Gurucul, the leader in data and security analytics, has officially published the results from its 2025 Pulse of the AI SOC research report, which it prepared in close collaboration with Cybersecurity Insiders.
According to certain reports, this particular study took into account the opinion of more than 739 cybersecurity leaders worldwide. As for the results, they reveal that Security Operations Centers (SOCs) are facing unprecedented pressures, ranging from escalating identity-based attacks and soaring alert volumes to staffing shortages and tool fragmentation. Such a conflicting reality, on its part, has convinced them to adopt AI as a practical and operational necessity.
“AI-powered SOCs are no longer just theory; they’re cutting investigation times, reducing false positives, and lowering analyst burnout. Leaders are unifying identity and behavioral analytics as a force multiplier, turning fragmented data into decisions in seconds and getting ahead of threats instead of chasing them,” said Holger Schulze, founder and CEO, Cybersecurity Insiders.
Talk about the published results on a slightly deeper level, we begin from how identity and human risk are the top concerns, and the least visible. This translates to how 78% of security leaders identify social engineering and phishing as their top threat, followed closely by identity-based attacks (73%). Despite the clear risk, though, 67% still lack visibility into access behavior and lateral movement.
Next up, we must expand upon a continued rise in alert volumes. You see, 88% of respondents say alert volume increased in the past year, with nearly half reporting spikes over 25%. In fact, alert fatigue is now a top challenge for 76% of SOCs.
Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in the fact that human capital is also at a breaking point. We get to say so because 73% reported analyst burnout and staffing shortages, whereas on the other hand, 64% were found to still rely heavily on manual detection, triage, and investigation processes.
Hold on, we still have a few bits left to unpack, considering we haven’t yet touched upon the accelerating adoption. In essence, while 87% of respondents are deploying, piloting or evaluating AI-powered SOC tools, no more than 31% said they use them across core detection and response workflows.
We also haven’t touched upon a piece of claiming that AI automation is already delivering ROI. 60% of adopters have, markedly enough, reduced their investigation times by at least 25%, as well as achieved measurable gains in faster triage and reduced analyst fatigue.
Rounding up highlights would be CISO’s decision to align their priorities with AI capabilities. From a statistical standpoint, 72% are prioritizing faster investigations, 65% aim to reduce alert noise, and 61% are investing in automation.
Founded in 2010, Gurucul’s rise up the ranks stems from analyzing enterprise data at scale through machine learning and artificial intelligence. The company’s proprietary platform, for instance, conceives for you an open, flexible and cloud native framework, thus conforming to your business requirements.
Gurucul’s excellence in what it does can also be understood once you consider its technology is already recognized as the most Visionary platform and an Overall leader in product, market and innovation. Not just that, the company’s solutions are also used by Global 1000 enterprises and government agencies to minimize their cybersecurity risk.
Turning our attention towards Cybersecurity Insiders, it makes a case for itself by being a data source built on more than a decade of analyst-led research. The company’s technology is also supported by global community of 600,000+ cybersecurity professionals, who all aid it in conducting CISO surveys, incisive analysis, and expert commentary that enable decision-makers to benchmark risks, assess emerging technologies, and plan with confidence.
“The findings confirm what we see every day with our customers: SOCs are overwhelmed by the scale, speed and sophistication of modern threats, and AI has moved from hype to a proven catalyst for growth. But adoption must be strategic. AI in the SOC delivers real, measurable results when it’s integrated deeply into detection, investigation, and response workflows, not just bolted onto existing tools,” said Saryu Nayyar, CEO of Gurucul.
