How AI Is Changing the Roles Required in the Security Operations Center

How AI Is Changing the Roles Required in the Security Operations Center

How AI Is Changing the Roles Required in the Security Operations Center

As AI takes on more of the enrichment, correlation, and initial assessment inside the SOC, roles, skills, and KPIs still require deliberate redesign. Security leaders need to decide where automation is dependable, where human judgment should remain decisive, and how teams should be measured when alert handling is no longer the center of the operating model

The Gartner® report, The Roles Required for the AI-Enabled Security Operations Center (SOC), examines the roles and capabilities Gartner expects the SOC to require as AI becomes embedded in security operations. Rapid7 is offering complimentary access to the research, which we believe can help leaders plan their future workforce, operating model, and investment priorities.

How will AI change the role of SOC analysts?

Many analyst roles and performance measures remain closely tied to handling individual alerts. As organizations introduce AI SOC agents to support enrichment, correlation, and initial assessment, leaders may need to reconsider where human expertise creates the greatest operational value.

Gartner states, "Human analysts must transition from alert triage roles to end-to-end case ownership and effective response option communication." At Rapid7, we believe this shift creates an opportunity for analysts to focus their judgment on validating context, coordinating response, and communicating decisions clearly.