In many industries, automated services have historically felt cookie cutter and uncustomized. You might even wonder: can AI really do as good of a job as a human?

While technology certainly has its weaknesses, cutting-edge technology makes automated systems — including automated cybersecurity — a far more viable option than ever before.

So can cybersecurity be automated?

The short answer is yes…but there’s a whole lot more to it.

Here are three things automated cybersecurity can do and one thing it can’t.

3 THINGS AUTOMATED CYBERSECURITY CAN DO

1. Automated cybersecurity can handle the mundane tasks.

There are plenty of ongoing monitoring and detection tasks that can be both repetitive and mundane. Outsourcing this work to automated systems means your in-house or third party cybersecurity experts can focus on more high level tasks.

For instance, taking inventory of your assets, while necessary, can get monotonous for team members to take care of. Automated technology, however, can make a quick job of it to ultimately help cybersecurity experts effectively manage those assets.

2. Automated cybersecurity can do more in less time.

Not only can automated software handle mundane tasks, it can handle them quickly and efficiently. AI software that can interpret a set of data in mere moments is a truly powerful tool. 

Plus, for organizations with hundreds — if not thousands — of assets, millions of users, and that many more opportunities for cyberattack, it helps to have automated cybersecurity constantly scanning.

Automated scanning and detection software used with services like threat and vulnerability management ensures your systems are clear of any vulnerabilities.

3. Automated cybersecurity can use machine learning to evolve quickly.

One of the most compelling reasons for implementing automated cybersecurity? Its machine learning abilities.  

As cybersecurity AI works to keep your organization secure, it also learns along the way. Email security management, for example, learns through each experience with an organization’s email system. That way, it can better identify what cyberattacks look like versus which emails are legitimate.

1 THING AUTOMATED CYBERSECURITY CAN’T DO

Automated cybersecurity can’t do everything.

Just like Virtual CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) rely on a mix of automated tools and software with the power of the human brain and real life experience, cybersecurity can’t be 100% automated just yet.

It’s still critical that organizations use cybersecurity experts to diagnose and understand issues, make clear plans of action, prioritize needs, and communicate next steps. While automated tools are powerful, they aren’t going to replace IT and security professionals any time soon.

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Automated cybersecurity technology has come incredibly far and can do a lot of the heavy lifting to keep your organization secure…but it’s not everything. Harnessing the power of automated cybersecurity while simultaneously using the expertise from industry professionals is the true powerhouse combination that wins at proactive security.

Want to learn more about staying proactive about your cybersecurity?
Start by reading 8 Epic Cybersecurity Fails.