Cybersecurity automation: How to stand out from the crowd

To say that cybersecurity automation is the need of the hour would be an understatement. In general, automation is at the top of most business leaders’ priorities list today. From manufacturing supply lines to data analytics, every industry wants to automate its operations to a certain extent. Especially in today’s challenging economic climate, the need for automation has proliferated significantly. 

Research from Gartner found that back-office automation is a top priority for CFOs looking to reduce costs. The leading analyst house also predicts massive growth ahead for various automation fields, including digital security. 

In the cybersecurity industry, automation plays a more critical role. Having automated security solutions means IT teams are less burdened, and business leaders don’t have to spend a fortune on security recruitment. On the other hand, not pursuing cybersecurity automation means that a business is most likely to become susceptible to fast-moving threats. This is why automated solutions are at a premium in the security sector.

But despite being such a hot ticket, it isn’t always easy to make automation engaging and exciting. Take the wrong approach, and it can end up as a dry and overly technical topic. Added to that, cybersecurity automation is such a crowded space that you’ll need to shout to be heard over the noise of the competition.  

So how do you stand out and catch the attention of your prospects? 

Frame cybersecurity automation as a business enabler  

Cybersecurity is often a very doom and gloom topic. With a major new incident almost every day and the price of a breach continually ticking up, it’s easy to focus on the negatives. This is especially true in areas like Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), where a security lapse can even directly threaten human life. And when it comes to press releases and thought leadership, the old adage has always been that bad news sells.  

Still, negativity can only get you so far. Many CEOs and decision-makers are getting tired of the old FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) approach. You also need to put emphasis on cybersecurity automation as a positive force that enables business growth.  

If your security solutions and services are designed to protect automated business operations, talk about the advantages you provide by keeping them safe and enabling them to focus on core operations.  

The same applies if automation is also the secret source of your security service. Shout about how you can keep up with the latest threats and empower your customers to accelerate their digital growth without being held back by cyber risk. 

Emphasise cybersecurity PR and marketing

Let’s say you have an amazing state-of-the-art security automation solution. What would be your next move? Generally, businesses would dive right into promotions, trying to demonstrate their product’s unique value to channel partners and third parties. These are essential marketing strategies, but it’s not enough.

The best marketing of your product happens through building relations and establishing a positive brand reputation within the public media. Establish a public relations (PR) strategy, and have your thought leaders talk to the wider audience about the importance of your technology. Don’t just focus on your product. Cybersecurity is very different from retail. Pushing and showcasing your product won’t actually get you much attention.

Effective PR can help security vendors build trust and recognition among other businesses. If your cybersecurity PR strategy is as good as your product, businesses will automatically start noticing you. Overall, it makes B2B lead generation a whole lot easier.

Focus on outcomes  

As with most other areas in tech, it’s important to keep your eye on business outcomes rather than getting lost in the weeds about technical capabilities. While you obviously need to be armed with in-depth info and tech specs on your security automation solution for CISOs and other IT-orientated decision-makers, CEOs and CFOs will only want to hear about the results you can provide and why they matter. 

If you have an amazing threat detection tool with a 99% accuracy rate, you need to talk about practical impacts on security. How are you boosting the capabilities of SOC teams? How is the solution allowing analysts to stop fighting fires and drive better ROI with more high-value activity?  

If you have the ability to monitor and secure highly automated areas like cloud environments and complex IoT and OT infrastructure, shout about what this means in practical terms. What can your clients now accomplish that they couldn’t before they had your watchful eye on their side? 

That “so what?” factor will make all the difference in helping your technology and services cut through the noise of the crowded cybersecurity automation space. 

After more than 20 years in cybersecurity PR and marketing, we know how to translate the capabilities and successes of security vendors and help them stand out from the crowd. From insightful thought leadership and research-led press campaigns to customer case studies and marketing collateral, we can help you reach your target audience. 

Get in touch now to see what we can do for you, and for more cybersecurity insights and analysis, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.