Workflow automation offers huge potential benefits for security teams, including improved incident readiness, faster time to value, enhanced team retention, and reduced errors. Whether your team is planning to embrace security automation for the first time or enhance an existing program, a clear roadmap is essential.
In this post, I'll share a step-by-step guide for security teams looking make the most of workflow automation and the technology that's allowing teams to work even faster, AI. From outlining clear goals to evaluating platforms, we'll explore how to tap into its full potential.
Embracing workflow automation: A step-by-step guide for security teams
1. Outline your goals
Define the specific objectives you want to achieve through workflow automation. This could include increasing efficiency, mitigating risk, or effectively scaling your processes.
2. Find internal champions
This is critical to the success of your automation program as you pursue buy-in from key stakeholders.
You can achieve this by:
Identifying teammates who can advocate for the use of an automation platform
Hosting knowledge-sharing sessions
Finding joint automation opportunities through cross-functional collaboration
Recognizing and rewarding builders for their achievements
3. Evaluate your options
As you begin searching for the right platform, look for vendors who are experienced in supporting your specific use cases. For example, if you spend most of your time following up on suspicious logins, and they don't have examples to share, take a look elsewhere.
Additionally, ask how the platform integrates with your in-house APIs. Legacy SOAR platforms typically feature pre-baked integrations, but only for a limited number of popular tools. Seek out a platform that can integrate with all of your organization’s tools, no matter how niche or custom they may be.
Five things to look for in a security automation and orchestration platform:
The ability to collect information from anyone – not just your teammates – at any point in the workflow run
A low barrier to entry – the more team members building, the better for everyone
Intuitive UX – a user-friendly interface that accelerates build time
Deployable AI-powered capabilities – they should be secure, private, intuitive, and deliver return on investment
Flexibility – a platform that can connect to all of your tools, internal and external
4. Run a POC process
When it comes time to demo, don't pick a simplified workflow, but ask the vendor to run a more complex one that closely mimics the types of tasks you want to automate – a good vendor will be excited by the challenge!
Platforms should be robust enough to automate complex, lengthy workflows, yet many of the platforms that sell themselves as “powerful” have surprisingly low operational limits. Leverage free community editions and trials to put platforms to the test.
Evaluate AI-powered capabilities with extra scrutiny – in their haste to ride the AI wave, some vendors have shipped demoware. Be sure the vendor’s capabilities are deployable, and look closely at how costs will be incurred. AI in workflow automation should be secure, private, and intuitive.
5. Purchase the best tool for the best price
As you explore options, consider the pricing model (e.g. data ingestion or storage rates) and not just the price tag to get started. And be sure to ask how pricing will change as usage increases, as many vendors obscure their pricing structure.
Committing to workflow automation means scaling the number, size, and throughput of workflows, and you need to know what you can expect to pay. Look for a model that will encourage as many team members as possible to build automated workflows, without worrying about hitting a data cap or a user license limit.
6. Build workflows iteratively
Once you have your workflow automation platform up and running, the best approach is to start small with prototypes and MVPs, and then keep evolving the complexity.
Deploy the simplest usable version to production first, and then expand workflows little by little to cover edge and corner cases. This allows builders to become more creative with their automation, building more sophisticated processes as they go.
Because of the accessibility of workflow automation, security teams can maintain and evolve their workflows in production, and iterate those workflows as their company’s processes and threats continuously change. One thing to remember is not to price the maintenance of automation at zero. Even if it’s built flawlessly the first time around – which is rare – external context will always change, necessitating future iteration.
Get best practices for workflow automation in The Ultimate Guide to Workflow Automation for Security Teams.