Skybox Security study reveals network management challenges

New research from Skybox Security highlights the significant burden of manual tasks on network and security professionals, leading to operational inefficiencies and compliance risks.

According to the findings, professionals are losing nearly half of their workweek to manual activities such as firewall management and network provisioning, with 90% expressing concern about failing audits due to preventable misconfigurations. This worry is compounded by the fact that only 4% of teams reported no audit failings in the past five years, while 69% identified multiple compliance issues during external audits.

The study, titled "The Network Butterfly Effect: The Hidden Cost of Network Security Policy Management," surveyed 500 global network and security professionals, including 250 from the UK, across critical infrastructure industries like financial services, energy, and healthcare. The research exposes hidden costs and risks in managing complex network interdependencies, revealing the significant time and resources absorbed by manual network management tasks.

Manual processes in large organisations typically involve eight separate stages for a single firewall change, from request to verification, increasing the risk of error and delay. These challenges are further evidenced by 50% of network and security teams fearing vulnerabilities from misconfigurations that cybercriminals could exploit.

Additionally, network downtime remains a primary concern, with 44% of network professionals viewing it as a significant financial risk. Misconfigurations not only entail technical setbacks but can also damage customer relationships and company reputations, as noted by over half of the professionals surveyed.

Automation emerges as a promising solution, with 63% of network professionals viewing it as a transformative technology for network management. Automation could potentially allow teams to recover up to half of their workweek, reduce the need for overtime, and improve cross-team collaboration.

VP of Products at Skybox Security, Adi Dubin, emphasised the importance of automation, stating, "Manual tasks and network misconfigurations are creating operational headaches and exposing organisations to security vulnerabilities and compliance risks. As networks grow more complex, adopting automation is no longer optional, but essential to fortify business resilience by minimising security and compliance risks at scale. Automation will empower networking teams by eliminating repetitive manual tasks and reducing the risk of errors, freeing them up to focus on higher-value activities."

This report is based on research conducted by Censuswide, involving Network Operations Managers, Network Security Architects, Heads of Infrastructure, and similar roles from organisations with over 1,000 employees in the UK and US critical infrastructure industries and manufacturing sectors.