Enterprises are facing increasing challenges in protecting themselves from threats in the ever-evolving digital landscape. These challenges are attributable to a range of factors including evolving threat actors, limited IT staff, and long resolution times. The impact of these challenges is explored in IDC’s latest digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) report, which surveyed companies in the Middle East across various industries.
The findings of the report are concerning, revealing that while most companies are able to handle simple incidents quickly, more complex attacks significantly extend the time it takes to detect, report, and resolve such issues. On average, it took approximately 26 days for an incident to be properly investigated, with a further 17 days for the issue to be resolved. This prolonged resolution time is often due to the spread of attacks across multiple machines, making containment and mitigation more difficult. Consequently, companies are forced to take critical systems or business processes offline, resulting in further damage.
Reducing investigation time is not a straightforward task. While better analytical and detection tools can help, their effective utilization requires specialist training and dedicated staff – resources that not all businesses can afford. Consequently, outsourcing labor-intensive tasks to external experts with specialized skills is a more cost-effective solution. In fact, almost 65% of respondents in the IDC survey expressed a need for external support when analyzing digital evidence, a number that is expected to increase as demand for these specialists rises.
An additional challenge faced by enterprises is the difficulty of collecting and tracing data in environments that combine on-premises, cloud, and hybrid setups. This complexity hampers the efficient collection and analysis of data, posing further obstacles in the incident response process.
Automation is seen as a potential solution for reducing investigation times. Automated workflows and escalation processes can facilitate closer collaboration between DFIR analysts, even outside regular working hours. By automating certain tasks, the number of investigative tools can be reduced, enabling DFIR personnel to focus on more critical and complex aspects of their work. Artificial intelligence (AI) may also have a role to play in recognizing attack patterns before they spread, thereby minimizing damage by stopping attacks as quickly as possible. However, finding the right balance between automation and human intervention is crucial in achieving comprehensive protection.
Ransomware and malware remain significant threats for organizations, with the complexity of attacks increasing over time. This trend has led to lengthier investigation and recovery times, necessitating more resources to restore normal operations. While recruiting experienced cybersecurity professionals is seen as beneficial, the market does not currently have enough skilled individuals available for hire. Therefore, organizations must invest time and effort into talent acquisition, development, and staff retention to meet the demand for DFIR personnel.
To improve the DFIR landscape, several key areas need to be addressed. Firstly, organizations must strive to reduce the time between incident resolution and investigation by implementing efficient processes and leveraging automation and AI for routine tasks. Secondly, there is a need for significant investment in recruiting and building effective DFIR teams. The success of these teams relies on recruiting and retaining skilled professionals and providing ongoing training. Investing in DFIR should be a priority for cybersecurity teams to proactively address potential threats and maintain the security of enterprises.