1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,833 In this lesson, 2 00:00:00,833 --> 00:00:03,960 we will cover when to automate and orchestrate. 3 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,180 Now, let's delve into the critical topic 4 00:00:06,180 --> 00:00:07,920 of automation or orchestration 5 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,100 and their significance in the realm of secure operations. 6 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:14,400 This lesson is designed to align with Objective 4.7 of 7 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,260 the Security+ SY0-701 certification exam, 8 00:00:19,260 --> 00:00:20,970 where we will specifically focus 9 00:00:20,970 --> 00:00:24,360 on the other considerations as the sub-bullet. 10 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:25,410 By the end of this lesson, 11 00:00:25,410 --> 00:00:29,070 you will have a deep understanding of when, why, and how 12 00:00:29,070 --> 00:00:32,189 to implement automation and orchestration effectively, 13 00:00:32,189 --> 00:00:33,750 taking into account various factors 14 00:00:33,750 --> 00:00:36,540 to influence decision-making in this domain. 15 00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:39,180 Automation and orchestration are indispensable tools 16 00:00:39,180 --> 00:00:40,590 in our modern information technology 17 00:00:40,590 --> 00:00:42,750 and cybersecurity enterprise environment. 18 00:00:42,750 --> 00:00:45,360 Automation and orchestration offers us the potential 19 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,040 to streamline complex processes, 20 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:48,600 enhance our security measures, 21 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,390 and significantly improve our operational efficiency. 22 00:00:51,390 --> 00:00:54,630 However, their effective deployment does require 23 00:00:54,630 --> 00:00:56,100 that you consider several factors 24 00:00:56,100 --> 00:00:58,260 before implementing automation and orchestration 25 00:00:58,260 --> 00:01:00,840 in your organization, including the complexity, 26 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:02,850 the cost, any single points of failure, 27 00:01:02,850 --> 00:01:04,620 the concept of technical debt, 28 00:01:04,620 --> 00:01:07,680 and your ability to conduct ongoing supportability 29 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,080 of your automation and orchestration processes. 30 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,000 First, we must consider the complexity 31 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,880 of any potential automation and orchestration projects. 32 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,490 You will find that automation and orchestration technologies 33 00:01:17,490 --> 00:01:19,860 work best when they are applied to repetitive tasks 34 00:01:19,860 --> 00:01:21,330 that are somewhat complex, 35 00:01:21,330 --> 00:01:23,700 since this makes a positive return on investment, 36 00:01:23,700 --> 00:01:26,700 more likely than automating a simplistic process. 37 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:29,730 So, our first step in determining if we should automate 38 00:01:29,730 --> 00:01:32,340 or orchestrate a given process is to consider 39 00:01:32,340 --> 00:01:34,560 how complex that process actually is, 40 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,400 and if it warrants the time, money, and resources required 41 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,650 to be automated or orchestrated. 42 00:01:40,650 --> 00:01:43,380 For example, if you want to conduct a routine backup 43 00:01:43,380 --> 00:01:45,720 of your server's storage every evening, 44 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,970 this would be a good use for setting up automation, 45 00:01:47,970 --> 00:01:49,410 but it is not complex enough 46 00:01:49,410 --> 00:01:51,510 to require the use of orchestration. 47 00:01:51,510 --> 00:01:53,970 On the other hand, if you want to create a runbook 48 00:01:53,970 --> 00:01:55,620 that can conduct an incident response 49 00:01:55,620 --> 00:01:58,200 on a given workstation when it is identified 50 00:01:58,200 --> 00:01:59,970 as being infected with malware, 51 00:01:59,970 --> 00:02:01,620 you will want to use orchestration, 52 00:02:01,620 --> 00:02:03,750 since this involves numerous complex tasks 53 00:02:03,750 --> 00:02:06,030 like logically isolating the infected machine 54 00:02:06,030 --> 00:02:09,180 from the network, imaging the workstation storage drive, 55 00:02:09,180 --> 00:02:11,130 submitting that dropped image for analysis 56 00:02:11,130 --> 00:02:13,950 to the forensics team, formatting the workstation, 57 00:02:13,950 --> 00:02:16,230 installing a known good operating system image 58 00:02:16,230 --> 00:02:18,570 on the workstation, scanning the workstation 59 00:02:18,570 --> 00:02:20,670 to validate that it's no longer infected, 60 00:02:20,670 --> 00:02:22,890 and returning the workstation to the network. 61 00:02:22,890 --> 00:02:24,660 Now, this can all be conducted 62 00:02:24,660 --> 00:02:26,190 using an orchestration process 63 00:02:26,190 --> 00:02:28,350 that launches multiple different automation process 64 00:02:28,350 --> 00:02:31,020 to complete all of these required tasks. 65 00:02:31,020 --> 00:02:32,820 Second, we need to consider 66 00:02:32,820 --> 00:02:35,940 the cost of implementing automation and orchestration. 67 00:02:35,940 --> 00:02:37,950 Cost is usually going to be a key factor 68 00:02:37,950 --> 00:02:40,530 in your decision making process as to whether or not 69 00:02:40,530 --> 00:02:43,110 you will use automation and orchestration. 70 00:02:43,110 --> 00:02:44,550 While these technologies promise 71 00:02:44,550 --> 00:02:46,590 substantial long-term cost savings 72 00:02:46,590 --> 00:02:48,360 due to their increased efficiency, 73 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,870 they often entail a large upfront or initial investment 74 00:02:51,870 --> 00:02:54,390 to create them in terms of hiring a service provider 75 00:02:54,390 --> 00:02:57,120 to create them or to pay a team of developers 76 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:58,260 to implement them. 77 00:02:58,260 --> 00:02:59,670 Therefore, you should conduct 78 00:02:59,670 --> 00:03:02,040 a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis 79 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,860 to weigh the expenses associated with the development, 80 00:03:04,860 --> 00:03:07,767 implementation, and maintenance of your proposed automation 81 00:03:07,767 --> 00:03:10,920 and orchestration solutions against the expected benefits 82 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:12,810 and long-term savings. 83 00:03:12,810 --> 00:03:13,950 You should also make sure 84 00:03:13,950 --> 00:03:15,840 that you're considering all of the costs, 85 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,450 including any hardware, software, personnel, 86 00:03:18,450 --> 00:03:21,030 and ongoing support calls that will be associated 87 00:03:21,030 --> 00:03:23,417 with the automation or orchestration. 88 00:03:23,417 --> 00:03:25,350 For example, at Dion Training, 89 00:03:25,350 --> 00:03:27,780 when we initially began selling discounted exam vouchers 90 00:03:27,780 --> 00:03:30,720 to our students, we started this program using manual labor, 91 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,750 where a real human would receive the exam voucher order 92 00:03:33,750 --> 00:03:36,870 from one of our students, and then they would then assign 93 00:03:36,870 --> 00:03:39,990 an exam voucher to the student and email that voucher code 94 00:03:39,990 --> 00:03:42,150 to that student to fulfill the order. 95 00:03:42,150 --> 00:03:44,220 This worked well when we started the program 96 00:03:44,220 --> 00:03:46,440 'cause we only sold a few vouchers per week, 97 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,720 but as our program became very popular, 98 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,720 we quickly found that it was both cheaper and more efficient 99 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,750 to fully automate the voucher fulfillment process, 100 00:03:54,750 --> 00:03:57,990 even though it wasn't an inexpensive thing to do. 101 00:03:57,990 --> 00:04:00,420 In our case, we began automating this process 102 00:04:00,420 --> 00:04:02,850 a few years ago using some simple automation 103 00:04:02,850 --> 00:04:04,620 that cost us a few thousand dollars. 104 00:04:04,620 --> 00:04:06,570 Over time, as we continued to increase 105 00:04:06,570 --> 00:04:07,950 the number of vouchers we sold, 106 00:04:07,950 --> 00:04:11,040 we upgraded our system to a fully orchestrated system 107 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:12,690 that is still in use today. 108 00:04:12,690 --> 00:04:14,400 But since we considered the cost, 109 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,890 we began with a manual labor process, 110 00:04:16,890 --> 00:04:20,310 and then implemented an automated process to lower the cost 111 00:04:20,310 --> 00:04:21,839 until it made financial sense 112 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,290 to move to a more expensive and fully orchestrated solution. 113 00:04:25,290 --> 00:04:28,290 Third, you need to consider any single points of failure 114 00:04:28,290 --> 00:04:30,930 that may exist as you begin to implement automation 115 00:04:30,930 --> 00:04:33,660 or orchestrations in your organization's network. 116 00:04:33,660 --> 00:04:35,850 For example, many organizations forget 117 00:04:35,850 --> 00:04:38,610 to build backup systems or manual processes 118 00:04:38,610 --> 00:04:40,170 that can be used if automation 119 00:04:40,170 --> 00:04:42,270 or orchestration systems fail. 120 00:04:42,270 --> 00:04:45,300 This lack of foresight will create a single point of failure 121 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:47,490 in your organization's network, since everything relies 122 00:04:47,490 --> 00:04:49,650 on your automation and orchestration. 123 00:04:49,650 --> 00:04:51,300 If your automations and orchestrations 124 00:04:51,300 --> 00:04:53,910 are not appropriately designed and maintained, 125 00:04:53,910 --> 00:04:56,580 these systems can disrupt essential business processes 126 00:04:56,580 --> 00:04:58,281 if they encounter an issue. 127 00:04:58,281 --> 00:05:02,070 For example, even though we use our fully orchestrated 128 00:05:02,070 --> 00:05:04,140 voucher fulfillment system at Dion Training, 129 00:05:04,140 --> 00:05:06,660 we still have a manual process that we can use 130 00:05:06,660 --> 00:05:08,970 if our orchestration fails for any reason. 131 00:05:08,970 --> 00:05:11,550 This helps to mitigate the risk of a single point of failure 132 00:05:11,550 --> 00:05:14,310 by implementing redundancy and failover mechanisms, 133 00:05:14,310 --> 00:05:16,680 both technical ones and manual ones. 134 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,460 Redundancy might entail backup servers or failover systems 135 00:05:20,460 --> 00:05:22,530 that ensure uninterrupted operations, 136 00:05:22,530 --> 00:05:24,270 even if one component fails, 137 00:05:24,270 --> 00:05:27,300 or it could involve having a manual labor process 138 00:05:27,300 --> 00:05:29,520 that could be implemented if the automation 139 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,530 or orchestration has failed. 140 00:05:31,530 --> 00:05:33,750 Fourth, we must consider the technical debt 141 00:05:33,750 --> 00:05:36,870 created by our automation and orchestration systems. 142 00:05:36,870 --> 00:05:38,910 Just like any other technology, 143 00:05:38,910 --> 00:05:41,100 our automation and orchestration systems 144 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:44,370 can accumulate technical debt if not adequately maintained 145 00:05:44,370 --> 00:05:46,352 or if they become outdated. 146 00:05:46,352 --> 00:05:49,920 Technical debt refers to the accumulated cost and complexity 147 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,730 of suboptimal or hastily implemented software solutions 148 00:05:53,730 --> 00:05:57,570 that need to be addressed or refactored in the future. 149 00:05:57,570 --> 00:06:00,450 This technical debt can impede efficiency and security, 150 00:06:00,450 --> 00:06:02,550 so to mitigate the risk of technical debt, 151 00:06:02,550 --> 00:06:05,040 it is important that you conduct regular reviews 152 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,190 and updates of your automation and orchestration systems. 153 00:06:08,190 --> 00:06:10,500 This ongoing maintenance helps to ensure 154 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:12,330 that these systems remain aligned 155 00:06:12,330 --> 00:06:14,100 with your organization's evolving needs 156 00:06:14,100 --> 00:06:16,410 and technology landscape. 157 00:06:16,410 --> 00:06:18,810 For example, here at Dion Training, 158 00:06:18,810 --> 00:06:21,210 we had accumulated quite a bit of technical debt 159 00:06:21,210 --> 00:06:23,850 with our first voucher fulfillment automation system. 160 00:06:23,850 --> 00:06:26,730 So, as we moved to fully orchestrate the process, 161 00:06:26,730 --> 00:06:28,200 we had to spend a lot of time 162 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,510 refactoring our existing code base 163 00:06:30,510 --> 00:06:33,720 before we could move forward with our orchestration project, 164 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:35,490 which cost us a few weeks of effort 165 00:06:35,490 --> 00:06:37,140 and the associated labor costs 166 00:06:37,140 --> 00:06:40,770 that went along with the code refactoring process. 167 00:06:40,770 --> 00:06:44,010 Fifth, we need to consider the ongoing supportability 168 00:06:44,010 --> 00:06:46,200 of our automations and orchestrations. 169 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,200 Long-term supportability is a vital factor to consider 170 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:50,940 because as technologies evolve, 171 00:06:50,940 --> 00:06:53,160 our automation and orchestration processes 172 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,170 must also be modified and adapted 173 00:06:55,170 --> 00:06:57,090 to meet this changing technology. 174 00:06:57,090 --> 00:07:00,060 As you invest in automation and orchestration solutions, 175 00:07:00,060 --> 00:07:02,430 ensure that your team possesses the necessary skills 176 00:07:02,430 --> 00:07:06,090 to maintain and adapt to these systems over time. 177 00:07:06,090 --> 00:07:08,640 Training and skill development are essential components 178 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,250 of ensuring ongoing supportability. 179 00:07:11,250 --> 00:07:12,780 I have seen many organizations 180 00:07:12,780 --> 00:07:15,660 who outsource the one-time development for their automations 181 00:07:15,660 --> 00:07:17,910 or orchestrations, and then they're surprised 182 00:07:17,910 --> 00:07:19,830 when their system stopped working after a few weeks, 183 00:07:19,830 --> 00:07:22,290 a few months, or even a few years. 184 00:07:22,290 --> 00:07:25,680 This is because most automations rely on the interconnection 185 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,310 of various systems through the use of APIs and webhooks, 186 00:07:29,310 --> 00:07:32,460 but if any of these various systems are updated, upgraded, 187 00:07:32,460 --> 00:07:35,250 or replaced, it can break all of your automations. 188 00:07:35,250 --> 00:07:38,130 For example, at Dion Training, we have an automation 189 00:07:38,130 --> 00:07:40,830 that is used to pull any questions posted by our students 190 00:07:40,830 --> 00:07:42,660 about four times per day, 191 00:07:42,660 --> 00:07:44,400 and then we create trouble tickets 192 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,280 in our own support system for our Student Support Analyst 193 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:48,990 to respond to these questions. 194 00:07:48,990 --> 00:07:52,170 If Udemy, one of our partners, updates their systems, 195 00:07:52,170 --> 00:07:54,840 this will sometimes break our automation process 196 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:55,950 because they change the way 197 00:07:55,950 --> 00:07:57,780 that they receive questions from students 198 00:07:57,780 --> 00:08:00,690 and how they notify us of new questions being posted. 199 00:08:00,690 --> 00:08:03,780 So, our development team has to update our automations 200 00:08:03,780 --> 00:08:06,000 to ensure that they're always working properly 201 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:07,470 and are supported over time 202 00:08:07,470 --> 00:08:10,230 as other systems are changed and updated. 203 00:08:10,230 --> 00:08:13,530 So when should you automate or orchestrate a given process? 204 00:08:13,530 --> 00:08:16,317 Well, I found that the most effective use of automation 205 00:08:16,317 --> 00:08:18,960 and orchestration is for tasks and workflows 206 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,060 that are both repeatable and stable. 207 00:08:21,060 --> 00:08:23,250 You should first try to identify any processes 208 00:08:23,250 --> 00:08:26,490 within your organization that remain consistent over time. 209 00:08:26,490 --> 00:08:28,350 These processes are one of the ones 210 00:08:28,350 --> 00:08:31,140 that are prime candidates for automation and orchestration, 211 00:08:31,140 --> 00:08:33,809 as they can yield significant time and resource savings, 212 00:08:33,809 --> 00:08:36,030 since they're repeatable and fairly consistent. 213 00:08:36,030 --> 00:08:39,150 If you have a task that is considered a one-off task, 214 00:08:39,150 --> 00:08:41,700 a highly variable or frequently changing task, 215 00:08:41,700 --> 00:08:43,500 then it's probably not a suitable candidate 216 00:08:43,500 --> 00:08:45,930 for automation or orchestration. 217 00:08:45,930 --> 00:08:48,870 For example, if you need to migrate 10 user accounts 218 00:08:48,870 --> 00:08:50,940 from one learning management system to another, 219 00:08:50,940 --> 00:08:53,250 it might take you four or five hours to code 220 00:08:53,250 --> 00:08:55,500 an automation to perform that migration, 221 00:08:55,500 --> 00:08:58,410 or, you can spend 30 minutes manually copying 222 00:08:58,410 --> 00:09:01,050 and pasting the information from one system to another. 223 00:09:01,050 --> 00:09:03,240 If this is a task that you perform every day, 224 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:05,790 then it would definitely make sense to automate this process 225 00:09:05,790 --> 00:09:08,280 for the cost of four or five hours one time, 226 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,560 and now that process that occurs daily 227 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:12,540 can only take one or two minutes each time. 228 00:09:12,540 --> 00:09:14,760 Alternatively, is this a one-time task 229 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,370 or a task that may be performed once every few years, 230 00:09:17,370 --> 00:09:19,560 and it doesn't make sense to spend the four or five hours 231 00:09:19,560 --> 00:09:21,360 to automate this task, and instead, 232 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,460 you should just spend the 30 minutes every few years 233 00:09:23,460 --> 00:09:25,980 to mainly migrate those 10 user accounts. 234 00:09:25,980 --> 00:09:28,440 So remember, automation and orchestration 235 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,440 offer immense potential to optimize secure operations, 236 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,600 but their implementation should be guided 237 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,010 by a strategic approach. 238 00:09:35,010 --> 00:09:37,920 By meticulously assessing the complexity of tasks, 239 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:39,750 weighing the associated costs, 240 00:09:39,750 --> 00:09:41,850 mitigating single points of failure, 241 00:09:41,850 --> 00:09:43,440 managing technical debt, 242 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,040 ensuring ongoing supportability, and focusing on automating 243 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,770 or orchestrating stable, repeatable processes, 244 00:09:49,770 --> 00:09:50,910 organizations can harness 245 00:09:50,910 --> 00:09:52,950 the full power of these technologies. 246 00:09:52,950 --> 00:09:55,620 The decision to automate or orchestrate processes 247 00:09:55,620 --> 00:09:58,830 should be informed by the specific needs, resources, 248 00:09:58,830 --> 00:10:01,380 and circumstances of each organization. 249 00:10:01,380 --> 00:10:03,420 Additionally, it is important that you conduct 250 00:10:03,420 --> 00:10:05,760 continuous monitoring and adaptation 251 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,790 of automation and orchestration systems to ensure 252 00:10:08,790 --> 00:10:10,710 that they remain effective and in alignment 253 00:10:10,710 --> 00:10:12,260 with your organization's goals.