Socbyte.ai, a Pakistan-based cybersecurity startup, has launched the country’s first AI-powered Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst, named Dexter. The announcement marks a significant development in Pakistan’s cybersecurity landscape, not just in terms of technology but also national capability. Developed entirely in-house, Dexter positions Pakistan as a credible player in the realm of indigenous digital defense systems at a time when global cyber threats are becoming more complex and widespread.
Cybersecurity challenges have intensified globally, and Pakistan has not remained immune. In 2023 and 2024, the country recorded 34 million cyberattacks targeting both public and private digital infrastructure. These statistics highlight the urgent need for homegrown solutions that go beyond dependence on foreign vendors. As the global cybersecurity market continues to expand—valued between $245–272 billion in 2024 and forecasted to reach $500 billion by 2030—the introduction of domestic platforms like SOCByte serves strategic and operational imperatives.
Dexter is engineered as an intelligent support tool designed to complement, not replace, human analysts. Instead of functioning as a fully automated response system, it acts as a collaborative partner. It processes data at scale, surfaces relevant insights, and presents them to human cybersecurity professionals for final decision-making. This model ensures the expertise and context of local professionals remain central to cybersecurity operations. Sulaiman Asif, founder of SOCByte, emphasized the collaborative nature of Dexter, stating that the platform is not intended to displace existing cybersecurity talent but to enhance their ability to respond swiftly and accurately. He described Dexter as a reflection of Pakistani innovation and a critical building block in strengthening national cyber resilience.
The emergence of agentic AI—AI systems that operate independently but within predefined limits—is a fast-growing trend globally. In 2024 alone, the agentic AI market was valued at $4.26 billion, with the US accounting for $1.58 billion of that figure. Dexter enters this landscape as a locally developed solution that places digital sovereignty at its core. By maintaining control over the AI’s architecture, training data, and decision logic, SOCByte aims to provide a security posture that is uniquely attuned to Pakistan’s threat landscape.
Dexter is integrated into the SOCByte platform and is currently available for managed security service providers. The company has also introduced flexible partnership models to support broader adoption across enterprise and government clients. In addition to reinforcing cybersecurity operations, SOCByte’s initiative contributes to national goals of local innovation, employment generation in high-value tech sectors, and capacity building within Pakistan’s cyber ecosystem.
SOCByte’s young team reflects the growing talent pool within Pakistan’s technology sector. Their work on Dexter demonstrates that local expertise can meet international standards when it comes to addressing global digital challenges. The platform continues to evolve, with machine learning capabilities enabling it to adapt to new threat patterns over time. This ensures that users remain protected not only from existing vulnerabilities but also from emerging ones that are yet to be fully understood.
