How AI is Transforming Detection Engineering

Artificial Intelligence, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), is revolutionizing how we approach detection engineering. This lesson explores the transformation and prepares you to leverage these tools effectively.

The Traditional Approach

Before AI, detection engineering was time-intensive:

Read threat report (30 min)

Understand the technique (1 hour)

Research data sources (30 min)

Write detection rule (1-2 hours)

Test and tune (2-4 hours)

Total: 5-8 hours per detection

The AI-Assisted Approach

With AI tools, this timeline collapses:

Summarize threat report with AI (5 min)

Ask AI to explain the technique (10 min)

Generate initial detection logic with AI (5 min)

Refine and test with AI assistance (30-60 min)

Total: 50 minutes to 1.5 hours per detection

That's a 5-10x improvement in productivity.

Key AI Use Cases

1. Rule Generation

Prompt: "Create a SIGMA rule to detect Mimikatz credential
dumping targeting LSASS process"
AI Output: Complete SIGMA rule with appropriate logsource,
detection logic, and ATT&CK tags

2. Rule Explanation

Prompt: "Explain what this SIGMA rule detects in plain English"
AI Output: Clear explanation of the detection logic, what
triggers it, and potential false positives

3. False Positive Analysis

Prompt: "What legitimate activity might trigger this detection
in a typical enterprise environment?"
AI Output: List of potential false positive scenarios with
suggestions for filtering

4. SIEM Conversion

Prompt: "Convert this SIGMA rule to Splunk SPL"
AI Output: Working Splunk query with appropriate syntax

5. Test Case Generation

Prompt: "Generate Atomic Red Team test commands that would
trigger this detection"
AI Output: Specific commands to test the detection

Best Practices for AI-Assisted Detection

Do:

Use AI as a starting point, not the final answer

Verify AI-generated rules against threat intelligence

Test thoroughly before deploying

Iterate with AI to refine detections

Document your AI-assisted process

Don't:

Blindly trust AI-generated rules

Skip validation and testing

Forget to consider your specific environment

Ignore false positive potential

Deploy without human review

The Future of Detection Engineering

AI won't replace detection engineers - it will make them more powerful:

Augmentation: AI handles routine tasks, humans handle complex judgment

Scale: Small teams can maintain large rule sets

Speed: Rapid response to new threats

Quality: More time for validation and testing

Innovation: Focus on novel detection approaches

Getting Started

In the upcoming modules, you'll learn practical techniques for:

Prompting AI for detection rules

Validating AI-generated content

Building AI-powered workflows

Scaling detection with automation

The goal: make you a 10x detection engineer.