What is No-Code Security Automation? Everything to Know.

As the security landscape becomes increasingly complex, organizations continue to look for ways to streamline operations and reduce manual workloads. No-code security automation is becoming a popular solution to reduce risk and improve overall efficiency. But what does it mean exactly?

What is No-Code Security Automation?

No-code security automation platforms automate security processes and tasks without the need for traditional programming or writing custom code. It empowers non-technical professionals, such as security analysts, IT administrators, and even business users, to implement automated workflows through visual interfaces and pre-built tools.

The concept of no-code security automation emerged from the broader demand for more accessible automation beyond legacy Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR). With no-code security automation, security teams can create, customize, and execute automated security workflows using drag-and-drop interfaces instead of manually writing scripts or code.

No-Code vs Low-Code vs Full-Code Security Automation

No-code security automation, low-code security automation, and full-code security automation platforms are all related, but they differ in terms of complexity and resource requirements. Let's compare these three approaches:

No-code Security Automation: 

• Complexity: No-code security automation is the simplest approach and requires minimal technical knowledge. Users can create automated workflows through visual interfaces without writing any code.
• Deployment: No-code platforms offer the fastest and easiest deployment. Multiple automated workflows can be built and deployed within minutes.
• TL;DR: No-code security automation is best for teams across all skill levels, and those who want to automate routine processes quickly both inside and outside the SOC.

Low-code Security Automation:

• Complexity: Low-code security automation platforms are typically easier to use than traditional SOAR platforms, but not quite as user-friendly as no-code options. Details such as identifying correct APIs or commands still require expert oversight.  
• Deployment: With low-code platforms, SecOps teams can expect to deploy simpler automated workflows within weeks. More complex and sophisticated use cases could take months longer.
• TL;DR: Low-code security automation is best for experienced teams that need a highly customizable solution, and that have the resources and time to build out automated workflows.

Full-Code (Traditional SOAR):

• Complexity: full-code options, like legacy SOAR platforms, are quite complex due to their rigid coding requirements and integration parameters.
• Deployment: Typically, security teams can expect weeks to months for the initial deployment of traditional SOAR platforms. Automated workflows must be coded from scratch, so it truly depends on one’s resources. 
• TL;DR: Full-code SOAR is best for security teams who need completely custom-built automated workflows, and don’t plan to expand beyond SOC use cases.
  

Why is No-Code Security Automation Important?

No-code security automation is a crucial advancement in security, making automation accessible to non-technical professionals. With visual interfaces and pre-built components, individuals without coding knowledge can create and deploy automated security workflows rapidly. This empowers security analysts, IT administrators, and business users to take charge of security automation beyond traditional security operations center (SOC) use cases.

Benefits of No-Code Security Automation Platforms

The benefits of no-code security automation help security teams on micro and macro levels, including:

Accessibility: No-code security automation makes automation accessible to a broader range of professionals, including those without extensive coding knowledge. This democratizes the process and allows more team members to participate in security automation efforts, like newer security analysts and those outside the SOC. 

Quick Implementation: Since no-code platforms use visual interfaces and pre-built components, automated security workflows can be designed and deployed quickly. Agility is crucial to promptly respond to emerging threats and reduce the time it takes to implement security measures.

Reduced Dependence on Developers: With no-code security automation, security analysts and IT administrators can create and modify automation workflows independently, without relying on developers to write custom code. This reduces the burden on the development team and empowers security experts to take charge of their automation needs.

Efficiency and Consistency: Automated security processes ensure tasks are performed consistently and accurately. No-code automation minimizes human errors that could result from manual interventions.

Focus on Strategic Initiatives: By automating repetitive and mundane security tasks, security professionals can focus on more strategic and complex security challenges, enhancing the overall security posture of the organization.

Adaptability to Changing Threat Landscape: The dynamic nature of cyber threats demands rapid adaptation. No-code automation provides the flexibility to modify and improve workflows as new threats emerge, without lengthy development cycles.

Empower Non-Technical Teams: No-code security automation empowers business users and security analysts to actively contribute to the organization's security efforts, creating a more collaborative and security-conscious culture.

Common No-Code Security Automation Use Cases and Examples

Because of the accessibility that comes with no-code security automation, there are a wide range of use cases across security domains. SOC-related use cases are typically the most common, but forward-thinking vendors have extended offerings far beyond that.

SOC and Incident Response

Automation is utilized in the SOC to triage security alerts and respond to incidents quickly. With no-code security automation, teams can build automated workflows to reduce alert noise and false positives, which minimizes the risk of alert fatigue. From everyday phishing attempts to more proactive threat hunting, repetitive processes can be automated with a no-code platform.

Vulnerability Management 

Unpatched software and zero-day vulnerabilities are major targets for malicious actors. With no-code security automation, teams can automatically scan, enrich, and respond to vulnerabilities across security environments. For instance, analysts can seamlessly build an automated workflow that retrieves a report from Qualys and sends the results to a Slack channel.

Cloud Security 

No-code security automation helps improve cloud security posture by streamlining and automating repetitive, manual tasks. Automated workflows can be built to triage alerts from CSPM, CNAPP, and DSPM tools to create reports, enrich alerts, and close duplicates. Whether it’s Wiz, Orca, or another popular security tool, no-code security automation offers vast integrations for clear visibility across cloud environments. 

IT Security 

The value of automation isn’t limited to traditional incident response processes. Teams can benefit from extending no-code security automation to equally important tasks in IT security, such as employee onboarding/offboarding, network security, device management, and even SaaS security. For example, teams can continuously monitor accounts of recently terminated employees and automatically lock devices if needed.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

No-code security automation enables teams to streamline approval flows and shift-left access requests for more efficient IAM processes. In the case of suspicious user activity, teams can automatically detect and remediate impossible traveler alerts in Okta. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) can also be easily enforced across tools, such as Azure. 

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

GRC teams face a range of compliance and regulatory requirements, from SOC 2 and ISO 27001, to GDPR and countless others. No-code security automation helps to continuously monitor these common compliance and enforce controls. Automated workflows can be built to alert teams of any non-compliant behavior, as well as perform regular SOC 2 compliance status reports for AWS.

The Role of Generative AI in No-Code Security Automation

With automation platforms, building the initial automated workflow is usually the most time-consuming step. Security professionals must integrate siloed security tools, identify the correct APIs, and manually build out triggers, steps, and outputs. This process can take weeks or even months to execute with code-dependent platforms. Or, it could take seconds with generative AI. 

See generative AI in action below, with Blink Copilot. 

No-code security automation platforms can offer massive efficiency gains, and with the help of generative AI technology, teams can keep up with ever-evolving cyber threats. While no silver bullet exists for every security challenge faced, no-code security automation has certainly shown its worth as an invaluable tool within enterprise networks. 

Explore how Blink Copilot makes automation more accessible in and outside the SOC. Schedule a demo today.