Microsoft Unveils OpenAI-Powered Security Copilot: 5 Things To Know

March 28, 2023, 11:30 AM EDT

The new product for cybersecurity professionals uses generative AI from the latest version of OpenAI’s large language model, GPT-4, along with ‘a security-specific model from Microsoft,’ the company said Tuesday.

AI-Powered Security

For months now, cybersecurity experts have pointed to the idea of generative AI to thwart cyberattacks as among the most promising uses for the technology in the IT sphere. On Tuesday, Microsoft made clear that it’s aiming to make that idea into reality, with the unveiling of Microsoft Security Copilot. The new product for cybersecurity professionals uses generative AI from GPT-4, the latest version of the OpenAI large language model that is available in applications such as the massively popular ChatGPT chatbot.

Microsoft Security Copilot tailors the generative AI technology toward cybersecurity by combining GPT-4 with Microsoft’s own security-focused AI model. A number of security vendors have already utilized OpenAI technology, or in some cases their own large language models, in their products. But the move to do so by one of the industry’s biggest vendors will likely prove to be an accelerant for advancing the concept.

Microsoft Security Copilot arrives as the company — a major backer of OpenAI — looks to build on the surge of interest around generative AI following the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot and DALL-E 2 image generator last year. The applications and the growing interest around generative AI technology have led to “a wave of innovation,” wrote Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president for security, compliance, identity and management at Microsoft, in a blog post. “We are ready for a paradigm shift and taking a massive leap forward by combining Microsoft’s leading security technologies with the latest advancements in AI.”

The launch, which is taking place in connection with the Microsoft Secure online event, follows announcements about the addition of OpenAI technology into other Microsoft products via a “Copilot” approach — including the recent announcement of Microsoft 365 Copilot for applications such as Teams and Word.

What follows are five key things to know about Microsoft Security Copilot.

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Kyle Alspach

Kyle Alspach is a Senior Editor at CRN focused on cybersecurity. His coverage spans news, analysis and deep dives on the cybersecurity industry, with a focus on fast-growing segments such as cloud security, application security and identity security. He can be reached at kalspach@thechannelcompany.com.