Swimlane, a cybersecurity company based in Boulder, Colorado, has released a report titled “Security Automation: A Strategic Imperative for Federal Agencies.” The report, based on research conducted by Dimensional Research, reveals that federal agencies are prepared to meet the Zero Trust executive order requirements from the Biden Administration with just over a year until the deadline.
The research, which involved surveying 106 security professionals and executives at U.S. federal agencies, aimed to investigate the confidence levels of these agencies in meeting the memorandum’s requirements and the tools used to overcome challenges in adopting the key components of a Zero Trust architecture.
James Brear, CEO of Swimlane, emphasized the importance of empowering the public sector with the right solutions to protect the country and ensure regulatory compliance. He stated that the research should serve as the starting point for discussions on how technology can enable security teams to respond swiftly to incidents and safeguard national interests and public trust.
According to the report, 67% of government agencies are confident or very confident in their preparedness to meet the Zero Trust requirements outlined in the Memorandum M-22-09. This includes implementing Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) technology. When asked about the tools used to meet the criteria of a Zero Trust architecture and address sophisticated security challenges, 64% of federal agencies mentioned low-code security automation.
The Memorandum M-22-09 has highlighted the importance of security automation. A recently published Forrester Tech Tide™ report stated that SOAR tools help security teams automate response processes, remove manual work, and facilitate communication and action between security tools.
The report also shed light on the challenges faced by security teams within federal agencies. With the increasing number of alerts and evolving mandates, these teams are expected to investigate and remediate thousands of alerts each day. The report found that 83% of federal agencies reported open security team positions, and it takes longer to fill these positions compared to two years ago. Additionally, one-third of federal agencies believe that they will never have a fully staffed security team with the necessary skills.
To address these challenges, federal agencies are turning to low-code security automation. The report revealed that 99% of agencies cited benefits to using low-code automation platforms, including the ability to address all security automation requirements without relying heavily on coding skills. These advantages are especially significant for smaller security teams that may lack the required skill set to implement a traditional SOAR solution.
However, the report also highlighted that no-code solutions do not support cloud or hybrid environments and lack important reporting and case management features. More than 90% of federal agencies found that no-code automation tools only provide short-term solutions to long-term issues.
Cody Cornell, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Swimlane, shared his experience working in IT and security roles at the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency. He emphasized the need for the right security tools to handle the increasing volume of security alerts faced by federal agencies. He highlighted that talent alone cannot address evolving cybersecurity challenges.
The research was conducted by surveying security professionals and executives at U.S. federal agencies. A total of 106 participants completed the survey, and all participants had enterprise security responsibilities. The survey was administered electronically, and participants were offered token compensation for their participation.
Swimlane is a leading provider of cloud-scale, low-code security automation. The company’s platform, called Swimlane Turbine, helps unify security operations and reduce process and data fatigue, overcome staffing shortages, and quantify business value.
Dimensional Research, the company behind the research, provides practical market research for technology companies. Their researchers specialize in the applications, devices, and infrastructure used by modern businesses and their customers.
For more information about Swimlane and Dimensional Research, visit their respective websites at swimlane.com and dimensionalresearch.com.