The Untold Costs of Automation: Are We Sacrificing Security for Speed?

Are we getting too aggressive with speed and efficiency in automation, losing the battle to security? If security isn't prioritized, automation can accelerate risks as quickly as it accelerates processes, leading to severe consequences.

A study conducted on the IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2024 reveals that, among the overall cyberattacks, 71% are attributed to stolen or compromised credentials, underscoring the human factor in security breaches. 

While automation promises to reduce human errors, it doesn't eliminate them entirely. In fact, if vulnerabilities in automated systems go unchecked, they can become even more significant security liabilities.

The MOVEit file transfer breach is known to be one of the worst cyberattacks of 2023. Hackers exploited the vulnerability of an automation file transfer tool developed by Progress Software. They exposed sensitive data from big corporations, governments, and millions of people. This incident highlights how automation without the proper security measures can become a double-edged sword.

In this blog, we are going to look at some of the hidden costs of automation, from ignored vulnerabilities to ethical dilemmas.

The Automation Revolution: Transforming Industries With Speed

Automation has changed the face of industries, lowering operational costs and increasing efficiency in all sectors. Approximately 75% of businesses are implementing multiple data hubs to enhance automation and data sharing, with most reporting a substantial competitive advantage from workflow automation.

From customer service chatbots to AI-powered fraud detection, automation is enabling companies to handle tasks at lightning speed.

More speedily advancing automation leads to the sidelining of critical considerations, and no discipline is as prone to this as cybersecurity. Meanwhile, the promises of speed are built upon the hidden costs of unsecured procedures.

The Dark Costs of Cybersecurity Automation

While cybersecurity automation enhances efficiency and threat detection, it also introduces hidden risks like job displacement and algorithmic bias. This raises critical concerns about its long-term impact on security, ethics, and trust.

Here's how automation in cybersecurity may introduce hidden risks for your business. 

1. Automated Systems Create Blind Spots

Automation streamlines processes but can also create blind spots that cybercriminals exploit, making attacks more challenging to detect. Without proper oversight, automated systems can unknowingly spread threats at scale,

Hackers targeted the automated software update mechanism in SolarWinds Orion. They injected malicious code that spread undetected to U.S. government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. The breach went unnoticed for months precisely because automation had reduced human oversight.

Lesson: Automated systems need continuous security audits to detect and patch vulnerabilities.

2. Technical Debt from Rapid Automation

This is the cause of outdated code, misconfigured integrations, and unpatched vulnerabilities, which are the leading causes of technical debt that could cripple any organization.

Delaying security vulnerability scanning until later stages in web application development may still expose various expensive and time-consuming vulnerabilities to rectify.

Lesson: Automation should be built for long-term security and not just for short-term efficiency.

3. Over-reliance on AI in Cybersecurity

AI-driven security tools are pretty powerful, yet not foolproof. When AI is trained with biased, incomplete, or out-of-date data, it is likely to flag false positives or miss emergent threats.

A popular e-commerce site utilized an AI-driven fraud detection tool that mistakenly labeled valid transactions, angering its customers and hemorrhaging millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Lesson: AI is meant to support human oversight and not replace it.

4. The Fallacy of "Set and Forget" Security

Many organizations believe that human intervention is not required once a system is automated. However, automation can fail in dynamic attack scenarios.

A ransomware attack on a manufacturing firm bypassed automated defenses, encrypting core systems. Why? Because automated tools weren't programmed for this attack vector. The result? Millions in downtime losses before human teams intervened.

Lesson: Security automation only involves human expertise against changing threats.

Real Examples of When Automation Went Wrong

History teaches us that an unmanaged automated system can create disastrous outcomes, from data breaches to system failure. Let's find some of the real cases where automation went wrong and their costly lessons learned.

Equifax Data Breach (2017)

Equifax's negligence in fixing a known vulnerability impacted 147 million people. It is one of the major breaches in history caused by not updating the automated systems. This proves that automated systems can become ticking time bombs if left unmonitored and unpatched.

MOVEit Data Breach (2023)

Hackers took advantage of a zero-day vulnerability in the MOVEit Transfer tool, an automated file transfer system widely utilized. The hack revealed sensitive information from some major enterprises and government entities. It brought out the dangers of being dependent on automatic tools if active security auditing and patching were not implemented. 

Air Canada’s Chatbot Failure (2024)

In February 2024, Air Canada was ordered to pay CA$ 812.02 in damages after its chatbot misled passenger Jake Moffatt about bereavement fare refunds. This automation failure highlights the risks of AI-driven customer service, where inaccurate information leads to financial and legal consequences.

Balancing Speed and Security: Best Practices for Automation

Here are a few best practices to balance automation and security. 

• Secure automation by design: Use zero trust architecture (ZTA) to minimize automated system vulnerabilities. Implement tools like Aqua Security or Checkmarx to secure DevOps pipelines.
• Human and machine collaboration: AI speeds up analysis, but humans must validate critical security decisions. Implement Red Team/Blue Team testing to detect AI blind spots.
• Continuous monitoring and updates: Use Splunk or Microsoft Defender XDR for real-time monitoring. Establish a patch management protocol for automated tools.
• Cybersecurity workforce training: Since 74% of breaches involve the human element, employee security training is essential. Encourage CISOs & IT leaders to invest in automation risk awareness training.

Conclusion: Speed Without Security is Risky Business

Automation undeniably enhances efficiency but can introduce significant security vulnerabilities when left unchecked. A well-designed automation strategy should streamline operations and fortify cybersecurity defenses.

Businesses must ensure that human oversight complements AI-driven security measures, preventing blind spots in automated systems. Continuous monitoring and regular updates are essential to keeping these systems resilient against evolving threats. A proactive approach to secure automation doesn't just safeguard data; it also builds trust and reliability.