Alert Fatigue Is Real—and Dangerous
The effects of excessive notifications on your company
Alert fatigue happens when security teams are overwhelmed by a high volume of alerts, leading to the potential for critical threats to be overlooked. SecOps teams spend one-third of their typical workday investigating and validating incidents that aren’t a real threat, according to a 2023 report by IBM and Morning Consult. This same report found that security teams are only getting to half of the alerts they’re supposed to review on a typical workday because of this overload. Alert fatigue is dangerous—and Crowdalert is specifically designed to combat the problem through human interaction.
The Ripple Effects of Excessive Notifications
When teams are bombarded with irrelevant alerts, it’s easy for them to start tuning out notifications altogether. This can lead to serious security breaches flying under the radar. Not only does alert fatigue mean missed threats, but it can also slow down response times because security teams are spending hours sifting through alerts that don’t need immediate attention.
On top of that, alert fatigue can really take a toll on morale within security teams. The constant flood of unnecessary notifications can cause frustration and burnout, leading to higher turnover rates and adding to the strain on the remaining team members. When security teams get bogged down by excessive notifications, they may struggle to focus on the truly pressing issues, leaving systems more vulnerable.
Of course, the financial impact of alert fatigue can be staggering as well. According to IBM, the global average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.88 million—a 10% increase over last year and the highest total ever. But beyond the immediate costs of dealing with data breaches, organizations risk damaging their reputation and losing customer trust. Ultimately, tackling alert fatigue is essential. Crowdalert scores, priorities, and enriches alerts to provide focused notifications, helping security teams operate efficiently while staying alert to real threats.
How Crowdalert Addresses Alert Fatigue
Crowdalert uses your employees to help you find the proverbial signal in the noise. Instead of bombarding analysts with irrelevant, isolated alerts, it customizes notifications so that each team receives the most pertinent information with the necessary context to take action.
For instance, when a developer tries to access sensitive data from a new device, Crowdalert sends a clear notification to the developer to verify their login. This is what we call “out-of-band” verification. The developer can quickly check relevant details, such as the time of the attempt and the specific device being used to confirm their activity. The security team receives a comprehensive alert containing enriched context, including risk scores,the developer’s historical access patterns, and their response to the verification prompt. This dual-layered approach allows the security team to quickly determine whether an action is legitimate or if it warrants further investigation.
But Crowdalert isn’t just about sending better, more valuable notifications; it’s about fostering a feedback loop that continually sharpens its alerting system. As developers and security analysts interact with these alerts, the data collected helps improve the system over time. This means that the more Crowdalert is used, the better it becomes at delivering focused and relevant alerts just how your team needs them.
The reality of alert fatigue is one that many organizations grapple with, but it doesn’t have to be the norm. By implementing Crowdalert, organizations can not only reduce the noise that security teams face but also improve their ability to hone in on the signals hiding in plain sight. The result is a more efficient, effective security environment where teams can focus on what truly matters: protecting their organization.
- By
- Crowdalert Staff