The risk trade-offs of automated threat intelligence

If you’re considering an automated threat intelligence service, it’s important to first weigh up the benefits and limitations against the level of security your business needs. 

Automated services are fast and convenient, providing continuous live monitoring and flagging of known vulnerabilities, which is a great starting point to understand your baseline security posture. 

Of course, any automation of human analysis comes with limitations, and the short answer is that automated testing can’t capture the full landscape of risks that could realistically impact your business. Ultimately, automated tools can’t anticipate attacks or interpret complex or emerging threats, which limits its overall use for effective risk management.

Human-led threat intelligence supports strategic risk management by providing a contextual understanding of your unique threat landscape. Unlike automated tools that are only able to surface raw data, human-led analysis examines content, behaviours and infrastructure, capturing not only what is exposed, but also how threat trends are connected and evolving. This approach adds true value by translating threat actor behaviours into actionable insights, allowing you to make informed risk-based decisions.

While some suppliers of automated solutions market their offerings with a ‘human element’, it’s often limited to validating scan results or providing basic guidance, rather than a comprehensive assessment. 

The distinctions in cost and value become clearer when you look at the specific capabilities each approach offers – so we’ve summarised it for you in this handy comparison table:

Automated vs human-led threat intelligence comparison

While automated threat intelligence can provide a solid baseline through continuous monitoring and rapid data collection, it has inherent limitations in providing insight into your organisation’s full threat landscape and anticipating complex or emerging risks. You might risk cutting corners in your security strategy.

At PGI, we specialise in human-led, tech-enhanced threat intelligence that supports an informed risk management strategy. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help your organisation.