Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is gaining traction globally as a popular business technology due to its ability to automate high-volume and repetitive tasks, reduce manual effort, eliminate human error, and improve productivity levels.
RPA also enables businesses to monitor operational processes, since all actions of the robots or bots can be recorded, analyzed, and optimized over time. A report by Gartner states that nearly 80% of finance industry leaders alone have either already integrated or are planning to integrate RPA in the near future.
This goes to show how RPA is transforming the way industries are reshaping the workforce, conducting business, and redefining jobs. Although, despite driving efficiency, productivity and profitability, RPA can transpire potential threats that might end up costing enterprises if not prepared.
Potential RPA security concerns
While RPA offers multiple smart solutions to enterprises by reclaiming their time back from time-intensive and repetitive tasks, it does come with some potential cybersecurity challenges, causing harm to the business if left unchecked.
These include:
- Maintaining audit logs: These are critical to track bots’ health and effectiveness. For instance, if any bot malfunctions or stops working, the audit logs help identify the root cause, whether it is malicious code from an external threat or improper use by an employee.
- Supervision: Bots are required to be monitored at multiple levels to ensure they don’t cause any error, further leading to problems.
- Data misuse: For processes such as file transfer and payroll management, bots need access to private data such as the credit card numbers, passwords, addresses, etc, of clients, employees, and vendors. It is crucial to ensure that all sensitive personal and corporate data remain confidential and are not mishandled.
- Potential cybersecurity exposure: RPA involves the creation of several layers such as the APIs, data exchange, and web, that are potentially vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
- Unsecure frameworks: RPA framework usage also exposes enterprises to malicious threats from external parties if not secured and protected adequately.
Fortunately, there are multiple ways to mitigate such RPA security risks such as:
5 ways to prevent security risks when implementing RPA
Here are the key steps that help reduce RPA security risks:
1. Centralized credentials: This entails incorporating an internal and centralized control center for login credentials by tracking and analyzing the activities performed by bots, facilitating better and direct transparency over potentially disruptive actions.
2. Access segregation: This helps access to an assigned role by restricting team members’ activities, thereby eliminating room for fraudulent activities or errors. For instance, if an enterprise implements a protocol where no change can take place in the live ecosystem without the approval of the person in charge. All processes and users must then use login credentials to gain access leaving a paper trail and only specific authorized users can reach sensitive data in the system.
3. Consistent and accurate log generation: When an RPA system faces issues, the first step the management team takes is to look over logs to investigate and gain clarity. RPA logging must be directed to a disparate device to be safely processed and rigorously protected, ensuring proper investigations. Security heads must therefore ensure the generation of an accurate RPA tool that is a system-generated log, containing no loopholes that may obstruct any investigation.
4. Robust change management implementation: Structuring a change process management is crucial to ensure the auditing and accountability of RPA implementation. This helps define who is accountable for assessing risk, executing changes, providing approvals, reviewing performance, running backups of prior versions, and remitting notifications to the user community.
5. Data encryption: This is a highly essential extra layer of securing enterprises’ data from external malicious threats. In case of any stolen data or IP, cyber intruders are prevented from entering the system.
Conclusion
RPA not only takes enterprises’ efficiency a step ahead but also allows employees to focus on value-added, profit-generating tasks improving overall customer satisfaction.
Thus, as long as enterprises establish and address potential security risks during the RPA implementation process while monitoring its ongoing effectiveness, all potential risks are easily managed.
Deploying RPA is well worth the returns, especially when a reputed RPA solutions provider like Neebal can provide you with unlimited license-free bots, helping you save expenses on recurring bot license renewals. Our team of experienced technology experts enables fast solution development and implementation. Schedule a call with our top experts to reap the benefits of automation today!