Real-World Insights on SOC Automation, AI, and Risk Reduction
Security leaders continue to face pressure to prove incident readiness, reduce response times, and maintain audit-ready defense programs. In this episode of WEI Tech Talk, WEI Cybersecurity Solutions Architect Shawn Murphy sits down with Patrick “PO” Orzechowski, Field CISO at Torq, to bring clarity to what automation actually delivers inside today’s Security Operations Centers.
Grounded in decades of front-line SOC experience, the discussion covers how detection and response requirements have shifted, why traditional SOAR tools reached their limits, and where AI-driven approaches offer meaningful gains for risk owners. Instead of focusing on hype, Shawn and PO explore the operational realities CISOs confront every day—staffing shortages, alert overload, board oversight, and the need for defensible processes that stand up to audits.
SOC Automation: Lessons from the Front Lines
Key themes include:
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The SOC’s core mandate: find threats early and act decisively, even when attackers bypass preventive controls.
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How automation has advanced from Perl scripts and early playbooks to AI-supported analysis that reduces manual triage and supports stronger MTTR reporting.
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The limits of legacy playbooks, including fragile workflows and use-case gaps that create operational blind spots.
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AI agents as a complement to human judgment, helping enrich data, summarize findings, and reduce time spent on low-value administrative tasks.
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Implications for the security workforce, including how automation affects early-career analysts and long-term skills development.
For CISOs and security program owners, this discussion provides a pragmatic understanding of where automation truly strengthens risk posture and where human expertise remains irreplaceable.
Strengthen Your SOC Strategy
Get in touch with WEI’s cyber automation experts to evaluate where automation can materially reduce risk across your SOC. Our team will help you identify practical opportunities to strengthen detection and response without disrupting existing workflows. Reach out today to build a more resilient, audit-ready security program.
About WEI
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