Sophos cuts threat investigation time by 96% with OpenAI Daybreak

THE NEWS

What happened

Sophos has integrated OpenAI's Daybreak frontier AI models into its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service, achieving a 96% reduction in threat investigation time. By deploying autonomous agents that handle context gathering, planning, and execution loops, Sophos reduced average case response times from 38 minutes to just 89 seconds. Approximately 52% of cases are now resolved end-to-end by AI within strict human-oversight boundaries, allowing security analysts to focus on high-level decision-making while scaling protection for over 625,000 organizations.

CONTEXT

Why it matters

Sophos has integrated OpenAI's Daybreak models into its cybersecurity operations, slashing threat investigation time by 96%. The average response to a case dropped from 38 minutes to just 89 seconds. AI agents now handle 52% of cases end-to-end, freeing analysts for high-level decisions. Sophos maintains strict human oversight for destructive actions and offers three modes: Notify, Collaborate, and Authorise. This partnership scales frontier intelligence for over 625,000 organizations globally.

AT A GLANCE

Key facts

• Sophos reduced average threat investigation time from 38 minutes to 89 seconds using OpenAI Daybreak agents.
• Approximately 52% of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) cases are now resolved end-to-end by AI.
• The system processes trillions of daily events from over 500 third-party integrations, distilling them into roughly 1,000 to 2,000 cases for investigation.
• Sophos offers three operating modes: Notify (recommendation only), Collaborate (joint action), and Authorise (direct response by AI).
• Potentially destructive actions always require human oversight regardless of the automation level.
• Sophos protects more than 625,000 organizations across various sectors and regions.
• John Peterson, Sophos CTO, emphasizes maintaining layered security fundamentals like patching, MFA, and network segmentation alongside AI tools.