In cybersecurity, each alert't matter. But not all of them pose a real threat.
According to reports based on the Unit 42 Cloud Threat Report, security teams can invest up to 145 hours in to investigate and resolve an alert, which represents about six days of work. But what happens if, after all that time, the alert is a false positive?
The impact goes far beyond the time invested. Each alert that requires the analysis consumes attention, interrupt tasks and reduces the ability to respond to real priorities.
This is especially relevant for the IT equipment, which, in addition to manage the security is usually in charge of the user support, access management, maintenance of systems, management of suppliers, and multiple operational activities that support the day to day running of the organization.
However, ignoring a warning is not an option either. When a threat is real, the consequences can include operational disruptions, loss of data, damages financial or reputational damage for companies concerned.
Therefore, the challenge is not how to cope more alert, but quickly identify which require immediate attention and which ones can be discarded.
Which brings us to a key question:
How to avoid the fake alerts is becoming a hindrance to productivity?
To answer that, it is important to first understand what is a false positive.
A fake alert occurs when a security tool identifies as a threat, an event which in reality does not represent a risk.
It may be a file marked erroneously as malware, a monitoring rule too sensitive or a configuration that generates unnecessary alerts.
Although it is not a real attack, each alert must be investigated before discarding. And that process involves time, effort and resources.
Among the most common causes are incorrect settings, rules, out-of-date, connectivity problems, wrong credentials or the lack of context about the assets being monitored.
That is why, before climbing to an incident, it is essential to validate the source of the alert, and verify that the information available reflects really a situation of risk.
How to reduce false positives without weakening security
Reduce false alerts does not mean to lower the level of protection. It means making security more accurate, contextual and efficient.
To achieve this, many companies are adopting approaches that combine monitoring, behavior analysis, automation, validation, context to reduce the operational noise without losing visibility.
That is to say, the goal is not to work on more alert, but deliver useful information to make better decisions.
Because when an alert incorporates context about the user, the asset affected, the behavior and the level of risk, it is much easier to determine if it is an incident real or a false alarm.
And that difference has a direct impact on the productivity of the team.
The cost of not distinguish real threats
The real threats exist, evolve, and can directly affect the continuity of the business.
Ransomware, phishing, theft of credentials, unauthorized access, vulnerabilities without patching, malware, illegal transfer of data and insecure configurations in the cloud are risks that organizations face every day.
The difference between a false alarm and an actual incident is often found in signs such as:
Anomalous behavior is sustained.
Activity outside of the normal hours.
Multiple failed access attempts.
Communication with suspicious domains.
Unauthorized changes to critical systems.
Involvement visible in users, services or applications.
Use unusual credentials privileged.
When a company cannot distinguish between noise and risk, is facing two dangerous scenarios.
If you treat everything as a critic, depletes the IT team and slows down the operation.
If you minimize alerts, leaves the door open to major incidents. In both cases, the organization loses control.
A more efficient approach to cybersecurity
The security may not rely on manual processes slow or equipment saturated. Not be sacrificed in the name of productivity.
Companies need a model that combines continuous monitoring and intelligent, alert management, validation, context, prevention, remediation, and support of critical information.
That is precisely the approach of solutions as the Guardian 360 Inova Solutions, a system that allows you to strengthen the cybersecurity of the company, without stopping its operation.
Guardian 360 combines continuous monitoring, alert management, automation, simulations, phishing, penetration testing, and recovery capabilities to incidents to help organizations to maintain a posture of security more robust and efficient.
The goal is not to add more tools, but to help teams reduce operating noise, respond more quickly and concentrate its efforts on the events that really pose a risk.
To reduce false-positive is not just a technical issue. It is also a way to restore time, focus and responsiveness to the teams responsible for protecting the operation.
If your organization aims to strengthen its cyber security strategy without increasing operational complexity, Inova Solutions to help you identify opportunities for improvement and define an approach aligned with the needs of your business.