Good Security Tools Should Get Out of Your Way
Making a seamless experience for SOCs and developers
At Crowdalert, we believe that effective security solutions should be invisible until you need them. Think of security tools as invisible guardians, keeping watch while you go about your day. The last thing anyone wants is a constant stream of unvetted alerts that disrupts their workflow or overwhelms investigations. With Crowdalert, vetted and actionable notifications are delivered right in the platforms teams are already using—like Slack and Jira—allowing for seamless integration into daily operations.
Streamlining Communication
Generic SIEM systems and complex dashboards can create a lot of noise with irrelevant alerts, which can desensitize teams to notifications. This is where Crowdalert comes in. It customizes alerts for employees and security teams, ensuring that everyone receives only the information they actually need. For example, if an employee accesses sensitive data outside their normal hours, they receive a targeted notification prompting them to confirm whether the activity is legitimate. This isn’t just an alert; it’s out-of-band verification that helps security analysts quickly assess the situation and provides an opportunity to educate the employee about risky actions without blame.
As soon as the employee responds, the security team gains additional context about the situation, including risk scores and user profiles based on Crowdalert’s proprietary identity mapping. This clear and immediate communication eliminates unnecessary back-and-forth, allowing analysts and investigators to assess potential risks more effectively and make informed decisions. The result? A more efficient workflow where security concerns don’t bog down productivity.
Enhancing Processes Through Proactive Insights
Good security tools should do more than just react to incidents; they should also help you enhance your processes. Crowdalert highlights patterns in user behavior, enabling security teams to identify potential areas for improvement. For instance, if multiple developers are flagged for accessing resources unexpectedly, this might indicate a need for clearer documentation or streamlined access processes. Let’s say developers repeatedly request access to a particular API during off-hours. Instead of merely flagging this behavior as suspicious, Crowdalert could identify it as a trend across user accounts. The security team can then take proactive measures to communicate with developers, updating them on expected access protocols or even revising access controls to accommodate legitimate needs without sacrificing security.
Emphasizing User Experience
User experience plays a vital role in the adoption of security tools. If things get too complicated, users look for shortcuts, which can lead to even more security risks. That’s where Crowdalert really excels. Its alerts are automatically prioritized and actionable, ensuring that interruptions are kept to a minimum and necessary investigations can hit the ground running.
For example, if there’s a developer who is deeply focused on writing code and they receive a simple, customized prompt from your security team via Crowdalert asking them to verify their login or provide additional information, they can then quickly check the details without wading through unnecessary steps or blame. This prompt might include just the essentials: “New device detected. Verify your login”––you can customize them to fit your organization’s needs, tone, and culture. Such clarity lets developers stay in the flow while engaging with your security team.
Building Trust Through Transparency and Blameless Interactions
Transparency is of utmost importance in any security tool. When teams understand the reasons behind the alerts they receive, they’re more likely to follow your security advice next time. Crowdalert’s notifications provide valuable context, enabling both developers and security professionals to make informed decisions through light-touch, mutually beneficial interactions.
For instance, if Crowdalert flags a suspicious login attempt, it includes details such as the time of the attempt, the geographic location of the login, and the user’s typical access patterns. This context not only informs the risk score and prioritization of alerts, but the engagement encourages teams to view security as a shared responsibility rather than someone else’s job. When everyone has the information they need at their fingertips, they’re more likely to act quickly to make the right choice.
Creating a Productive Environment
Good security tools should empower teams. By focusing on user experience, providing proactive insights, and streamlining communication, Crowdalert creates an environment where security is part of the daily rhythm, not an afterthought. This proactive approach helps teams feel confident to explore new ideas, innovate, and collaborate while knowing that security is seamlessly integrated into their processes.
- By
- Crowdalert Staff