AI and Virtual Operators in the SOC: Automation That Amplifies Human Judgment

How AI and Virtual Operators Are Transforming Security Operations

Security operations are under pressure: more alarms, more data streams, tighter SLAs, and no margin for missed incidents. In a recent conversation, Simon Morgan, Chief Product Officer at SureView Systems, explained how artificial intelligence and virtual operators can reduce noise while keeping humans in control.

"You're in control of how much or how little you want these virtual operators to do," Morgan says. "So as the technology evolves and your confidence level rises, you might want them to do more, but you can start off slowly, and you can give them directions so that everything is still confirmed by human operator. It's all up to the control of the administrators and the SOC supervisors and managers."

The operations problem AI actually solves

Large organizations struggle with alert volume, manual triage, and inconsistent responses across shifts and sites. That drives fatigue and missed context. AI and virtual operators target those pinch points: filtering noise, enriching alerts, and executing repeatable steps fast.

The aim is simple: free human operators for judgment-heavy work and critical decisions, while machine agents handle repeat, time-sensitive tasks.

What virtual operators do in a SOC

• Enrich: Pull camera views, access logs, identity data, and prior incidents into a single incident card.
• Triage: Score alarms against SOPs and business rules to prioritize the queue.
• Execute: Trigger predefined actions (lock doors, dispatch guard, notify IT/HR) with human approval or full automation based on policy.
• Document: Auto-generate incident notes, timestamps, and evidence packages for audits.
• Learn: Improve routing and prioritization as feedback is captured by supervisors.

Human-in-the-loop by design

Virtual operators are policy-bound. Administrators decide which steps are automated, which require approval, and which remain manual. Start narrow, expand by evidence.

• Gates: "Propose-only" for the first 60-90 days; require a human click to proceed.
• Approvals: Escalate outside normal parameters (location, time, identity risk).
• Audit: Every action and decision is logged for review and compliance.

Architecture that scales

Cloud-native platforms help unify data and scale during spikes. Look for API-first tools, strong identity controls, and high-availability options across regions. Keep integrations modular so you can swap point systems without breaking workflows.

• Core integrations: VMS, access control, SIEM/SOAR, HRIS/identity, ITSM, and communications.
• Standards: Common data models and event schemas to avoid brittle one-off connectors.
• Resilience: Regional failover, message queues, and offline procedures for site outages.

A practical rollout playbook

• Choose 2-3 high-volume, low-complexity use cases: door-forced-open, after-hours access, multi-alarm correlation.
• Write clear SOPs with decision trees and thresholds.
• Set gates: proposal-only first; then auto-execute low-risk steps; retain human confirmation for dispatch and critical changes.
• Pilot in one site or business unit. Track baseline metrics before changes.
• Brief operators and supervisors; run tabletop tests; adjust prompts, rules, and data sources.
• Expand to adjacent use cases after you see 20-40% efficiency gains and stable false-positive rates.

Metrics that matter

• MTTA and MTTR: Time to acknowledge and resolve incidents.
• Operator utilization: % of time on high-value tasks vs. triage/admin.
• Alarm efficiency: False alarm rate, auto-closed rate, cost per alarm.
• Quality: SOP adherence, audit completeness, and escalation accuracy.
• Resilience: Backlog during spikes, failover performance, and data latency.

Risk, compliance, and control

• Data governance: Limit exposure of PII; define retention windows; encrypt at rest and in transit.
• Model behavior: Guardrails for hallucination and overreach; use approved tools for any AI-generated content in reports.
• Change control: Version SOPs and prompts; require approver sign-off for automation scope changes.
• Fail-safes: Clear human override and fallbacks if a system or model is unavailable.

For policy frameworks, review guidance such as NIST's incident handling approach in SP 800-61 (NIST SP 800-61) and CISA's SOC best practices (CISA SOC resources).

People and process first

Technology fails without operator buy-in. Share the "why," show early wins, and rotate operators through quality review so they see how their feedback improves triage. Use short, repeatable drills to build confidence.

• Skills: Data literacy, SOP authoring, and incident communications.
• Roles: Clear responsibilities for SOC supervisors, automation admins, and runbook owners.
• Training: Micro-lessons tied to each new automated step and scenario.

If your team needs structured upskilling, explore role-based AI courses to accelerate adoption (Courses by job) and practical automation resources (Automation guides).

Technology blueprint

• Event intake: Normalize alarms from physical security, IT, and OT sources.
• Context services: Identity, asset inventory, floor plans, geofencing, weather.
• Decision layer: Rules engine + AI scoring for prioritization and routing.
• Action layer: Playbooks for notify, dispatch, lock/unlock, ticketing, and mass comms.
• Evidence: Auto-attach clips, logs, and operator chat; lock chain of custody.

Buy vs. build

• Choose platforms with open APIs, proven integrations, and clear audit trails.
• Insist on environment isolation, role-based access, and SOC2/ISO attestations.
• Run a proof-of-value with real data and clearly defined success criteria.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Automating broken SOPs. Fix the process first.
• Skipping approvals. Start with propose-only, then expand scope.
• Ignoring operator feedback. Close the loop weekly during rollout.
• Untracked drift. Re-validate prompts, rules, and thresholds monthly.

Starter checklist

• Pick top 3 alarm types by volume and business impact.
• Define the minimum data needed for a good decision.
• Write a one-page runbook per alarm with go/no-go criteria.
• Enable propose-only automation; set review meetings every two weeks.
• Publish metrics to a shared dashboard; adjust scope based on evidence.

The takeaway is control and clarity. Start small, measure everything, and let virtual operators earn autonomy through results. As Morgan puts it, administrators decide the pace-AI supports the mission, operators set the standard.

Listen to the conversation on your preferred podcast platform, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And if you're planning your next phase of SOC modernization, use the steps above as your blueprint.