In the past, cybersecurity analysts were not nearly valued as greatly as they are today. Increases in the frequency and cost of cyberattacks are skyrocketing the value of security analysts and drastically changing their roles. Today, security analysts are in high demand, and with the right tools, they can utilize their abilities to the fullest extent.
In the last year, 700,000 professionals joined the cybersecurity workforce. This number may come as a shock to those who have been keeping up with industry news. Until recently, the general census of security analysts was that they were overworked, overwhelmed, and underappreciated. Consequently, thousands of analysts were facing alert fatigue and burnout or simply leaving their jobs. So, why are so many making a move into the cybersecurity workforce?
While many analysts are still struggling under the weight of their workloads, some organizations have taken considerable strides to improve the work-life of their analysts, primarily through adopting the right tools. This realization likely came with the rise of cyberattacks and the growing talent shortage. These issues forced companies to recognize the value of their analysts and treat them accordingly. Consequently, companies have started to adopt tools and technologies to support their analysts.
Developments in automation made companies realize that technology isn’t a substitute for the human workforce but rather a tool to support them. By adopting these tools, analysts can work more effectively and improve security posture in more meaningful ways. The adoption of tools such as AI-Assisted Cybersecurity has made significant contributions to analysts’ job satisfaction, as well as changing their roles altogether (for the better).
Higher Job Satisfaction
The most significant contributor to the increase in analysts’ job satisfaction is developments in supplementary tools and resources. Tools such as AI-Assisted Cybersecurity leverage analysts’ knowledge, allowing them to automate tasks using their niche expertise, thus scaling their capacity.
Analysts can train AI models to perform repetitive tasks exactly as they would, without taking time and effort away from other value-add projects. Consequently, analysts can fully utilize their skills, no longer spending day after day monitoring and addressing threats.
Instead, they can focus on more meaningful projects and even upskilling for professional development. Not only does this free up their time for other projects, but it actually helps organizations to respond to threats faster and more accurately, resulting in improved security.
Previously, analysts spent more than 85% of their time triaging, investigating, hunting, and responding to alerts. This left them only about 10% of their time for process improvements. This means they hardly had the time to improve their company’s security posture, much less challenge themselves and put their talents to work. But, with automation tools such as AI-Assisted Cybersecurity, analysts can instead focus their efforts primarily on process improvements, allowing them to put their true skills to work.
Another contributor to this increase in job satisfaction is the talent shortage itself. As mentioned above, the rising demand for security analysts combined with the talent shortage has put organizations into a frenzy. With such a high demand for analysts, analysts have their pick of job opportunities.
With higher compensation and their pick of the litter, analysts are choosing to work with organizations that accommodate them. What does this mean? Analysts are primarily joining companies with remote opportunities and automation tools. In 2021, 47% of security professionals worked remotely, and 37% worked under a hybrid model. This flexibility appeals to most professionals, particularly security analysts who can work just as efficiently from home (if not more).
With this in mind, these improvements in job satisfaction are only possible by implementing the right tools. By adopting AI-Assisted Cybersecurity, organizations can significantly improve the roles of their security analysts. Now, let’s dive in further as to what their new and improved role may consist of
The Modern Cybersecurity Analyst
Before the introduction of security automation, analysts were only expected to have technical skills. While certifications, relevant experience, and knowledge of advanced cybersecurity are all still crucial components of a security analyst, they’re no longer the top attributes sought in cybersecurity personnel. Instead, the introduction of tools like AI-Assisted Cybersecurity has transitioned analysts into a broader mix of skills, both technical and non-technical.
In fact, strong problem-solving abilities are ranked the most sought-after skill in a security analyst today. Problem-solving skills and creative thinking are critical to modern security analysts, as they often must think fast on their feet and out of the box to address complex threats. With AI models now able to handle tedious tasks such as threat handling and post-decision actions, analysts are left to the strategic components of their role. Having the sense to solve problems quickly and effectively is crucial to improving security in an increasingly complex industry.
Following problem-solving skills is curiosity and eagerness to learn. As organizations recognize the value in their security analysts, they also acknowledge the importance of investing in them and allowing them room to grow. Any professional that is happy to stay in one place and keep things as they are will hardly break a glass ceiling, much less dent it.
For this reason, if organizations want to be the front--runner in innovation, they must equip themselves with a workforce looking to learn and grow. Fortunately, AI-Assisted Cybersecruity scales analysts’ capacity, giving them the time and opportunity needed for professional development.
Both problem-solving and eagerness to learn rank higher in sought-after cybersecurity skills than relevant certifications, work experience, and cybersecurity knowledge/qualifications. Clearly, the role of the modern security analyst is changing, and it requires a new mix of skills.
Support Analysts with AI-Assisted Cybersecurity
In the past, security analysts were able to handle the volume of threats coming in on a daily basis. Today, with cyberattacks growing more threatening than ever, combined with a talent shortage, this is no longer possible. For security analysts to meet expectations and effectively maintain security posture, they require the support of security automation. AI-Assisted Cybersecurity can provide security analysts with the capacity and support to effectively manage their workload and drastically change the reality of their roles.
With AI-Assisted Cybersecurity, analysts can transition into a more strategic and meaningful role - one that focuses on problem-solving and innovative thinking. AI models will handle mundane tasks such as threat handling and post-decision actions with the collective knowledge of analysts, while analysts focus on more value-add projects. As Arcanna.ai is no-code and designed to mimic analysts’ BAU actions, analysts do not need any specific ML or AI training or coding skills to train and run the model.
Consequently, organizations will benefit from an advanced security posture as well as more satisfied and well-rounded security analysts. At the current rate of security automation adoption, now is the time to support your analysts with AI-Assisted Cybersecurity.
If you’re interested in learning more about Arcanna.ai, our AI-Assisted Cybersecurity solution, book a demo today.
