Despite great strides toward digitalization, many organizations struggle under the weight of manual processes. Many of these processes are redundant, leading to duplication of efforts. Human errors are increasingly prevalent, causing quality problems, poor customer service and bad decisions. Not surprisingly, most organizations are looking to automate these tasks as much as possible.
As a result, multiple reports predict that the robotic process automation (RPA) market will skyrocket over the next decade. Skyquest expects the market to see a compound annual growth rate of 31.5 percent through 2031. Brainy Insights believes that the integration of RPA and AI will spur 38.95 percent growth through 2033.
The myriad business benefits of RPA are driving this phenomenal growth. However, organizations should be aware of RPA’s potential security risks. By implementing the right security strategy, organizations can maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks of RPA adoption.
What Is Robotic Process Automation?
RPA uses virtual robots, or bots, to interact with application interfaces by mimicking human action. They can capture data from screens, enter information into forms and databases, and perform many other rules-based tasks. In doing so, they can cut costs, minimize data-entry errors and increase productivity. This is particularly valuable with legacy systems that don’t integrate with modern software.
Traditional workflow automation tools use scripts to automate tasks. RPA bots work at the presentation layer of applications, translating data into a form that both humans and software can read. Low-code, drag-and-drop features make it easy for nontechnical users to create the bots. There’s no need for a developer to write code or maintain application programming interfaces (APIs).
Increasingly, RPA is leveraging machine learning, natural language processing and computer vision to enable more intelligent automation. AI-enabled RPA doesn’t just perform tasks — it learns from the data to perform them as efficiently as possible. Still, RPA is distinct from AI in that it’s process-driven rather than data-driven. RPA replicates human tasks, while AI simulates human intelligence. They are complementary technologies that can work together to minimize human effort.
What Are the Risks of RPA?
Like any technology, RPA can create security threats if not managed properly. The primary risk is data exposure. RPA bots could have access to highly sensitive data or confidential information. If the bots aren’t properly configured, hackers could use them to steal data. This not only threatens data privacy but could lead to noncompliance with government and industry regulations.
Because RPA bots access and integrate with enterprise applications, they expand the attack surface of the IT environment. Hackers could use unsecured bots to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS), digital denial of service (DDoS) and SQL injection attacks. If hackers were able to compromise RPA bot credentials or unsecured code, they could change the bot’s script and make it perform unauthorized actions.
RPA security starts with effective policies. Organizations should follow least-privilege access principles for RPA bots and set guidelines for user access, data management and change management. Users should receive training to ensure that they understand RPA risks and abide by the policies.
Follow Security Best Practices
Common security tools and best practices can be highly effective at reducing RPA risk. IT teams should monitor all RPA bot activities, maintaining an audit trail of the tasks they perform. SIEM solutions can ingest and analyze RPA log data to detect unusual behavior. IT teams should also establish processes for patching and updating RPA software. The software should be tested regularly for security risks, and RPA bots evaluated to ensure proper integration with applications.
Technologent has extensive expertise in automated solutions, including both RPA and AI. Our automation team works closely with our cybersecurity specialists to ensure that every implementation is secure and performing optimally.
Analysts expect the market for RPA technology to skyrocket as organizations seek to automate many manual, repetitive processes. Let Technologent help you take advantage of RPA to reduce costs and increase productivity while minimizing the potential risks.
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