Hornetsecurity empowers IT security admins and end users alike with new AI Cyber Assistant

Hornetsecurity has launched its AI Cyber Assistant that powers two new tools as part of its new 365 Total Protection Plan 4 solution. The new tools are Email Security Analyst, which will ease the workload on IT security teams by automating the review of end user reports while upskilling end users; and Teams Protection, which will help protect Microsoft Teams users against malicious messages and emerging impersonation attacks by introducing threat detection in this instant messaging platform. 

Additionally, Hornetsecurity's well-established AI Recipient Validation, which helps prevent email misdirection and data leaks, has received user experience updates and now forms part of 365 Total Protection Plan 4, further adding to the Plan’s AI-driven capabilities.

Enriched by AI Cyber Assistant, the new 365 Total Protection Plan 4 is the ultimate Microsoft 365 security, backup and governance risk and compliance (GRC) powerhouse, educating users, accelerating admins and safeguarding organizations – all from one central platform. AI Cyber Assistant is a vigilant AI security booster that empowers end users and admins in their day-to-day operations, ensuring secure communication and a lightened workload. Integrated seamlessly into 365 Total Protection Plan 4, AI Cyber Assistant evolves continuously thanks to Hornetsecurity’s machine learning technology to instantly deliver the support users need most.

Daniel Hofmann, CEO of Hornetsecurity, said: “To continue enhancing the next-gen security we provide, our new AI-powered Email Security Analyst automates responses to user queries about potential threats, alleviating the workload on SOC and service desk teams, while educating end users on the nature of attacks. IT security personnel benefit by gaining more time to focus on other pressing issues, while end users receive instant feedback, which also encourages them to continue reporting suspicious emails and contribute to the organization’s overall security.”

AI-powered automation for faster response to user queries about threats

Powered by the new AI Cyber Assistant, Email Security Analyst uses an LLM model to automate responses to users and assist investigations into emails they flag as suspicious, decreasing the time Security Operations Centre (SOC) and IT Admin teams dedicate to review end user reports individually and respond. 

Hofmann explained: “Thanks to growing media attention, end users are becoming more suspicious about incoming emails. While this a welcome and positive development, each email they flag increases the burden on SOC and Service Desk teams to analyse and verify them on a case-by-case basis. Email Security Analyst replaces this traditional manual analysis and significantly reduces the time SOC teams spend on false-positive and negative reports.”

By delivering clear, AI-driven analyses for each email reported by end users, Email Security Analyst also helps train end users to make well-informed decisions regarding potential malicious activity. It also advises them on the appropriate level of caution to take, strengthening an organisation’s overall security posture.

Hofmann added: “Organisations have to strengthen their ‘human firewall' by empowering employees to become active participants in their organisation’s cybersecurity strategy. Cyber-attacks are constantly increasing, so CISOs and security teams need to strategically allocate resources that strengthen organisational security while upskilling end users to cover any blind spots.”

Proactive defence in Microsoft Teams

Also included in the new plan is the forthcoming Teams Protection, which safeguards Microsoft 365 tenants by scanning Teams messages for malicious content. It uses AI and machine learning to continuously monitor all messages, immediately identifying and notifying end users of dangerous messages via AI Cyber Assistant.

Teams Protection uses tried and tested Hornetsecurity AI technology to:

• Detect smart patterns by analysing key features of URLs and pages (e.g., redirections, file paths, scripts, etc.) to identify malicious content.

• Incorporate supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms that analyse over 47 characteristics of URLs and web pages, scanning for malicious behaviours, obfuscation techniques, and URL redirects.

• Employ Computer Vision models that analyse images and extract relevant features used in phishing attacks, including brand logos, QR codes, and suspicious text within images.

Through the 365 Total Protection Control Panel, administrators can also delete entire Teams conversations containing malicious messages and prevent the sender of a malicious message from logging into Teams.

Hofmann said: “Instant messaging platforms like Microsoft Teams are increasingly used as a main channel of business communications, and yet they tend to be overlooked as a potential attack vector. However, attackers are sending malicious links and malware both through Teams that are open externally and also via compromised internal Teams accounts. We have therefore developed Teams Protection to address this growing cybersecurity threat.”

Easy-to-use control panel for a simplified user experience 

365 Total Protection is available via a single, multitenant control panel through which Microsoft 365 users can access a comprehensive range of cybersecurity functionality, from email protection to backup and recovery to GRC and security awareness training. Hornetsecurity now has redesigned this Control Panel to provide a streamlined experience, ensuring a faster and more intuitive experience, with easier access to business tools, products and configurations.