Microsoft has announced the expansion of its AI-powered Security Copilot with six new security agents designed to autonomously assist overwhelmed security teams. These agents will be available in preview next month and are capable of handling tasks such as triaging and processing phishing and data loss alerts, prioritizing critical incidents, and monitoring for vulnerabilities.

The new AI agents are part of Microsoft's efforts to bring more automation to the cybersecurity space. According to Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president of Microsoft Security, "The six Microsoft Security Copilot agents enable teams to autonomously handle high-volume security and IT tasks while seamlessly integrating with Microsoft Security solutions."

In addition to its own agents, Microsoft is also working with five partners – OneTrust, Aviatrix, BlueVoyant, Tanium, and Fletch – to enable third-party security agents. These extensions will make it easier to analyze data breaches with OneTrust or perform root cause analysis of network outages and failures with Aviatrix.

The move is part of a growing trend in the industry, with companies like Microsoft selling businesses on AI tools as a way to augment human capabilities. Microsoft relaunched its Copilot for businesses earlier this year with free AI chat and access to pay-as-you-go AI agents.

Microsoft is also improving its phishing protection in Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will start protecting Teams users against phishing and other cyberthreats within Teams next month, including better protection against malicious URLs and attachments.

The announcement is one of several industry-specific security updates from Microsoft, with more details to be shared at its upcoming Microsoft Secure event on April 9th. The company's security blog will provide further information on these updates.

The expansion of Microsoft's Security Copilot with AI agents marks a significant step forward in the company's efforts to leverage AI and machine learning to enhance cybersecurity. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, the ability to automate high-volume security tasks will become increasingly important for organizations looking to stay ahead of potential threats.

With the rise of AI-powered security tools, the industry is likely to see a shift towards more autonomous and proactive security measures. Microsoft's announcement is a clear indication of this trend, and it will be interesting to see how other companies respond in the coming months.