Automation could save network professionals 50% of time

Skybox Security has published a report highlighting that network professionals spend up to half of their workweek on tasks that could potentially be automated.

The report, titled "The Network Butterfly Effect: The Hidden Cost of Network Security Policy Management", was based on a survey of 500 network and security professionals globally, with 250 respondents from the UK. These professionals work across various Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors, including financial services, energy, communications, healthcare, and government.

The findings indicate that network professionals dedicate approximately 40% of their time to firewall management and network provisioning and an additional 10% on remediating misconfigurations. In larger organisations, this issue is more acute, with professionals reportedly spending 51% of their time on manual tasks and 12% on remediations.

Network professionals express considerable concern about compliance audits. The survey reveals that 90% of network and security professionals worry about failing internal or external audits due to misconfigurations. This concern aligns with audit results, as only 4% of teams reported no failings in their audits over the past five years. Furthermore, 69% identified two or more compliance issues during external audits, underscoring the risk of penalties and reputational damage.

The manual management of network infrastructures not only incurs operational costs but also raises the risk of mistakes and delays due to required multiple manual steps. For instance, processing a firewall change in large organisations involves an average of eight separate stages, each increasing the chance of miscommunication.

Additionally, 50% of network and security teams worry that misconfigurations might introduce vulnerabilities exploitable by cybercriminals. Network downtime, due to its potential to cause significant financial losses, is a concern for 44% of network professionals.

Beyond technical issues, misconfigurations also impact customer relationships and business reputations. Over half of the surveyed professionals acknowledged the reputational damage these issues could cause.

Automation is viewed as a transformative technology in network management. It offers improved visibility and control and could potentially allow network teams to regain up to half of their workweek currently lost to manual tasks. 63% of network and security professionals support automation, citing it as a means to enhance teamwork and minimise manual tasks.

Adi Dubin, Vice President of Products at Skybox Security, stated, "Manual tasks and network misconfigurations create operational headaches and expose organisations to security vulnerabilities and compliance risks. As networks grow more complex, adopting automation is no longer optional but essential to fortify business resilience by minimising security and compliance risks at scale. Automation will empower networking teams by eliminating repetitive manual tasks and reducing the risk of errors, freeing them up to focus on higher-value activities."