Security trends 2026: AI, automation, and the future of SOCs

Mike Nichols

GM, Security Solutions

Elastic

Allie Mellen

Principal Analyst

Forrester

AI and automation are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, making sophisticated attacks more accessible and presenting new challenges for security teams. Join our webinar to cut through the noise and uncover the real trends shaping SOC strategies for 2026.

Learn about the role of autonomous agents, the impact of data sovereignty, and actionable insights to future-proof your SOC. We'll share key capabilities to prioritize, critical questions to ask vendors, and leading strategies to navigate this evolving landscape.

Highlights

• Adversarial increase of AI: Keeping your SOC above water in the age of easy attacks
• Separating the artificial from the intelligent: Distinguishing between true, measurable capability and marketing noise when evaluating vendors' AI capabilities
• Data sovereignty: Adapting your security tooling and AI workflows to stay compliant

Additional resources

• AI without borders: Extending analyst capabilities across the modern SOC
• Agentic AI for security
• SANS 2025 State of the SOC Survey, sponsored by Elastic