The systems that don’t keep up with new technology are the ones that get exploited. Bad actors won’t wait for you to decide if AI-driven automation is worth investing in—they’re already using it in their attacks.
If you work in cybersecurity, we don’t need to tell you this. You already know. You’ve seen it, you’ve lived it, and you work against it day in and day out. More and more chief information security officers (CISOs) recognize the importance of leveraging security automation, including within IBM Power Systems environments running IBM i or AIX.
You know what you need to do to protect against the rising threat of AI-driven attacks. The real challenge is securing the support of leadership to do it.
Getting executive buy-in for cybersecurity automation
Fighting fire with fire is usually a poor strategy, but this is the rare exception. Hackers are using AI-driven automation, and the only way to defend yourself is by deploying cybersecurity AI on your own systems.
You’re in luck: security automation is a cost-effective, efficient solution that can take on bad actors without breaking the bank—whether that’s security automation for IBM AIX or security automation for AS/400, now known as IBM i.
You don’t want to lie awake at night wondering if you’ve done enough.
Railing against the bounds of budget and limited resources, dreading the exploitation of vulnerabilities in your system—we’re sure you’re probably all too familiar with them—doesn’t have to be your reality.
The only question is, how can you secure the resources you need to solve those vulnerabilities when so many senior leaders refuse to make cybersecurity a top priority?
The answer? Make them see how refusing to implement security automation jeopardizes the safety of mission-critical applications and sensitive data.
How security automation can protect IBM Power Systems
Just so we’re all on the same page, security automation refers to using software that automatically detects, prevents, and investigates vulnerabilities, cyberattacks, and threats while also keeping IT systems up-to-date and secured.
The basic purpose of security automation is to reduce human error, stay on pace with the rapid adoption of automation in threat actor strategies, and minimize the severity of such attacks.
IBM Power Systems is the bedrock of many corporate IT environments, storing valuable information that, if breached, could mean catastrophic (and expensive) consequences for the organization.
That said, there is more than one way to leverage security automation for IBM i. One of the best uses is generating protections faster than attacks can spread.
With AI-driven automation, you can stay one step ahead of attackers by catching them not at the point of discovery but at their next move.
Cybersecurity automation can take a process that is typically lengthy and tedious—not to mention a drain on resources—and reduce it to a few commands.
With cybersecurity automation for IBM Power Systems at work keeping pace with new threats, you can rest easy. You won’t have to spend time and resources carefully predicting a bad actor’s next move and then manually creating a full set of protections and enforcement points to counter future behaviors.
And speaking of staying ahead of attacks, cybersecurity automation can also detect infections already in your network, analyzing data backward and forward to pinpoint suspicious behavior before a network compromise turns into a full-scale breach.
That’s an edge most IBM Power Systems running AS/400 or AIX would be hard pressed to turn down.
Even a little proactivity can mean the difference between a detrimental breach or Fort Knox–level security that’s capable of detecting and preventing even the most vicious attacks.
The next time leadership tells you “we’re not ready for automation” or “it’s too complex,” remind them that the longer they push off this investment, the more likely they are to fall too far behind to catch up.
Why cybersecurity automation for IBM Power Systems is more than a passing trend (and how AI fits in)
We get it. There may be some hesitation around changing the way things have always been, but the upfront costs—downtime and determining configurations—pale in comparison to the long-term benefits of implementing security automation.
This movement isn’t an overnight trend that will fade in the next few quarters. Cybersecurity AI and security automation bring four main benefits to the table that make for a long-lasting solution:
- Reducing human error
- Reducing costs
- Streamlining threat detection
- Taking tedious tasks off the roster
In a recent Bugcrowd survey of 209 CISOs, 78% reported they are already using AI to help their security teams while 20% are waiting to see more powerful models and better AI security tools before they adopt.
IBM Power Systems may be niche, but that doesn’t mean this tech should be left behind in the cybersecurity automation race. IBM is no stranger to modernizing environments—they’re currently pushing the use of Power family servers to run hybrid clouds to further drive organizations forward.
IBM’s legacy status shouldn’t be a hindrance to innovation and modernization.
HCL BigFix, Ansible, and ezAutomate are prime examples of how to dig into cybersecurity automation without starting from scratch. BigFix operates as an endpoint management platform with AI elements, while Ansible acts as an open source IT automation engine that automates multiple types of IT processes.
CloudFirst’s ezAutomate solution delivers AI-powered business continuity as well as automated AI-driven server and endpoint management, ensuring a consistent standard for IT infrastructure and security—all from a single pane of glass.
As Sridhar Muppidi, IBM Fellow and CTO IBM Security writes for MIT Technology Review, “AI-driven cybersecurity capabilities are no longer just buzzwords for early adopters, or simple pattern- and rule-based capabilities… The algorithms have matured and can better contextualize all the information they’re ingesting—from diverse use cases to unbiased, raw data.”
Threat actors are not going to stop leveraging AI and automation. If anything, their methods will only become more sophisticated. The best time to implement AI-driven security automation was yesterday; the second best time is now.
Best metrics for convincing leadership to invest in cybersecurity automation for IBM i, AIX, and more
93% of surveyed CISOs in a 2023 Cynet report said they believe they spend too much time on tactical tasks instead of performing strategic, high-value work and management responsibilities.
Burnout in the cybersecurity landscape isn’t new. But the repercussions of not keeping pace with bad actors go beyond stress and into negligence when it comes to creating a sustainable and reliable security system for private networks.
As General Manager for GlobalSign’s North and South American operations Lila Kee says in Forbes, “It’s clear that automation is key to sustaining a competitive edge and thriving in this era.”
The long-term benefits of implementing cybersecurity automation don’t stop at cost-effective yet efficient security. Automation also supports a healthier environment for CISOs to do their best work without burning out on menial tasks.
Sounds pretty good, right?
Investments into security automation for IBM Power Systems can be hard to obtain—after all, when you’re winning at your job, it looks like nothing is happening. Leadership may forget that “nothing happening” is the ultimate goal of a formidable cybersecurity solution.
In the case of CISOs, “nothing happening” means no breaches, no hacks, and smooth sailing. When leadership can see that it takes resources and continuous improvement to stay ahead of threats, investing in AI cybersecurity doesn’t seem as daunting or unnecessary.
Three KPIs that highlight the efficiency of security automation include:
- Cost per incident
- Mean time to detect (MTTD)
- Percentage of systems updated
Contrasting the difference in these numbers with and without security automation and AI for cybersecurity can help paint a clearer picture of the benefits of automation.
Studies show that data breaches in 2024 cost an organization that uses robust security automation an average of $3.84M, compared to $5.72M on average for an organization with no such security automation deployment.
That’s a sizable leap, but it didn’t come out of nowhere. Networks leveraging automation have consistently shown lower costs in this area over the last six years.
Spending less without sacrificing quality. Stopping bad actors in their tracks while also reducing burnout. This is all within reach—the only thing left to do is grab hold of it.
Why inactivity is not the path of least resistance
The path of least resistance is often to do nothing, but in some cases that path comes at too high a price. The cost of inaction is high in today’s landscape, making inactivity—though easier in the short term—detrimental for long-term security.
Any time, funds, or resources saved today by not incorporating security automation into a system’s defenses are lost tomorrow ten times over when that system is unable to contend with current threats.
Many Power Systems IT professionals are retiring, and there is going to be a drop in qualified people in the field. The industry is in flux, and there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future availability of talent and tools.
Jumping in now while there is ample time to get acquainted with this technology is one of the best moves you can make in light of these facts.
All of these truths combined make inactivity the path of most resistance in the face of today’s challenges and threats.
And while it’s also important to avoid overdependence on automation, threat actors are actively using AI-driven strategies and automation to infiltrate networks. The sooner you find the right balance, the better.
“Without automation, CISOs are fighting a losing battle,” says LogPoint CEO Jesper Zerlang in Forbes. “Automation doesn’t replace human cybersecurity and IT professionals; it augments their work.”
When CISOs are freed from tedious and time-consuming processes, they can dial in on top-level cybersecurity initiatives that demand human problem-solving and critical thinking that AI can’t replace or duplicate.
If you’re a CISO looking to regain time in your day and address the vulnerabilities in your system without straining company resources, get in touch with CloudFirst to learn more about our automation solutions.
