by Cristina Pruna, Digital Marketing Manager
Cybersecurity teams deal with an overwhelming number of alerts every day, many of which need a quick response. Level 3 (L3) cybersecurity analysts, who are responsible for handling the most critical security incidents, are often flooded with potential threats. The tricky part isn't just finding these threats, but figuring out which ones are the most dangerous and need immediate action.
This is where intelligent automation helps. By using advanced technology, it supports L3 analysts in responding faster and more efficiently to urgent threats. Let’s explore how Intelligent Automation helps analysts manage their work, focus on the most important issues, and react to threats quickly.
Fighting Robots with Robots
As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, hackers use automation to launch attacks at a larger scale. From automated phishing emails to bot-driven denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, hackers use "robotic" tools to overwhelm security systems. To fight these automated attacks, companies must also use automation — hence, "fight robots with robots."
Intelligent automation tools can detect unusual activity, handle repetitive tasks, and take immediate action when something suspicious happens. By using technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning, these tools can scan security logs, investigate potential threats, and block dangerous actions without the need to involve human operators.
For example, when an automated attack is detected, intelligent automation can quickly isolate the infected systems, block harmful IP addresses, or update firewall settings. This gives L3 analysts more time to focus on deeper investigation while stopping the attack in real-time.
Staying in Control of Security Operations
L3 analysts manage many aspects of security, from watching for intrusions to handling incidents and tracking down threats. With the growing number of threats and false alarms, it's impossible for humans to check every alert manually.
Intelligent automation helps by managing huge amounts of data, making sure analysts only see the most important information. This prevents critical alerts from being missed while reducing time spent on less important tasks.
Automation can handle tasks like scanning logs, testing suspicious files (malware sandboxing), and monitoring network traffic. This frees up L3 analysts to focus on the most critical and complex issues, allowing them to stay ahead of attackers.
Prioritizing Real Threats vs. Benign Events
Not all security alerts are important. One of the toughest jobs for L3 analysts is sorting through many false alarms to find real threats. With so many alerts being generated, the chance of missing a real one or overreacting to a harmless alert is high.
Intelligent automation helps by using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to study patterns and behaviors, deciding which alerts are real threats. These tools analyze factors like IP reputation, file history, and unusual user activity to identify high-risk threats that need immediate attention, while ignoring harmless events.
For example, automation can tell the difference between a regular employee signing in and a suspicious login attempt from an unusual location. This helps L3 analysts focus more on serious issues, ensuring they respond to critical threats quickly without getting distracted by irrelevant alerts.
Improving Incident Response and Decision-Making
L3 analysts need to act fast and make smart decisions when responding to major incidents. In many cases, stopping a threat early can prevent it from spreading and causing more damage. However, without the right information, decision-making can be delayed, which increases risk.
Intelligent automation improves incident response by providing L3 analysts with real-time data and guidance. When a breach is detected, automation tools can quickly collect relevant information, assess the threat, and suggest actions based on preset rules or past responses.
By automating the first steps of incident response—like sorting threats, containing them, and gathering data—analysts can make better and faster decisions. This allows them to stop threats quickly and prevent data loss or system damage.
Conclusion
In a world where cyberattacks are becoming more automated and threats continue to grow, L3 analysts need more than just their skills to keep up. Intelligent automation is a powerful tool that helps them handle repetitive tasks, filter out harmless alerts, and prioritize the most dangerous threats.
By using intelligent automation, L3 cybersecurity analysts can stay in control of security operations, respond to urgent threats faster, and focus on the most critical issues. As attackers keep improving their methods, automation will continue to be a key tool in protecting businesses and data in real-time.
If you want to learn more about how Atomatik can help your organization, book a 30 minute call with our sales team.
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