The automation of the security monitoring and analysis pipeline will help to boost SOC performance and reduce analyst burnout. This article examines the current state of automation within the security pipeline and how it can utilize to improve the effectiveness of an SOC. It also explores the role that automation will play in the management of people and talent, as well as how to adapt to its impact on the SOC.
Identify areas of SOC analyst workflow where automation can be most effective
If you’re interested in boosting analyst performance and reducing burnout, you’ll want to look at the areas of SOC analyst workflow where automation can help. These are the tasks that can automate to free up time for analysts to focus on more high-impact projects.
One of the top tasks that analysts hate is triaging. Triaging can be time-consuming because it is repetitive and involves dealing with similar cases. For instance, if an alert generated for several different instances of a particular threat, it can be difficult to determine which ones are real and which are false positives.
SOC teams continue to face several issues, including a shortage of personnel and a lack of skills. Many are struggling to manage a large workload. This causes teams to feel frustrated and understaffed.
Almost one-third of all alerts manually reviewed/triaged by an analyst
Several studies have shown that security analyst burnout can be a significant issue. The key is to identify the problem and then develop a comprehensive solution. This includes process, technology, people and perhaps most importantly, measurement.
Automation is an effective way to increase SOC productivity and reduce alert fatigue. It helps free up skilled workers to focus on more critical tasks. For example, automating low-value tasks allows analysts to spend more time researching and enhancing threat intelligence enrichment. It can also help alleviate repetitive tasks such as reporting.
The average analyst investigates at least 10 alerts per day. This amount of work can be both tedious and monotonous. By using automation, SOC teams can decrease the number of alerts investigated. This will enable the SOC team to focus on more critical tasks, such as improving security posture.
SOC Performance – Managing and developing people
Security Operations Centre (SOC) teams are measure on their ability to detect an attack in the time it takes to detect it. While this may be a good metric, its meaning lessened when you consider the number of false positives. This means more time spent investigating bogus alerts, rather than the actual threats to your organization.
To boost SOC performance and decrease analyst burnout, it’s important to manage and develop the people. A team of skilled security experts is one of the greatest assets an organization can have. The best way to achieve this is to ensure your team has the tools and resources to perform their job.
Automate tasks to boost SOC Performance
One of the best ways to do this is to automate tasks. Automation can reduce the time it takes to handle routine tasks, giving analysts more time to focus on higher-level work. By automating things like suspicious login alerts and threat intelligence enrichment, organizations can free up their analysts’ time to do more important things.
Lack of talent in the security pipeline
A lack of talent in the security pipeline is a major contributor to burnout in SOCs. In fact, according to a survey by the Ponemon Institute, most SOC professionals have considered quitting their job, due to stress and fatigue.
Despite the high volume of alerts, SOC teams are often overwhelming and suffer from poor performance. There are many reasons for this. It is not always easy to find and hire the right people. Moreover, SOCs must handle many incoming alerts, which can lead to overload, alert fatigue, and missed security signals.
Another reason for burnout is the lack of trust and empowerment. Most analysts not given the ability to perform advanced tasks, such as threat hunting. This can lead to a culture of “always on,” which is detrimental to the health of SOC personnel.
Adapting to the impact of automation on employment
Adapting to the impact of automation on employment has become a concern for many. However, while some workers view automation as a cost-cutting solution, others remain wary of the future of work. Despite their concerns, there are things businesses can do to help their employees embrace technology.
One of the best ways to help your workforce adapt to the impact of automation on employment is by providing training and development. By doing so, you can ensure that employees understand the changes in their daily jobs and how they’ll affected. You can also offer cross-training, so that they can learn new skills and gain new experience.
Another way to boost your workforce’s resilience to automation is to implement a formal program that tracks performance. This can provide employees with a concrete way to show their managers how well they are doing.
