What to Look for in a Security Automation Platform

The Imperative of Security Automation

The digital world has become an intense battleground, filled with malicious actors who are not only creative but relentless. To keep up, it's not enough to just react anymore; you need to predict, prevent, and outmaneuver at speed. That’s why choosing the right security automation platform is so critical. It’s about finding that perfect ally, one that truly understands and adapts to the unique threats we face. So, what should you be looking for to ensure you’re always a step ahead?

A lot has changed since the early days of Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR). Let’s unpack the essentials that mark a truly effective security automation platform.

Start By Understanding Your Security Needs

Choosing the right platform starts with a clear understanding of your specific security challenges. You need to look beyond generic solutions to find a platform capable of addressing the specific challenges your organization faces. Conducting a detailed risk assessment and aligning your findings with your business goals is the first step. 

From there, focus on use cases that fit with your operational needs. Consider both small-scale and larger tasks you could be automating. Whether it's enhancing your SOC's efficiency, streamlining compliance processes, or automating threat hunting and incident response, these scenarios should guide your decision toward a platform that not only meets but anticipates your needs.

Need some inspiration? Check out the top security automation use cases to consider.

Then Identify Your Must-Have Features in a Security Automation Platform

With your risks, use cases, resources, and constraints clear, it’s time to look closely at what you need from your security automation platform. Here’s a breakdown of the features and considerations you should be keeping front of mind:

Adaptability to Your Unique Security Needs

Finding a security automation platform that feels tailor-made for your organization's challenges is non-negotiable. Need to tackle phishing attacks head-on, keep insider threats in check, or walk the tightrope of regulatory compliance? Your platform should not just have the tools for these jobs but should feel like it was crafted with them in mind. It's about ensuring that for every unique security puzzle you face, your platform has a piece that fits just right.

Leverages Generative AI

Embedding Generative AI in your security platform isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a quantum leap forward, and something we’ll all very shortly be wondering how we ever lived without. A security automation copilot combines the efficiency of Gen-AI with the flexibility of an automation platform, allowing you to generate fully-coded automated workflows in seconds. Other types of security automation platforms also offer Gen-AI capabilities through chatbots. While both uses of Gen-AI have their benefits, consider the cost-savings of each.

For instance, see Blink AI Copilot in action below.

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Limitless Scalability

As your organization grows, so too will the volume and complexity of security challenges it faces. A scalable platform will help manage this growth, handling increasing amounts of data and more sophisticated security requirements without compromising performance. Think of it as your security backbone, designed to grow in power and intelligence right alongside your business, ensuring that your protective measures never become a bottleneck to your growth.

An often overlooked aspect of scalability included pricing structures. There are distinct benefits of consumption-based pricing versus seat-based pricing. Look for any limitations that could inhibit your security team from scaling automations beyond traditional SOC tasks. 

Ease of Use

Complexity shouldn't be a barrier to effective security. The ideal platform combines powerful capabilities with an intuitive interface, making it accessible to users across your organization at all levels of technical expertise. When leveraging a platform's capabilities doesn't require extensive training, security becomes a seamless part of your daily operations. And, importantly, you can foster a culture where security becomes an accessible, manageable area for anyone who needs to be involved.

No-code security automation is inherently easier to use than legacy SOAR and more low-code automation options. Automating without the need to code enables anyone on your team to build automated workflows. Generative AI can make automating even easier. 

Comprehensive Functionality and Coverage

A top-tier security automation platform doesn't pick and choose when it comes to what it can automate. Instead, it delivers a full suite of capabilities, seamlessly integrating across your technology stack. This ensures that every facet of your security operations is covered, from incident response to vulnerability management and even GRC. The goal is to provide a solution that envelops your entire digital environment in a protective layer, ready to counter any threat – anytime, anywhere.

Future-Readiness

Choosing a security automation platform means looking beyond today’s challenges to the threats of tomorrow. Future readiness is key, ensuring that as AI-powered threats evolve your platform does too. It’s about having a system designed not just for adaptation but for anticipation, capable of mitigating future challenges before they become current problems. This proactive approach keeps your cybersecurity measures effective over time, safeguarding your organization against the unknown and emerging threats of tomorrow.

Now Download Your Security Automation Buyer’s Guide

As you shape up your thinking on what your security automation platform of choice will be, use these key features as your guide. But there’s a lot more to consider, so don’t stop there. For a full dive into each of these key areas (and even more useful insights), grab a copy of our free eBook — "Your Security Automation Buyer’s Guide". You’ll find a thorough process and checklist for evaluating platforms, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your organization’s specific security needs and goals.

Choosing the right automation platform is a huge step towards enhancing your cybersecurity posture. Read the full guide, follow the steps it takes you through, tick off the checklist, and finish with confidence that you have all the knowledge - and ultimately, the right tool - you and your organization need.