You might not be so familiar with the name ChatOps, right? In its simplest definition, ChatOps tool is a platform available for conversation-driven investigation. As the definition suggests, the platform is used to do investigation based on what human beings discussed in conversation. This is possible when the human chats and security tools, automated workflows, and chatbots exist in a single window. Analyzing these components enable many changes in various aspects, from knowledge management to response times.
How ChatOps Tool Works for Security Analysts
The simplest examples of how ChatOps tool works include functions like team communication and software development. These are derived from a single-window view, auto-documentation, and multi-functionality, which ChatOps offer. Actually, gamers are familiar with this tool. For instance, when you play an online arcade game, you commonly use commands to see the number of opponents left.
In this case, the ‘command’ function is supported by Discord bots to provide you with real-time inventory and stats. The same case applies for other commands like turning on the bullet tracers and enemy spotting. In fact, ChatOps is not only for gaming. Instead, it is a tool used by security analysts, who work in the same way with gamers. Both are racing with time. They communicate with teams and do multiple tasks to prevent from ‘a bomb’ from exploding.
The Advantages of ChatOps Tool for Security Analysts
Since gaming technology has been familiar with how ChatOps tool works, this is the time for security analysts to benefit from it. The following are some advantages of ChatOps Tool for security analysts:
Enhanced Transparency
Most of security analysts fail to collaborate because they were faced with tiresome systems. For instance, much information sharing is dominated by email or ticketing solutions. Prediction for future incidents is costly and most of the processes are done on paper. However, ChatOps changes these clutters and confusion.
ChatOps tool works to track every action, chat, and command made by analysts, who are collaborating on one platform. ChatOps makes them visible to everyone, thus enhancing transparency to both the analysts themselves and the external stakeholders. The tool makes it easier to correlate ownerships of a task with analysts. Then, the analysts can make the successful tasks repeatable by everyone.
Knowledge Management
Retaining cyber security talents – particularly millennial – is often a hard task for employers. A study conducted by VIB revealed that almost a third of cyber security analysts quitted their job within only 3 to 4 years. Losing cyber security talents is a great challenge, since the junior analysts still need to start and learn from the beginning.
Again, ChatOps provides the employers with a solution. It stores all actions and investigation commands that have happened on the platform. Then, it automatically creates a security database, where knowledge is stored for future use. In other words, changes of cyber security personnel will no longer put the employers in darkness.
Better Time Management
Time management has always been a problem for security analysts. Some times, it takes very long to respond to an incident successfully. Delayed response may happen due to several reasons. They include lack of alert number, working in silos, and switching between products.
When those problems work hand in hand, then the security analysts are faced with even heavier burden. Imagine you running on a marathon while wearing a pair of cement boots. Can you really run? That is how the security analysts worked before the coming of ChatOps.
ChatOps provides the solutions for these problems. The single-window platforms eliminates the need for using multiple screens. It also encourages the analysts to share knowledge and experience, and to work together. Joint investigations eventually leads to decreased alert volume. In other words, ChatOps provides faster response time and reduces complaints.
A Continuous Learning Process
Other advantages of ChatOps tool include its ability to provide the security analysts with a continuous learning opportunity. It allows the security analysts to address problems and face challenges with indexed information at hand. This was previously a utopian dream for them few years ago. Of course, the most useful way to benefit from how ChatOps tool works is using machine learning.
Combination of ChatOps and machine learning will become a powerful energy for security analysts. Both work hand in hand to analyze stored data, to make up team, and to investigate successful commands in the past.
In other words, when the security analysts use the ChatOps tool to increase efficiency and to anticipate potential attacks, they can prevent unnecessary things from happening. Security attack is a huge harm for businesses. Therefore, ChatOps will help much, particularly when it is coupled with machine learning.