The concept of automation has taken on a life of its own in recent years. The idea is nothing new, but the current interest in automation is a mix of both hype and innovation.
On the one hand, it's much easier today to automate everything from small processes to massive-scale tasks than it's ever been before. On the other hand, are we really prepared to hand the reins over to completely automated systems, and should we?
There are areas in security operations where automation is already a critical component. In terms of analytics and parsing through ever-expanding data flows, it's impossible for most teams to keep up without impacting other areas of their jobs. Automated systems help us make sense of threats much faster and more reliably. However, automation isn't a cure-all (just yet). A new live webinar from XDR provider Cynet dives into the topic more in depth (register here).
The webinar explores automation as it exists today in the cybersecurity industry. Led by Cynet's Chief Security Strategist, Chris Roberts, It covers how tools already use automation, as well as what automation doesn't do. It will also discuss why the human element is still vital and whether that might change in the future.
The conversation will also focus on where automated deploying systems can deliver the greatest impact. Today, the biggest application is in analysis and detection, but the defense still requires a healthy dose of human intervention and intuition. Additionally, we could automate things like remediation steps and responses to ensure threats don't become major crises. Here again, however, we still require a human eye. The question, then, isn't what we can automate today, but what could we automate tomorrow (and how)?
Additionally, it discusses what we need today to be able to automate some of our tools successfully. It's not about a hands-off system that does all the heavy lifting, the webinar argues, but understanding that automated tools are just that – valuable assets that can speed up our reactions and let us make smarter decisions more efficiently and effectively.
More importantly, however, the webinar doesn't stop at where we currently are. Instead, it explores the possibilities – the "rabbit hole," so to speak – of where the industry can deploy automation to continue improving services and offering better security and protection for organization's environments. Roberts will discuss new threats that may emerge and how organizations might automate parts of their security stacks and response plans to improve both their detection and response capabilities.
Some of the key topics the webinar will cover include:
- Where is cybersecurity when it comes to automation? How are security tools already automating part or most of their functions to improve performance and response? It's key to understand where we are to get a better idea of where the trend is going.
- What's the balance between automation and human intervention? The question isn't whether we should automate everything, but how can we automate the tasks that can enhance our existing defenses and give us better answers.
- What automation can (and cannot) do. When it comes to tech trends that are in a hype cycle, capabilities tend to be exaggerated, and the real contributions these tools can provide can get obscured in a mountain of noise. To get the most out of automation, we need to establish its boundaries clearly.
- Where is automation going? Even the most outsized hype is justified when the technology behind it can deliver. As vendors become more comfortable and better at automating key parts of their tools, we're going to see a meaningful change in how we measure security tools' success and effectiveness. It will also change the way we use security tools to protect ourselves.
You can register for the webinar here.
