Why AI-Powered Cybersecurity Tools Are Only as Good as Their Data

For the past 25 years, cybersecurity has largely relied on logs and event records as its primary source of data. But according to a recent commentary from Security Week, logs only capture a partial, simplified version of what's actually happening across a network - what the piece describes as a 'lossy representation of reality.'

This matters more than ever as businesses increasingly turn to AI-powered security tools to detect and respond to threats. If those AI systems are trained and operated on incomplete data, their ability to spot real risks is inherently limited, no matter how advanced the underlying technology is. The article suggests that the future effectiveness of AI-driven security depends on moving beyond traditional log-based visibility toward more complete and accurate data about what's happening in an organisation's systems.

For small and medium businesses, this is a useful reminder that not all 'AI-powered' security products are created equal. A tool is only as smart as the information it can see - so businesses should ask vendors what data their AI actually analyses, not just take marketing claims about AI capabilities at face value.