Team's Investigation Uncovers Expenses Associated with Rectifying Human Mistakes

According to a new research report by Tanium, titled "The Impact of IT Operations Automation on the Morale, Productivity, and Security Posture of IT Teams," the automation of IT operations is increasingly becoming a critical factor in addressing burnout and enhancing security within IT teams.

The research, commissioned by Tanium and conducted by Pureprofile, was based on the responses of 110 Australian-based professionals from companies employing over 1,000 people between October 8 - 15, 2024.

The findings reveal that human errors are a significant obstacle in maintaining security, with 43% of Australian IT teams wasting up to 20 hours monthly fixing these errors, and 17% dedicating at least three days to resolving mistakes. These errors not only consume valuable time but also increase the risk of data breaches, as highlighted by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), which reports that human error accounts for 30% of data breaches.

The research also emphasizes that cyber threats continue to rise, making it crucial to improve security measures. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of IT workers want to adopt automation tools to focus on higher-value projects, while more than 78% of IT professionals think automation tools can improve overall security by shortening patch cycles, reducing vulnerability exposure, and improving incident response.

The report further indicates that manual, repetitive tasks negatively impact workforce morale, with 90% of IT workers stating this as a concern. Automation, it is believed, can create more meaningful work for IT teams, thereby reducing burnout, an issue affecting 69% of IT teams in the last six months. In fact, 75% of IT workers believe that automation can help reduce burnout.

However, there seems to be a disconnect between executives and IT teams regarding automation adoption. While IT professionals cite budget constraints as the primary barrier (49%), only 38% of C-suite leaders acknowledge budget as a limiting factor. Instead, C-suite leaders attribute slow automation adoption to company culture (13%) or a lack of perceived need.

James Greenwood, Tanium's Regional VP, stated that automating IT operations leads to better productivity and boosted morale. Gary Blair, former CISO, added that cybersecurity is a growing challenge across three dimensions: data, time, and workforce. He believes that automation offers a clear path to improving security, efficiency, and job satisfaction.

The full report can be found here. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the impact of IT operations automation on the morale, productivity, and security posture of IT teams.

Team's Investigation Uncovers Expenses Associated with Rectifying Human Mistakes