To survive and thrive in a post-COVID world many businesses turned their guns on enhancing agility and efficiency. Executives are constantly looking for effective ways to streamline business processes and workflows. Most leaders view technology as an indispensable tool in this quest, especially when managing complex areas like business security. A daily deluge of alerts, events, and incidents could be overwhelming.
Fortunately, you don’t have to manage your business security tools and processes manually. You can use remote technologies to automate and resolve issues. Such technologies will help you focus resources on priority risks and tasks. Read on and learn about the top technologies you can adopt to streamline alerts, events, and incident management. But first, a word on identifying your risks.
Identify your top risks
No company is immune to attacks, each faces unique risks. Thus, the security priorities will vary depending on the company’s profile, processes, and assets. To streamline your workflows and procedures, you need to identify your company’s crucial assets and most important vulnerabilities. For example, companies with high-value physical assets will guard them at all costs. These companies coordinate their cyber and physical security teams to prioritize physical security strategies such as selecting a door access control system that is suited to best protect their facilities. Other businesses like health insurance companies or fund managers often face an uphill task of protecting customer data – a crucial asset. They prioritize security procedures to protect against cyberattacks.
Identifying your top risks and vulnerabilities will help you decide the technologies to use, information to collect, procedures to prioritize, and how to set workflows. Crafting security solutions for the most relevant risks is the first step to streamlining your business security systems. Below are the top technologies for business security to streamline workflows and procedures.
Top remote technologies to streamline business security workflows and procedures
Application programming interfaces (APIs) for managing risks
APIs help to streamline business processes, especially the integration of existing systems. They can help businesses streamline security technologies like incident reporting and investigation management software. The business can more efficiently determine the acceptable levels of risk (impact) associated with a particular event or occurrence. An effective API can help you streamline the following security processes:
- Collection of incident data
- Storage and proactive management of security data
- Prevention of unauthorized access to security data and potential corruption
- Analysis of security data to derive useful information about threats, thus informing decision-makers about the variety and intensity of security issues facing the company.
- Development of preventative actions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline investigations
Artificial intelligence is another powerful tool for streamlining workflows, especially when tackling the investigative process where the collection of evidence and facts is crucial. When probing a matter, investigators often collect a wide range of information to serve as a basis for developing theories. However, when data does not fit together to allow the development of a logical narrative, investigators have to start over – a null-start.
Using appropriate AI technologies, investigators can unearth complex associations hidden in the data and reveal possible relationships. The information derived is also helpful for security professionals who can use it to unravel trends that affect the business’ security and respond appropriately.
Robotic process automation (RPA)
RPA is an excellent method for streamlining labor-intensive processes such as access control, premises security, and staff identification. Since the pandemic, many businesses have experienced an increased need to overlap physical and cyber (IT) security. Internet-based robotic systems for functions like access control go beyond basic credentials recognition. They can help businesses collect and analyze crucial data like meeting room utilization, time of heavy or slow usage, and staff access to confidential files.
Robotic Process Automation can also help businesses collect information from various centers eliminating the need for tedious tasks like data entry.
Meeting and collaboration platforms and document approval software
The pandemic also forced an unprecedented transformation of the workplace. Reports indicate that the number of workers working from home due to the COVID-19 is steadily declining. However, pundits foresee a general rise in the ratio of remote workers, especially knowledge workers.
Remote operations do not mean that the business will no longer hold high-level meetings or conduct sensitive collaborations. The company will also continue with crucial processes like signing documents and contracts.
Safe meeting and collaboration platforms can help team members collaborate and discuss updates in real-time. Safe e-signature platforms can facilitate the distribution and collection of sensitive documents and e-signatures.
Background checking tools and ATS
Proper recruiting is important for maintaining a safe and secure business for workers and customers alike. Human Resource departments often have to go through tedious candidate-screening procedures and ensure shortlisted applicants match the requirements. After shortlisting and interviewing potential new hires, business security teams conduct rigorous background checks to ensure credentials are authentic.
ATS tools allow HR teams to weed out disqualified applicants and rank qualified ones. They also help retrieve emails, interviews, and schedules in one place to enhance productivity. On the other hand, BC tools verify the information candidates share. Combining ATS technologies with background checking tools can help businesses focus on the right candidates. Thus recruiting decisions are not just formulated by HR teams but involve IT and business security teams to optimize productivity.
A final word
Technology is crucial for streamlining workflows and processes. As you engage with different tools and platforms to help you, remember to stay focused on the outcome your organization desires – not the capabilities of the technology. Begin by identifying your risks. Then map out your ideal process or workflow, after which you can find the right technology to streamline it.
