The amount of data that enterprise businesses collect, analyse and store every day is growing at an exponential rate. This is because data is valuable—businesses rely on accurate, up-to-date information to provide insights into their customers, help them overcome operational inefficiencies, discover opportunities for new products or services and minimise the risks associated with various initiatives and investments. Unfortunately, authorised users are not the only ones who recognise the value in data.
As organisations increase their reliance on digital information, cybercriminals are likewise upping their game. Around the globe, cyberattacks account for trillions of dollars in damages every year. As such, businesses are scrambling to reinforce their digital security postures, but are discovering that as the need for experienced security professionals grows, the gap between the number of open positions and the availability of skilled hires is likewise getting wider. In response, many organisations are turning to technology to make up for the difference, in the form of security automation.
It is a universal truth that the larger a system becomes, the more difficult it is to manage. Modern company networks can have thousands of end points and account for hundreds of terabytes of data—and these networks are always expanding. As digital infrastructure grows it also evolves in terms of complexity, making comprehensive security an increasingly difficult prospect. Simply put, there is just too much of an attack surface to cover, which is an issue made even more problematic with the rise of the distributed workforce and the number of unsecured devices being used for business purposes on home networks.
With so many potential attack vectors, manual security operations are often inadequate—too slow to detect or remediate issues before they can cause damage, too inconsistent in terms of response and too likely to introduce errors into already-complicated systems. Security automation alleviates these concerns. By implementing technology driven processes to manage security risks while still relying on human oversight, companies can easily scale their digital defences to match their growing networks. And given the ever-increasing demand for data, the ability to keep up with mounting security risks is becoming a clear competitive differentiator.
The opportunity to safeguard sensitive systems and data at scale and without constant human intervention—it's not hard to see why so many companies are taking security automation seriously. More specifically, the benefits of security automation include:
- Efficiency and scalability
As previously addressed, when cyber threats become more sophisticated and more frequent, security team workloads grow. Automation allows these teams to manage more tasks simultaneously, ensuring faster response times and more thorough coverage.
- Reduced human error
Even the most experienced professionals can make mistakes. The human brain is not wired for total accuracy, especially when faced with monotonous, repetitive tasks and long strings of numbers. Automated systems, on the other hand, are perfectly suited for these kinds of activities. By automating certain security processes, the risk of human error is virtually eliminated. - 24/7 monitoring ability
Cyberattacks can happen at any time. Security automation tools do not need to sleep, they do not take holidays, and they are not interested in relaxing on the weekend. These always-on, always focused systems constantly monitor the networks and data they are designed to protect, ensuring immediate detection and response, even outside of regular business hours.
- Cost efficiency
Automated security systems are an investment, and the initial costs associated with implementing these solutions can be somewhat steep. That said, when compared to the cost of recruiting, hiring, training and outfitting a large internal security team, security automation is generally the more financially viable option. Effective automation offers a return on investment unmatched by more traditional solutions.
- Consistency
Automated processes ensure that tasks are performed uniformly every time, leading to consistent security practices and standards across the organisation.
- Data analysis
With the vast amounts of data generated by security processes, human analysis becomes impractical. Automation tools, on the other hand, can swiftly sift through this data, detecting hidden patterns and anomalies that might indicate security threats.
There are many different processes associated with securing an organisation's systems and data. The true advantage of security automation is that it has the capacity to take many of these processes—ones that until recently were solely the obligation of human digital security professionals—and streamline them. And while not every process is a good candidate for automation, there are many that are uniquely suited to provide clear automation benefits.
These processes include:
In intricate IT landscapes, preventing a security breach means being able to quickly identify threats as they occur. Manual techniques, even when supported by experienced and insightful teams, just do not have the speed to locate threat indicators and enact the proper remediation responses without leaving essential data exposed for far too long. By comparison, automated systems respond immediately at the first sign of an anomaly, automatically discovering, validating and escalating threats without having to wait for human operators.
Every endpoint in a network represents a new opportunity for cybercriminals to gain backdoor access to a company's data. Missing or outdated patches, compromised applications and even user behaviour can turn personal devices into an open door for malicious actors. Specialised endpoint protection solutions are capable of addressing malicious activities targeting these devices, and can facilitate comprehensive, event-triggered processes that promptly detect threats, quarantine affected endpoints and initiate corrective actions. This can be just as important in office settings as it is for remote or hybrid work environments.
The time it takes to detect and contain a security breach can significantly influence the overall cost of damages. In fact, even a matter of a few weeks can mean a difference of millions of dollars. By leveraging automation, security professionals have the power to rapidly apply remedies to compromised systems, develop tools that function in tandem across diverse platforms and ensure more immediate incident responses—reducing the amount of time a criminal has available to wreak havoc.
Security data often requires context for meaningful interpretation. Automation can enrich raw security event data by cross-referencing with threat intelligence feeds, geolocation data or other relevant databases. Automated systems are capable of thoroughly investigating incidents to provide a clearer picture of what happened and how. This not only improves the accuracy of threat detection but also aids in making informed decisions on how to respond.
Managing user permissions can be a daunting task, especially for large organisations with a rotating workforce. Automation ensures that user permissions are consistently applied based on roles and requirements. It can also be used to regularly review permissions and revoke those that are no longer needed. This ensures that only necessary access is granted, minimising potential security risks from over-privileged users or even ex-employees.
As threats become more sophisticated and security automation more specialised, an array of tools has emerged to cater to different facets of data protection. These tools integrate, orchestrate and manage security processes to ensure timely identification and effective response to threats. While there are many variations, the most common types of security automation tools include:
SIEM platforms play a vital role in centralising and analysing log and event data from diverse sources such as network devices, systems and applications. By offering real-time analysis of security alerts generated by these resources, SIEMs present a comprehensive picture of an organisation's security stance. This centralised perspective enables swift detection and response to potential threats. Furthermore, with their capabilities for long-term storage, analysis, and reporting of log data, SIEMs are crucial for organisations aiming to stay compliant with various regulatory standards.
SOAR tools are designed to elevate the efficiency of security operations. They achieve this by seamlessly integrating different security tools and automating subsequent response actions. But their utility extends beyond mere detection; SOAR solutions also orchestrate workflows tailored for incident response, ensuring alerts are efficiently handled and threats are effectively neutralised. By minimising manual interventions and ensuring consistent responses, SOAR platforms empower security teams to address a wider array of threats in reduced timeframes.
Emerging as a modern addition to the cybersecurity toolkit, XDR offers an integrated approach to threat detection and response that spans multiple security layers. Contrary to traditional models that may be limited to specific segments, XDR examines data across a range of environments – from endpoints and servers to networks and the cloud. This comprehensive analysis heightens the detection capabilities, especially for nuanced threats. Given its broader and more integrated perspective, XDR equips organisations to respond to security incidents with heightened accuracy and speed.
The digital business world is evolving, leveraging remote workforces, cloud operations and intricate software solutions—all interconnected and extremely complex. This expansion has also broadened the cyberattack surface, exposing vulnerabilities in traditional security strategies. Because of this, potent security automation tools that can scale to match growing needs are in strong demand. ServiceNow Security Operations (SecOps) provides the solution.
SecOps is a set of capabilities designed to help businesses of all sizes navigate this cyber landscape. Built on the Now Platform®, SecOps seamlessly integrates security and IT, streamlining responses with intelligent workflows, deep connections and powerful automation.
From swiftly identifying critical incidents with Security Incident Response to efficiently managing vulnerabilities using the Vulnerability Response component, ServiceNow's SecOps prioritises threats based on business impact while also employing predictive intelligence to reduce incident resolution times. Additionally, because security needs to be as dynamic as the systems it protects, Continuous Monitoring helps security policies adapt and evolve by connecting with the vulnerability lifecycle by exchanging data collected from observables and workflows. Through it all, customisable dashboards offer insights to enhance decision-making and give users a clear, single source of truth for managing their company's digital security ecosystem.
ServiceNow's Security Operations gives you the power to keep pace with every new and evolving digital security threat. Click here to see what SecOps can do for your organisation, and protect the data that powers your business.