Sophos Launches AI Defense to Expose Shadow AI and Secure AI Use in Real Time

Sophos Cuts Threat Response Time by 96% with OpenAI Daybreak

OpenAI's Daybreak program enables Sophos to significantly reduce threat investigation and response times using AI agents. By integrating OpenAI models with Sophos's threat intelligence and response playbooks, the average response time for cases using agents dropped from about 38 minutes to 89 seconds—a 96% reduction. Sophos now automates 52% of its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) cases end-to-end with AI, while maintaining human oversight through three operating modes: Notify, Collaborate, and Authorise. The initiative allows Sophos to scale compute rather than hiring additional cybersecurity staff, returning analysts' focus to complex threats. Key platforms include Sophos Fusion, which aggregates data from over 500 integrations. Sophos CTO John Peterson emphasizes the importance of agentic AI in staying ahead of attackers and advises other security leaders to prioritize security fundamentals.