4 Key Requirements for a Cybersecurity Solution that Reduces IT Overhead

Traditional legacy security systems require heavy maintenance and intricate knowledge. It’s no wonder then that many IT teams are hesitant about replacing their existing security controls, or adding new ones. They fear that learning, installing and operating new systems will be just as complicated. This concern is amplified by the growing number and sophistication of cyber attacks, which has made IT and security teams busier and more stressed than ever. Understandably, their hands are full enough without having to add new software into the mix.

But since new security software is needed to deal with modern threats, it’s essential to find a cybersecurity solution that reduces these risks while also reducing IT overhead. Let’s look at four key requirements that security systems should possess if they intend to decrease IT costs – and headaches.

1: SaaS Cybersecurity Solutions

Software products of all types have adopted SaaS as a model for serving customers with accessible, scalable and optimized products, on-demand. But in the case of cybersecurity, many systems are still only available as on- premises solutions. This legacy model makes installation, server maintenance and upgrades the responsibility of the IT team, and such processes are usually long, complicated and costly.

There’s no reason why security solutions can’t also be delivered via the SaaS model, while ensuring sensitive data does not leave the customer’s premises. By choosing a security solution that is hosted on the vendor’s virtual servers, is continuously upgraded with the latest security updates, and can be scaled at the click of a button - IT teams can enjoy the advantages of SaaS for cybersecurity activities as well.

2. Easy Installation

Deploying a cybersecurity solution can be a long and arduous process. In the case of legacy solutions, it could include physically connecting systems, months of configurations, and non-agile system updates.

Cyber attacks will not wait, and neither will IT teams. A better option is choosing a cybersecurity solution that has a plug-and-play deployment process. By installing a plug-and-play solution that enables downloading and command execution in a human-readable and scalable manner, IT teams can skip the demanding installation process and immediately start using the product to reduce their attack surface.

3. Human Readable UI

Complex software systems increase churn rate and reduce the chance of users independently operating them. For IT, this means more support tickets, more last-minute requests, and more training sessions. A security system with a user-friendly UI that is simple to understand will encourage organizational users to use it autonomously, thus decreasing the need for IT hand-holding. Not to mention that IT teams also like their systems to be readable and friendly. This enables them to spend their time actually managing the system, not figuring it out.

4. Zero Trust Access Management

Traditional access management solutions like VPNs and firewalls are the opposite of IT agility. These cybersecurity solutions require a growing number of IT hours for maintenance, setting up clients, opening firewall rules multiple times a day, providing permissions and answering tickets for users who are stuck.

Zero trust access management is an identity-based security framework that provides users with access to resources after ID authorization. Zero trust is a policy-based framework, which means that access is automatically provided through ABAC and RBAC mechanisms, without any IT involvement. In other words, once a zero trust solution is set up, IT can provide or revoke access in a matter of seconds. This is a huge time saver.

What’s Next for IT?

Many times companies select a cybersecurity solution based solely on its ability to protect them from cyber attacks. But with the growing overhead tax IT teams are paying, it’s important to take their needs into consideration as well. Choose a cybersecurity solution that provides benefits for IT teams, like SaaS scalability, a friendly UI and easy access management.

To see how Cyolo, the leading Zero Trust SaaS cybersecurity solution, can be easily installed and used in your company - let’s talk.