
That scope matters: 89 seconds is not a universal alert-to-containment time, nor is it the response time for every MDR case. The published description ties the metric to agent-handled cases within Sophos’s authorization boundaries.
OpenAI also reports that investigation time using its models fell by 96%. That is a separate measure from the 89-second average response time; the case study does not provide a detailed measurement protocol for either figure. OpenAI’s case study attributes the figures to Sophos.
#1 Best Overall
- XGS 138 with 1 Year Xstream Protection - Next-generation firewall appliance with Xstream Protection subscription providing zero-day defense, cloud sandboxing, email filtering, intrusion prevention, and advanced reporting, managed through Sophos Central for unified policies and reporting.
- 12 x 2.5 GE copper ports and 2 SFP fiber ports, offering up to 19.1 Gbps firewall throughput for enterprise and multi branch deployments.
- Zero day protection with cloud sandboxing, email filtering, and advanced reporting for full enterprise coverage.
- TLS inspection and next generation intrusion prevention block hidden threats in encrypted traffic and stop sophisticated attacks.
- Includes Xstream Protection – Advanced security bundle with zero-day protection, cloud sandboxing, email filtering, and automated threat response, providing full coverage against the most sophisticated cyberattacks.
How do the Daybreak agents work?
The case study describes a workflow in which specialized agents collect and organize information for an investigation, while a planning model prepares a structured analysis and recommended actions.
- Gather context: An investigation agent assembles customer context, detections, indicators of compromise, and relevant threat intelligence.
- Plan and investigate: A planning model uses a plan-execute-review loop: it creates an investigation plan, performs steps, and reviews the results.
- Summarize and recommend: The system prepares a summary and recommended response actions for analysts. Other agents can carry out parts of the response when permitted.
This description does not mean every case is handled identically or that an agent independently makes every consequential decision. Sophos says the agents operate within analyst-calibrated boundaries, and actions requiring greater judgment receive human oversight.
Rank #2
Are 52% of MDR cases handled end-to-end by AI?
OpenAI’s case study and Sophos’s May 2026 announcement report that 52% of MDR cases are resolved end-to-end by AI. The figure is a reported share across Sophos’s cases; it does not promise that AI will resolve a particular customer’s incident or that all cases are eligible for autonomous handling. Sophos describes the automated cases as operating within boundaries set by analysts.
Do human analysts and customers retain control?
Sophos describes three response modes that set the customer’s level of authorization:
Rank #3
- Sophos Firewall’s Xstream Protection bundle provides all the next-gen protection, performance and value you need to power even the most demanding networks. Also available with the XGS Series model of your choice included.
- Base Firewall Features Include: Networking and SD-WAN, Protection and Performance, VPN, Reporting
- Network Protection: Xstream TLS Inspection, Xstream DPI engine, IPS, ATP, Synchronized Security Heartbeat, Clientless VPN, SD-RED VPN, Reporting
- Web Protection: Xstream TLS Inspection, Xstream DPI engine, Web Control, Web Threat Protection, App Control, Synchronized App Control, Synchronized SD-WAN, Reporting
- Zero-Day Protection: Xstream TLS Inspection, Xstream DPI engine, Zero-Day Threat Protection, Powered by SophosLabs Intelix, Machine Learning, Cloud Sandboxing, Reporting
- Notify: Sophos investigates and recommends; the customer takes action.
- Collaborate: Sophos and the customer work together on the response.
- Authorise: Sophos may respond on the customer’s behalf.
Sophos says cases beyond an agent’s comfort boundaries are escalated to people, and potentially destructive actions retain appropriate human oversight. Peterson put the boundary plainly in the OpenAI case study: “Anything we don’t feel comfortable with an agent handling gets passed off for human judgement.” The customer’s selected response mode also affects what Sophos is authorized to do.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the published numbers do—and do not—establish
The reported comparison is useful as an indication of how quickly Sophos says its agents can complete authorized responses. But the cited OpenAI and Sophos materials do not disclose a full measurement protocol, case-level distribution, detailed sample size, exclusions, or an independent audit of the 89-second result. Without those details, readers cannot tell how results vary across cases or directly compare the figure with another provider’s metric.
Rank #4
- XGS 108 with 3 Years Standard Protection - Next-generation firewall appliance with Standard Protection subscription providing firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention, web security, and application control, managed through Sophos Central for unified policies and reporting.
- 6 x 2.5 GE copper ports and 1 SFP fiber port, supporting up to 12.5 Gbps firewall performance for growing business networks.
- Protects users from ransomware, malware, phishing, and intrusion attempts before they reach endpoints or applications.
- SD-WAN features deliver reliable, optimized application performance and intelligent multi link failover.
- Includes Standard Protection – Comprehensive security package with firewall, intrusion prevention, VPN, web security, and application control to defend against everyday threats and keep business operations safe.
A meaningful comparison would need to align the starting event, ending event, eligible case population, authorization rules, statistic (average or median), and measurement period. The available limitations do not show that Sophos’s claim is false; they define what the published evidence supports.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- XGS 108 with 1 Year Xstream Protection - Next-generation firewall appliance with Xstream Protection subscription providing zero-day defense, cloud sandboxing, email filtering, intrusion prevention, and advanced reporting, managed through Sophos Central for unified policies and reporting.
- 6 x 2.5 GE copper ports and 1 SFP fiber port, supporting up to 12.5 Gbps firewall performance for growing business networks.
- Zero day protection with cloud sandboxing, email filtering, and advanced reporting for full enterprise coverage.
- TLS inspection and next generation intrusion prevention block hidden threats in encrypted traffic and stop sophisticated attacks.
- Includes Xstream Protection – Advanced security bundle with zero-day protection, cloud sandboxing, email filtering, and automated threat response, providing full coverage against the most sophisticated cyberattacks.
Sources
- OpenAI: “Sophos cuts threat investigation time by 96% with OpenAI Daybreak”, October 9, 2026.
- Sophos: “Sophos’ Agentic SOC Compresses Threat Response to 89 Seconds”, May 2026.
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.
