Security teams have a singular goal: detect and stop threats from disrupting business. Attackers change tactics and networks evolve constantly, but defenders are the ones who will always bear the burden. Businesses are heavily adopting AI to become more efficient, scale, and augment the human workforce, yet defenders must figure out how to secure any AI instances even if that means tracking down every shadow AI app employees use. In addition, adversaries are weaponizing AI to expand their reach and increase the stealthiness of attacks, forcing defenders to operate in a landscape that’s faster, more complex, and more distributed than ever before.

In a joint Enterprise Strategy Group and Vectra AI report, The Role of Network Visibility in Protecting Modern Environments, nearly two-thirds (65%) of organizations say network visibility and telemetry serve as their primary detection layer, valued for the broad, tamper-resistant insight they provide across hybrid environments. Taken together, the findings reinforce a clear conclusion: network detection and response (NDR) is no longer a “nice to have,” but a foundational component of modern security operations.

As adversaries are leveraging AI for more dynamic attacks, NDR tools are being reshaped by generative AI (GenAI) with a more accurate signal and context for defenders to use during detection, investigation, and response.

That report also concluded that nearly all organizations are using NDR tools with GenAI capabilities, but only 31% call the impact “game changing.” Another 63% describe the impact as “significant.” That might sound encouraging, but if just one-third of defenders believe GenAI is transformational when it comes to detection and response, it raises a bigger question: Are two-thirds falling behind, or simply in wait and see mode?

GenAI is already driving measurable change in how modern Security Operations Centers (SOCs) identify and stop threats. Yet, the data shows that most practitioners still aren’t fully realizing its value.

The Ongoing Defender’s Dilemma: Too Many Tools, Not Enough Signal and Context

In Vectra AI’s 2024 State of Threat Detection report, practitioners report receiving an average of 3,832 security alerts per day, with 62% going unaddressed. Within the same survey, half of respondents said their security tools hinder rather than help their ability to identify real attacks, while 62% accused vendors of overwhelming teams with low-value alerts to deflect responsibility.

Even with a full stack of technology, defenders are overwhelmed. Another 71% of SOC practitioners say they have more than 10 tools, and nearly half run more than 20. Yet, 71% still worry weekly that they’ll miss a real attack buried in noise.

This is the modern SOC paradox: endless telemetry, limited context. Security teams don’t have an attack detection problem, but rather an attack signal problem. When only 31% say GenAI in NDR is game changing, it’s not because AI lacks impact. It’s because teams are still weighed down by legacy systems, data silos, and vendor noise that drown out the signal.

AI isn’t Optional Anymore — it’s Operational

Fortunately, the same research shows defenders beginning to turn the corner. A total of 89% of SOC practitioners plan to use more AI-powered tools over the next year to replace legacy threat detection and response systems. An additional 67% already report AI has improved their ability to identify and deal with threats, and 75% say it’s reduced the number of tools they rely on.

GenAI within NDR platforms allows SOC teams to triage alerts faster, correlate telemetry across complex environments, and make decisions with confidence. The result? Fewer false positives, faster response, and measurable improvements in mean time to detect and respond.

The ESG-Vectra AI study backs this up: 97% of organizations say network visibility helps accelerate analysis and investigation, with 61% reporting a significant improvement. That’s not incremental progress, that’s transformational efficiency.

Still, skepticism lingers. The ESG-Vectra AI study cites that half of security professionals worry about GenAI taking “incorrect actions,” and nearly as many cite challenges integrating AI models into existing workflows. These are fair concerns, but they shouldn’t be excuses to avoid action. The truth is, the organizations leading the charge in GenAI-powered NDR aren’t just more efficient, they’re changing the rules of engagement.

From Incremental to Game Changing

The reality is this: only 31% calling NDR tools with GenAI capabilities a “game changer” is not a ceiling; it’s a wake-up call. Security is notoriously slow to adopt new paradigms. However, that cautious mindset is starting to look more like complacency, especially as attackers use AI to evolve faster than defenses can adapt.

The difference between a “significant” and a “game-changing” impact isn’t in the technology, it’s in how it’s applied. The SOCs that have integrated GenAI into their NDR workflows aren’t chasing alerts anymore, but rather orchestrating intelligence. They’re using AI to transform reactive investigation into proactive detection, collapsing hours of manual triage into minutes of decisive action.

The question isn’t whether GenAI can change threat detection and response, it’s why only 31% of defenders have realized it.