Episode 92

The AI Augmented SOC: Balancing Technology, Talent, and Trust

In this episode, Dr. Dave Chatterjee speaks with Will Ledesma, Director of MDR Cybersecurity Operations at Adlumin, a veteran SOC leader and cyber defender with over two decades of experience in enterprise security and the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Ledesma shares his journey from IT systems administration to frontline cyber defense, and offers hard-earned insights into the realities of Security Operations Centers (SOCs) in the age of artificial intelligence.

The conversation explores how AI is transforming SOC effectiveness—from triaging millions of processes in seconds to surfacing hidden indicators of compromise. But the central message is clear: AI must serve as an enabler, not a replacement, for human judgment. Drawing on the CPD framework, the discussion highlights that the future SOC is founded on leadership commitment to responsible adoption, preparedness through data pipelines and training, and disciplined guardrails to maintain AI within safe operational boundaries.

Time Stamps

· 00:48 — Dave’s setup: AI’s impact on SOC operations and burnout.

· 02:22 — Will’s origin story and pivot into cybersecurity.

· 05:56 — “Augment the human”: keeping people in the loop.

· 08:40 — Beyond enrichment: faster intel + compiled investigations.

· 11:20 — Human governance and control of agentic AI.

· 13:30 — Auto‑remediation tools: potential and limits.

· 17:15 — Incident case: 10 IOCs in 60 min vs. 13 in ~10 sec with AI.

· 21:40 — Scaling to millions of processes → four prioritized leads.

· 22:34 — KPIs: AI handling ~70% of detections; QA and MT* metrics.

· 26:52 — Platform vs. best‑of‑breed: avoid single failure domains.

· 28:29 — Outsourcing SOC: costs, vendor selection, oversight.