Amidst the dynamic evolution of digital infrastructure, the demands on network and security teams are relentless. The rapid expansion of attack surfaces, combined with increasing regulatory pressures across Europe, including the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and NIS2, has left organisations struggling to keep pace.

Administrative network security tasks such as firewall changes and network device provisioning are time-consuming, costly, and error-prone. Mistakes expose the organisation to security risks and compliance failures.

These tasks, whilst vital to network security, divert skilled professionals from focusing on more strategic initiatives where their expertise could deliver greater value.

The current landscape

Network and security professionals are overwhelmed by mundane, routine, manual admin tasks. While, of course, they are essential, they can cause errors and are extremely time-consuming.

A recent Skybox Security study revealed that network professionals are spending 40 percent of their workweek on these kinds of tasks, rising to over 50 percent in larger organisations.

This heavy workload not only hampers a team’s ability to focus on strategic initiatives like minimising misconfigurations, addressing vulnerabilities and enhancing security but also increases the risk of network issues that could compromise overall resilience.

The cost of manual network management extends beyond losing valuable time. Human error is a leading cause of network misconfigurations, which half (50 percent) of network and security teams fear could introduce vulnerabilities that cyber-criminals could easily exploit.

In a modern network environment, these repercussions extend beyond technical disruptions. Over half (51 percent) of network professionals acknowledge that these issues can damage customer relationships and business reputation.

A prime example of this was the Shields Health Care Group data breach which exposed patient data of approximately two million people in the United States after hackers breached their network and stole data. This severely damaged its reputation in the healthcare space, as well as its relationship with patients.

Automation as a game-changer

From reducing the time spent on manual processes and the need to work outside of contracted hours to maintaining compliance and enhancing overall performance, a network and security professional’s daily work life can be transformed by automation.

Automation can analyse and enforce network policies, enabling networking professionals to foresee all the possible implications of a network change. This allows teams to anticipate misconfigurations quickly, reducing the risk of introducing errors.

The implementation of network automation can also drive substantial business benefits, streamlining operations and significantly reducing the complexities and costs associated with managing modern IT infrastructures.

Automation provides enhanced visibility and control over network operations, a benefit cited by 60 percent of network and security professionals. With better visibility, network teams can quickly identify and address potential issues before they escalate, preventing costly downtime and outages.

By automating tasks like compliance assessments and firewall rule recertification, businesses can optimise their workflows and achieve greater precision in change control, ultimately enhancing their overall resilience.

In addition, integrating live threat intelligence into network management will ensure future-ready network security. With real-time data about emerging threats and the risks they pose to the organisation’s key business applications, network teams can proactively address vulnerabilities and prevent attackers from exploiting potential network entry points.

This real-time intelligence, combined with automated policy management, allows organisations to make informed decisions and maintain secure, compliant networks.

The path towards automation

Automation offers a clear path forward, allowing organisations to streamline operations, enhance security and reallocate their time to focus on strategic initiatives. In addition, it helps ensure adherence to regulations like DORA for those in financial services or the NIS2 directive covering critical national infrastructure.

As digital infrastructures grow more complex, the case for automated network security policy management becomes undeniable. Manual tasks are not only inefficient but introduce misconfigurations and weak security controls that threat actors can exploit.

Automation empowers the organisation to better safeguard critical assets and drive innovation. By optimising repetitive tasks, teams can dedicate more resources to advanced security measures and emerging technologies. In an era of constant cyber threats, automation is simply no longer a luxury; it's a strategic imperative.

John Stevenson Senior Product Marketing Manager Skybox Security