Building automated workflows into data security

All organizations should aspire to keeping their sensitive information as protected as possible on an ongoing basis. There are many ways to go about this, and the simplest start with basic antivirus and firewall software. But as things get more sophisticated, it might be possible to set up automated workflows that help identify data breach threats as they happen.

One of the biggest issues companies face when they suffer data breaches is that they simply didn't see the threat coming, especially when hackers are probing their networks for weaknesses, according to Dark Reading. If workers have to monitor threats on an ongoing basis, it can result in what experts refer to as "log and alert" fatigue. That, in turn, allows threats to seep through the cracks and potentially endanger a firm's systems.

By setting up automated workflows that log potential vulnerabilities on an ongoing basis, that frees up time for workers – who might not always have the most training about how to deal with these threats – and allows the necessary parties to get alerts about those concerns regularly, the report said. For smaller businesses especially, even concerns like spam emails can be flagged in this way, increasing the chances that sensitive information will remain safeguarded.

Getting over the hump
Automating security may not always be easy, but it is vital, according to Intel Security. While there are many automated tasks already built into companies' security infrastructures (such as running antivirus software checks at designated times, or logging potential intrusion attempts with firewall programs),putting them together into workflows makes businesses even more powerful when it comes to identifying and dealing with these hurdles.

The problem many organizations face when undertaking such a task is that the initial job of building those workflows seems daunting, Intel noted. However, by tackling the job in smaller "chunks," it may be possible for companies to stay on top of their efforts without devoting a significant amount of resources to them at any given time.

The more companies can do to automate many aspects of their operations on an ongoing basis, the better off they're likely to be when it comes to maximizing efficiency and, in this case, increasing their overall data security.