A deep dive into RPA security
Learn about the common concerns surrounding RPA technology — and how to ensure a safe, effective implementation.
As more organizations embrace robotic process automation (RPA) — a technology that deploys ‘bots’ to automate everyday, repetitive tasks — the spotlight on RPA security intensifies. RPA bots are able to transfer confidential data between systems, which means without proper implementation, they fuel security failures such as data leakage and fraud.
This should not hold you back from automating your business processes or experiencing all the benefits that come with faster, error-free operations. Here is a guide that outlines common challenges that come with RPA implementation and how to mitigate security concerns to ensure a safe approach to adoption.
Is RPA secure?
In short, yes. If applied properly, RPA technology eliminates manual errors that open up the entire company to non-compliance issues and data breaches.
But without the right levels of oversight, all automated processes are at risk from internal malicious actors, external threats or other forms of malware.
Since RPA possesses the capability to mimic human-computer interactions — security concerns crop up around unsupervised RPA bots interacting with confidential business or consumer information, either through accessing, editing or transferring files.
Challenges in RPA security
Here are eight common challenges that stand in the way of a secure RPA approach:
1. Accidental data exposure
RPA bots often handle sensitive information such as customer data, financial records and proprietary business information. RPA bots that are left unsupervised or not configured properly put your data at risk of being intercepted by attackers with the intention to steal or destroy vital information.
Unintended data exposure could look like an RPA bot inadvertently exposing sensitive information by transferring it to the wrong destination. This could lead to customer data and other forms of personally identifiable information (PII) being exposed to unauthorized users — further exposing the company to privacy violations and fines.
2. Bot impersonation
The concept of giving each bot a unique identity is crucial for security and preventing bot impersonation. Bot impersonation occurs when an unauthorized entity masquerades as a legitimate bot to carry out actions that could potentially lead to unauthorized activities or security breaches.
When two bots have the same identity, it can be difficult to determine which bot started a certain action. This lack of accountability opens the door to unauthorized access or potentially harmful actions that are difficult to track.
3. Credential storage and management
Bots require login credentials to communicate with other platforms. The way these credentials are kept, retrieved, and handled poses a security risk because any flaw in this procedure could permit unauthorized access and data manipulation.
If an RPA system employs weak encryption methods or stores login credentials in plain text, it becomes susceptible to credential theft. Malicious parties could exploit these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or private information.
4. Oversights in rapid deployment
The urgency to deploy RPA quickly can lead to oversight in implementing important security measures.
If an organization implements an RPA solution hastily to automate a manual procedure without first undertaking a thorough security assessment, it could lead to unencrypted communication between the RPA bot and backend systems. It’s an avoidable oversight that makes your RPA approach susceptible to interception by hackers or other threats.
5. Dependency on third-party integrations
Integrations between RPA systems and other third-party apps and systems are common. If not adequately secured, relying on these integrations creates further points of risk.
Say an RPA bot transfers data using an unsanctioned external program; the workflow may be interfered with, or data may be altered if the external party is compromised or has security flaws.
RPA security best practices checklist
This checklist can serve as a guide for safeguarding automated processes and mitigating potential risks associated with RPA implementation:
1. Deploy authentication protocols
Assign unique identifiers to each RPA bot to ensure they are distinguishable and have specific access privileges. This prevents bot impersonation and unauthorized use. Additionally, set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) or other forms of “human-to-system” verification as an extra layer of security.
2. Centralize credential management
A company can use an encrypted password management system to handle and keep track of all bot credentials in one place. This ensures that these credentials can only be accessed and updated by authorized persons. Due to the restricted access, there is less possibility that unauthorized individuals would obtain sensitive login credentials.
3. Implement distinct credentials for each bot
Assigning unique login details to each bot enhances accountability and security. By doing this, the possibility of bot impersonation is eliminated, and every bot's actions are linked to its individual identity.
4. Proactively monitor bots
With the help of monitoring tools, an RPA system can notify administrators if a bot suddenly begins accessing unapproved systems or deviates from its regular operating procedures. Proactive monitoring makes it possible to quickly investigate and address possible security concerns.
5. Routinely check RPA scripts
Set up and deploy regular RPA script audits to ensure they align with security standards. This proactive strategy guarantees the long-term security and functionality of scripts — and quickly locates vulnerabilities or unexpected risks in the automation scripts.
6. Control user access
Establish strict access controls to limit access to sensitive data and guarantee that only individuals with the proper authorization can access or alter vital information.
After an RPA system is set up to limit a particular user group within the company's access to critical financial data, access privileges can be regularly reviewed to make sure that only necessary users deal with this sensitive data.
7. Maintain log integrity
To ensure log integrity, safeguard log files against tampering or unauthorized access and preserve them as reliable records for audits and investigations. Encrypt RPA logs to protect critical business data and utilize access controls to determine who can read, modify or delete log entries.
How a good RPA solution ensures organizational security
It is essential to recognize how RPA ensures organizational security whilst fueling efficient end-to-end business process automation. Here are six ways RPA keeps your organization safe:
1. Consistent adherence to security protocols
RPA ensures organizational security by consistently adhering to pre-defined security protocols during task execution. This adherence minimizes the likelihood of manual error and maintains standardized workflows.
When companies manage sensitive information (social security numbers, payment details, etc.) manual involvement increases the risks of data breaches — be it deliberate or unintentional. RPA follows pre-defined rules and protocols, eliminating the risks of data exposure as a result of errors or inaccuracies.
2. Business continuity and disaster recovery
RPA bots can be programmed to automate the backup of critical business data at regular intervals. In the event of a disaster, these bots facilitate swift data restoration by retrieving and reinstating backed-up information, ensuring minimal data loss and seamless business continuity.
At the same time, automation helps maintain accurate copies of critical information and meets the regulatory compliance standards set by GDPR for data accuracy and reliability.
3. Enhanced monitoring and logging capabilities
With the powerful monitoring and logging features provided by RPA platforms, organizations can actively follow and evaluate bot activity in real time. This enhances the visibility of operational procedures and facilitates the detection of security breaches.
For instance, RPA includes precise timestamps and sequencing information in audit trails. This meticulous recording of events allows for a clear chronological order of data activities. Such precision is crucial for litigation and audits, providing an accurate timeline of actions.
4. Better compliance management
By automating compliance-related tasks and ensuring that processes follow internal policies and industry standards, RPA software lowers the possibility of non-compliance violations and the legal repercussions that follow.
When it comes to document retention, RPA bots can extract relevant metadata from documents and assign appropriate tags. This metadata can include creation dates, document types and keywords — all of which facilitate efficient document retrieval and aid in compliance with retention policies.
5. Adaptive security measures for evolving threats
When selecting an RPA vendor, ensure that they regularly release software updates and security patches to address vulnerabilities.
Security updates and patches often include fixes for identified security flaws and weaknesses in the RPA software. These may address issues such as code vulnerabilities, configuration errors or other potential entry points for unauthorized access.
How Hyland RPA fuels operational resilience
A secure automation infrastructure begins with acknowledging these obstacles come with an improper RPA approach.
That is why the success of your digital transformation initiatives hinges on an RPA vendor with the ability to provide secure, end-to-end automation. Hyland RPA connects seamlessly with your existing systems, so business administrators have complete oversight and control over their processes.
Hyland RPA facilitates secure automation by being able to:
- Automatically capture, compile and sequence process steps — documenting all user interactions for complete visibility
- Give you full oversight with a central interface to manage and customize automation
- Back up core processes off-site to ensure business continuity in the event of a disaster
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