The world of cybersecurity is constantly evolving, and with it, the way we assess and manage cyber risks. Staying ahead of evolving threats and maintaining a strong security posture requires continuous assessment and improvement of technical cybersecurity controls, processes, analytics, and personnel. For years however, consultants and assessment teams have relied on manual processes to estimate risks and report on security programs. However, with advancements in technology, automated threat-based cybersecurity assessments have emerged as a game-changer, offering faster, cheaper, and better results than traditional manual processes. In this blog post, we’ll explore why automated cybersecurity assessments are changing the consulting industry and how they are enabling organizations to stay one step ahead of cyber threats.
Better: Consistent and Objective Results
Manual assessments can be prone to errors, inconsistencies, and bias because they often rely on the subjective opinion offered during client interviews. Different assessment teams may have varying preferences in the way they assess risk, which could result in inconsistent reporting. Automated threat assessments, however, holistically test operations to provide consistent and accurate results. The algorithms and models used by the software are objective and based on predefined criteria, ensuring that every assessment is based on the same set of parameters.
Faster: More Efficient Assessments From Automation
Taking a manual approach to cybersecurity assessments can be time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. Consultants and assessment teams must spend hours conducting client interviews, sifting through data, and manually scanning for vulnerabilities, which can take weeks or even months to complete. Automated cybersecurity assessments, on the other hand, can drastically reduce the time and effort required to assess security vulnerabilities. They utilize machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to automate the analytic process, provide instant feedback on observations, and provide prioritized recommendations for remediation that have worked for previous customers. This allows organizations to identify and address their most important gaps faster than ever before, reducing their overall risk exposure.
Cheaper: Software Enabled Assessments
Traditional manual cybersecurity assessments are often expensive, draining resources that could be used elsewhere. They require specialized knowledge and expertise, and consultants charge a premium for their services. Automated assessments, on the other hand, require less time and assessment team personnel so they are often much are much more affordable. Automated tools are designed to help organizations reduce costs while actually improving the results of the assessment.
Enhanced Scalability
As organizations strive to be more agile and adaptable, scalability of their approach has become a critical factor in their cybersecurity strategies. Manual assessments do not offer increasing economies of scale and larger organizations struggle with conducting assessments on a periodic basis. Automated assessments, on the other hand, are much more scalable and can be run continuously or on a more frequent basis. They can help organizations keep up with the rapidly changing threat landscape and become more resilient to malicious cyber activity.
Improved Risk Measures
Automated cybersecurity assessments also offer better risk intelligence than manual assessments. The reports generated by automated tools are more detailed, comprehensive, and actionable. They contain metrics such as risk scores, recommendations, and remediation steps that can help organizations make more informed security decisions. Through automation, cybersecurity consultants and audit teams are better equipped to handle complex environments with large numbers of interdependent systems and applications, allowing them to focus on high-priority issues, rather than wasting time on low-risk areas. Automated evaluations also continuously update themselves as new threats emerge, providing real-time and up-to-date assessments.
Conclusion
The world of cybersecurity is evolving, and automated cybersecurity assessments are paving the way for better, faster, and cheaper assessments. They allow organizations to assess and monitor their security posture with greater efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. These assessments enable deeper evaluation of necessary policies and technical components of a mature cybersecurity program, including proactively discovering and remedying security gaps even before they are exploited. As automated assessments become more prevalent, traditional consulting teams must evolve and adapt to remain competitive in the market. Organizations that embrace automated assessments stand to gain a significant competitive advantage by streamlining their assessments, reducing costs, and staying one step ahead of cyber threats.
