If you're hearing little voices, and they're saying "automate security," listen to them. Threats are too many now, potentially too destructive and coming too fast to rely solely on your security team's speed and skill. You need cybersecurity automation working for you, even if your team includes the Hulk, the Flash and Black Panther too.
But cybersecurity automation is a very broad concept. What does it mean in practical terms? Here comes the dreaded, less-than-helpful response: It depends. It depends on your business, on the nature of your network and sensitivity of your data -- and on the type of hackers most likely to target them.
That said, there are basic security guidelines that have not changed. First, inventory: Do you know the number and type of devices accessing your network and data? What's changed is that the mobile endpoints roaming through corporate doors can now talk to each other and to on-site technology too. Now's the time to inventory anything that falls in the internet of things category.
Other basics also still apply, like making sure you're getting the most out of security products already installed. Look into whether any offer automated capabilities. Make sure you have those features fully engaged.
Automation is the latest answer to the age-old question of how to deal with security threats. Once you've covered basics like inventory, you're in a good place to learn the nuances of how to implement cybersecurity automation. This handbook is a great next step. Our experts cover inventory in more detail, discuss the automation of patch management and also consider the limits of security automation.
