These are interesting times for cybersecurity as advanced technologies continue to shape the industry. The opportunities in artificial intelligence-enabled tools are endless with more predictions for the future.

The heightened enthusiasm about the impact of machines in cybersecurity creates a false impression that humans have no significant role to play. But as it turns out, people remain an important part of the process.

The Rise of the Machines

Cybersecurity and technology go hand in hand. The average person may not know the details of how cyberattacks work, but they know that it involves the use of technology to invade systems.

As more people gain cybersecurity awareness and skills to secure their digital assets, attackers are upping their game with advanced tools. Some of the tasks they execute run on automation, not requiring them to manage every detail from start to finish.

With advanced machine learning, automation tools are gaining more precision with behavioral patterns. Nonetheless, machines are inanimate objects. They don’t create themselves neither do they have a mind of their own. These devices are programmed by people to achieve desired results.

The different types of hackers may possess expert technical skills, but they are humans, not robots. Every cyberattack has a human touch. If you must prevent or combat attacks effectively, you must take human-inspired actions.

What Do Humans Bring to Cybersecurity?

The power dynamics between cybercriminals and cybersecurity professionals boil down to skills. Applying those skills requires human effort. There have been speculations that machines will replace humans in technology jobs. But so far, that hasn't happened.

Here are some roles humans play in cybersecurity that make us indispensable.

1. Intuition for Taking Inspired Actions

Automated cybersecurity tools work according to a program. While machine learning enables the tools to recognize various behavioral patterns from training, threat behaviors are unlimited. When unfamiliar situations arise, the devices can't resolve them because they lack the training to do so.

Humans, on the other hand, can detect when something is off and take motivated actions to resolve cyber threats and attacks.

Time is of the essence in containing an attack. You don’t have the luxury of time to program cyber tools to resolve emerging unfamiliar threats. But a cyber defender can take inspired and spontaneous actions to save the day.

2. Critical Thinking to Resolve Complex Threats

Attackers deploy complex cyber threats to bypass security measures on the ground. These threats have multi-layers that give off the wrong impression and mislead defense systems. Runtime encryption, packers, and downloaders are some of the tools an attacker can use to confuse artificial intelligence (AI) censors.

Critical thinking is one of the skills one needs to work in cybersecurity. Professionals can view complex threats as a good challenge. They dismantle the attack vectors and analyze every single detail to unwrap complex threats.

To resolve complex threats, you need to trace them back to their sources and examine their origins. AI sensors can’t process previous attacks they have no information of. Humans can evaluate an attack thoroughly and trace its origin when the need arises to proffer lasting solutions.

3. Contextualization to Differentiate Attacks

Attackers penetrate some networks despite the security systems the owners install. And that’s because some cybersecurity systems are generic. They can only manage threats and attacks on a general level without addressing the unique conditions of the host.

Cybersecurity is most effective when it operates in a context. It takes human input to properly contextualize a digital environment. A cyber defender can differentiate similar attack vectors and develop the most suitable strategies for each situation to achieve maximum results.

4. Flexibility to Manage Emerging Security Needs

A well-thought-out plan can become ineffective due to emerging changes. Even the strongest armies change their techniques if they encounter unfavorable conditions on the battlefield.

Since cybersecurity tools are programmed to function in certain ways, they are rigid and lack the flexibility to adapt to changing attack patterns, swiftly.

Cybersecurity isn’t cast in stone with humans. If they have the necessary skills, they can adapt to different situations. It’s not just a matter of effectiveness but efficiency. They get the job done in the best way possible.

5. Expertise to Implement Latest Updates

The most advanced systems operate based on their human configurations. The configurations’ parameters aren’t definite or absolute—they can change over time. If there’s an alteration in the configurations, the systems begin to malfunction, leading to inaccurate diagnoses and actions.

It takes human effort and expertise to ensure that the configurations of cyber tools are always intact. Developers must update the tools periodically lest they become obsolete. It also takes human effort to identify that an application is due for an update.

6. Communication Skills to Work With Others

Effective cybersecurity is a collective effort. While machines can communicate with each other via programming, there’s a limit to that communication. The developments in cybersecurity are a result of collaboration among experts in the field to make ground-breaking innovations. Without their input, the advanced tools and systems we have today will not be available.

Similarly, active communication between cyber defenders can stop an attack in its tracks. Sharing a valuable piece of information timely and clearly can avert what would have been a terrible cyberattack.

7. Initiative to Combine Multiple Tools

There’s hardly a single system that meets all cybersecurity needs. Since there are various areas within a network, you must provide multiple tools to cater to them. Machines can’t organize themselves. It takes human efforts to identify, create and assemble an effective cybersecurity structure.

The strength of your cybersecurity depends on your initiative to not just deploy the right tools but also ensure that you use them effectively. Deploying a great tool to the wrong area is counterproductive. You must understand how cybersecurity systems work.

8. Capacity to Create Cybersecurity Awareness

A large part of cyberattacks is a result of human errors. Cyberattackers launch social engineering attacks such as phishing to lure unsuspecting victims into interacting with their malicious content. While you can install tools to detect compromised content, those tools can’t automatically cultivate cybersecurity awareness in people.

For someone to cultivate a healthy cybersecurity culture, they need adequate training by professionals. The more cybersecurity awareness among people, the lower the social engineering attacks.

Enhancing Cybersecurity With the Human Touch

Securing digital assets manually is almost impossible, but when you combine human efforts with advanced systems, you get better results.

Your cybersecurity efforts will have more depth, accuracy, and precision when you assign tasks that require critical thinking to humans while allowing automation to handle mechanical and repetitive tasks.