What is Agentic AI and why does it matter to MSP security operations?

Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence that goes beyond predictions or summarisation. It performs intelligent actions within defined parameters to achieve clear goals. It works with data from multiple sources, understands context and takes initiative through sequences of steps. In a Security Operations Center, Agentic AI acts like a digital teammate that thinks and acts like a human analyst. It does not replace analysts but augments them by automating repetitive tasks and accelerating decision making.

Traditional AI models such as machine learning are designed to classify threats based on patterns. Agentic AI adds reasoning and action. Instead of just flagging a suspicious login, Agentic AI can correlate that login to recent file access activity, check for privilege escalation and automatically launch a response playbook if risk criteria are met. This approach reduces workload and increases consistency across every investigation.

Why traditional SOC operations struggle to keep up

SOC teams struggle because the threat landscape is evolving faster than human capacity. MSPs face:

• Tool sprawl that increases complexity

• Too many alerts with little context

• Long investigation times

• Limited security talent availability

Studies show that security teams can ignore up to 62% percent of alerts due to time and resource constraints. This leads to missed threats, delayed response and frustrated clients. Most security incidents are not caused by lack of visibility but by lack of capacity to act on insights. SOC teams need intelligent automation to scale faster without sacrificing quality.

What does this mean for MSPs?

Managed service providers are caught in an impossible squeeze. Clients expect rapid threat detection, confident incident response, and evidence-backed reporting that proves value. Meanwhile, MSPs struggle with critical pressures that make delivering on these expectations increasingly difficult.

Tool sprawl

Tool sprawl has become a major operational burden. The average security operations center now juggles multiple platforms for endpoint detection, network monitoring, log analysis, and threat intelligence. Each tool operates in its own silo, requiring separate logins, dashboards, and expertise. This fragmentation means analysts spend more time switching between consoles than actually investigating threats.

Alert volumes

Alert volumes have reached overwhelming levels. Security teams receive thousands of alerts daily, with many organizations reporting that 50% or more are false positives. Analysts suffer from alert fatigue, leading to slower response times and increased risk that genuine threats slip through the cracks. The sheer volume makes it nearly impossible to prioritize effectively without significant manual triage.

Staffing

The cybersecurity skills shortage compounds these challenges. There simply are not enough trained security analysts to meet demand, and hiring costs continue to rise. Even when MSPs can recruit talent, training new analysts takes months before they become productive. Burnout rates are high as existing team members struggle under mounting pressure.

What specific problems does Stellar Cyber’s Agentic AI solve for MSPs?

Stellar Cyber’s implementation of Agentic AI directly addresses the operational challenges that stretch MSP security teams to their limits. The platform integrates next-generation SIEM, network detection and response (NDR), and open XDR capabilities into a unified console, eliminating the tool sprawl that creates blind spots and inefficiency.

• Automatic phishing triage represents a significant time saver for MSPs managing multiple clients. Reported emails undergo complete analysis without analyst involvement, with the system checking sender authenticity, scanning attachments, analyzing URLs, and cross-referencing against current threat intelligence. What previously consumed 15 to 30 minutes per email now happens in under five minutes, completely automated.

• Comprehensive case narratives replace individual alerts. Instead of analysts receiving dozens of disconnected alerts about suspicious login attempts, unusual network traffic, and anomalous file access, Agentic AI correlates these events into a single case that shows the complete attack chain. Each case includes visual threat graphs, AI-written summaries, timelines showing event sequences, and clear verdict recommendations based on risk scoring.

• Multi-tenant capabilities are specifically designed for service provider workflows. MSPs can manage security operations for multiple clients from a single centralized console, with tenant-specific automation for phishing triage, user behavior analysis, and endpoint anomaly detection. Flexible reporting and tenant-level license visibility help providers deliver consistent services across their customer base while maintaining clear operational boundaries.

• Integration capabilities ensure the platform fits into existing MSP technology stacks. API-first architecture enables seamless connections with ticketing systems like ServiceNow, collaboration tools including Slack and Microsoft Teams, and orchestration workflows that trigger actions across the security ecosystem. This open approach means MSPs can leverage Agentic AI without ripping out and replacing functional components of their current infrastructure.

How does Agentic AI work inside a SOC?

Agentic AI agents behave like tireless virtual analysts. They operate within guardrails defined by human analysts and security policies. Each agent performs a specific function in the threat lifecycle.

These functions include:

• Alert triage

• Context enrichment

• Threat correlation

• Incident investigation

• Playbook execution

• Reporting and documentation

Stellar Cyber’s Agentic AI is built inside the Open XDR platform. It connects telemetry from endpoints, networks, identities, SIEM and cloud tools. These digital analysts link related activity across multiple data sources to reduce false positives and highlight real threats.

What problems does Agentic AI solve for MSPs and MSSPs?

MSPs face unique SOC challenges when delivering managed detection and response services. Agentic AI solves several pain points:

By handling repetitive and manual tasks, Agentic AI frees human analysts to focus on threat hunting, client strategy and high-risk escalations. MSPs improve both customer satisfaction and team morale.

What results can MSPs expect from implementing Agentic AI?

The operational impact of Agentic AI becomes apparent quickly after implementation. MSPs typically see immediate improvements in analyst productivity as routine triage tasks are automated. Security teams that previously spent 60% to 70% of their time on initial alert analysis and false positive elimination can redirect those hours toward proactive threat hunting, security posture improvements, and strategic initiatives.

• Mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR) both improve significantly. Automated correlation across multiple data sources identifies attack patterns faster than manual investigation. When threats are detected, automated playbook execution initiates containment actions within minutes rather than hours. One Stellar Cyber customer reported that the platform acts as a force multiplier for their team and a differentiator for their services, helping ease the burden on their analysts.

• Client satisfaction increases as MSPs deliver more responsive, evidence-backed security services. Monthly reports show clear security posture improvements with specific metrics on threats detected, incidents responded to, and vulnerabilities addressed. The ability to provide detailed case narratives with visual threat graphs and timelines demonstrates value during quarterly business reviews and justifies security investments to client stakeholders.

• Scalability improves dramatically because Agentic AI handles volume growth without proportional increases in analyst headcount. MSPs can confidently take on new clients knowing that the platform will automatically triage their alerts and generate cases for review. Multi-tenant architecture ensures each client receives consistent service quality regardless of their size or complexity.

The technology also reduces analyst burnout by eliminating the tedious aspects of security operations. When skilled professionals can focus on interesting investigations rather than repetitive triage, job satisfaction improves and retention rates increase. This human benefit should not be underestimated given the ongoing talent shortage in cybersecurity.

How does this fit into the broader shift toward autonomous security operations?

Agentic AI represents an important milestone in the evolution toward human-augmented autonomous SOCs. The security industry is moving away from purely reactive models where analysts manually respond to every alert, toward proactive systems where AI handles routine tasks while humans focus on strategic decisions and complex investigations.

The journey to autonomy happens in stages rather than a single transformation.

Organizations begin with basic automation of repetitive tasks like alert enrichment and initial triage. Next comes intelligent correlation that identifies attack patterns across disparate data sources. Advanced implementations add predictive analytics that anticipate threats based on behavioral analysis and threat intelligence.

The eventual goal is a security operations model where AI autonomously handles the majority of routine incidents while escalating complex situations for human judgment.

The human element

Stellar Cyber’s approach emphasizes keeping humans in the loop at every stage. The platform provides full transparency into AI decision-making through detailed case summaries that explain why particular verdicts were reached. Analysts can easily review, adjust, or override AI recommendations.

Human feedback continuously improves the system’s accuracy and alignment with organizational priorities. This human-augmented model recognizes that security is ultimately about protecting people and businesses, requiring judgment that pure automation cannot provide.

Framework compatibility

The technology also aligns with established cybersecurity frameworks including MITRE ATT&CK and NIST standards. Detected activities automatically map to relevant ATT&CK techniques, enabling rapid threat classification and response prioritization.

Natural language processing interprets intrusion detection rules and predicts likely attacker behaviors, transforming raw security events into actionable intelligence that autonomous agents can process immediately.

How does Stellar Cyber’s Agentic AI support detection and response?

Stellar Cyber combines Open XDR with AI-driven automation to deliver high-fidelity detections. Agentic AI agents monitor behaviours rather than single events. For example, instead of flagging a simple PowerShell command, the system tracks whether it was preceded by credential theft or lateral movement. These layered checks reduce false positives and improve threat confidence.

The agents also trigger response actions automatically. These include isolating endpoints, disabling compromised accounts, blocking command-and-control domains and notifying incident responders. Analysts stay in the loop and can review or override any action.

This hybrid model of human plus machine delivers speed with accountability. Response times shrink from hours to minutes.

How does enhanced.io integrate Agentic AI into SOC delivery?

enhanced.io integrates Stellar Cyber’s Agentic AI into its partner-first cybersecurity framework for MSPs. This combination gives MSPs:

• Open XDR visibility across all security tools

• Agentic AI for real-time investigation and triage

• 24×7 SOC support from cybersecurity analysts

• Customised reporting and client-ready narratives

• Outcome-driven detection coverage mapped to frameworks

MSPs can bring their own security tools and connect them to the enhanced.io platform. This avoids vendor lock-in and maximises existing cyber investments. Partner MSPs do not need to hire large SOC teams because Agentic AI and enhanced.io analysts collaborate to deliver consistent MDR results at scale.

What are the real business benefits for MSPs?

Agentic AI has measurable outcomes:

• 60 percent reduction in alert noise through correlation

• Faster detection through behavioural analysis

• Improved SLAs with consistent response playbooks

• Higher analyst productivity due to automation

• Better margins through operating efficiency

• Predictable service delivery that scales with growth

For MSPs building managed security revenue, Agentic AI is not just a technology upgrade. It is a competitive advantage that enables sustainable growth.

How does Agentic AI reduce alert fatigue?

Alert fatigue happens when analysts are exposed to thousands of low-value alerts. They become desensitised and risk missing high-severity threats. Agentic AI reduces alert fatigue by:

• Grouping duplicate alerts

• Enriching alerts with context so analysts do not have to research manually

• Prioritising alerts based on risk score

• Escalating only high-confidence threats to analysts

This ensures analysts focus on genuine attacks rather than noise.

How do I maintain human control with Agentic AI?

Some MSPs worry that AI means losing visibility or control. With Agentic AI this is not the case. Every action:

• is logged

• is transparent

• is approved or reviewed by analysts

• follows policy-driven playbooks

AI is not a risk. It is a controlled extension of your security practice.

AI is not the future of the SOC, it is the present

Cyber attackers already use automation and AI. The only way to keep pace is to automate defensively. Agentic AI is practical and available today. It does not require complex deployment or risky redesign. When combined with enhanced.io’s partner-first SOC model, it delivers immediate results for MSPs looking to scale security services and win more business.

If your SOC is running at maximum capacity, Agentic AI is the easiest way to reclaim time, improve accuracy and deliver stronger security outcomes.