Microsoft unveils AI security tools claiming to outperform rivals

Microsoft has unveiled two artificial intelligence-based security tools designed to help organizations defend against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.

The first tool, MAI-Cyber-1-Flash, achieved a 96% score on the CyberGYM benchmark, outperforming Anthropic’s Mythos by 12 points and beating both Google Gemini and OpenAI GPT. Microsoft also said the tool costs half as much to use as its previous MDASH offering.

The second tool, called Project Perception, consists of a collection of specialized AI agents that perform red, blue, and green team functions: identifying vulnerabilities, investigating risks, and taking corrective actions. According to Microsoft, the platform selects the most suitable model for each task based on effectiveness and cost, guided by ongoing research and benchmarking.

Project Perception is designed to handle 90% of tasks at a lower cost than competing platforms, allowing customers to reserve more expensive alternatives only for the remaining 10% of tasks.

Microsoft stated that these tools address a fundamental shift in network security, as AI accelerates the speed and scale of cyberattacks, requiring defenders to manage increasingly complex digital environments.

Both tools are currently in preview mode. While Microsoft did not mention any cautions, the announcement follows a recent incident involving OpenAI, highlighting the need for careful evaluation before deployment. The company notes that there are also risks to ignoring such tools altogether.