1. Skills shortages should drive focus
The cyber security skills shortage is driving up costs and bringing disruption as experienced specialists leave for better opportunities. This shortage is particularly challenging for smaller organisations and underfunded industries, leading to increased, unintended security risks. The loss of experienced people also forces remaining employees to focus on essential, basic tasks, leaving little time for addressing complex issues or driving innovation.
Automation can ease this situation by taking over routine and repetitive tasks, reducing employee burnout and turnover. This also allows analysts to focus on more challenging and rewarding work, leading to better job satisfaction.
2. Look at automation holistically
Any automation incorporated into cyber security must enhance efficiency and complement the security team's strengths without compromising current capabilities or increasing risks. Prime functions to look for are the ability to handle repetitive tasks and support analysts by enhancing decision-making to reduce response times.
3. Think about the operational implications of automation
4. Choose your scope and domain wisely
5. Data clarity drives improvement
A clear view of what data is needed and the insight it can give is vital to successfully implementing automation. In particular, all threat intelligence data must be accurate so automated responses function optimally. Central to this is the ability to identify what critical data is needed and where it’s located. Data that’s unimportant to the decision-making process and could cause a delay in reaching a sound outcome can then be screened out.
The role of trust in AI-powered automation
Trust is vital for cyber security automation, as it affects human users' acceptance and adoption of AI solutions. Various factors, such as the transparency, explainability, accountability, reliability and usability of AI-powered automation, can influence trust.
Inspiring confidence in security teams and the broader organisation is crucial to establishing this trust. Our security advisory teams understand this and have designed our advisory services to supply expertise, guidance and education grounded in cross-industry experience. They offer a reassuring and reliable pathway to automation using tailored solutions that enhance your organisation's security posture.
For example, automation is central to our advanced cyber defence platform, Eagle-i. This platform automatically processes vast alert volumes from siloed security solutions and threat feeds, enriching them with actionable threat intelligence and customer-specific context. Eagle-i prioritises detection and response based on organisation-specific risks, recommending actions to prevent an attack before it happens.
Read our whitepaper to learn more about how automation can transform your security operations.
