What is a significant challenge of implementing continuous monitoring?

What is a significant challenge of implementing continuous monitoring?

• A. It requires less technical expertise
• B. It can generate a high volume of alerts
• C. It eliminates human oversight entirely
• D. It is less effective than annual audits

Answer: (B)

Continuous monitoring provides organizations with real-time insights into their security posture and operational status. However, a significant challenge associated with this approach is that it can generate a high volume of alerts. This influx of alerts can lead to alert fatigue, where security analysts may struggle to prioritize and respond to them effectively. Not all alerts represent critical threats; some may be false positives or low-priority issues. Managing this high volume requires careful tuning and may necessitate advanced analytics tools or additional personnel to ensure that legitimate threats are not overlooked. The other options present scenarios that do not capture the inherent challenges of continuous monitoring. For instance, claiming that it requires less technical expertise misunderstands the sophisticated nature of continuous monitoring systems, which often require skilled personnel to manage properly. Asserting that it eliminates human oversight entirely misrepresents the balance needed between automation and human analysis in security operations, as human judgment is crucial for context and decision-making. Lastly, stating that it is less effective than annual audits overlooks the evolution of security practices, where continuous monitoring is designed to provide ongoing validation of security controls, making it a more proactive approach than periodic audits.

Continuous monitoring provides organizations with real-time insights into their security posture and operational status. However, a significant challenge associated with this approach is that it can generate a high volume of alerts. This influx of alerts can lead to alert fatigue, where security analysts may struggle to prioritize and respond to them effectively. Not all alerts represent critical threats; some may be false positives or low-priority issues. Managing this high volume requires careful tuning and may necessitate advanced analytics tools or additional personnel to ensure that legitimate threats are not overlooked.

The other options present scenarios that do not capture the inherent challenges of continuous monitoring. For instance, claiming that it requires less technical expertise misunderstands the sophisticated nature of continuous monitoring systems, which often require skilled personnel to manage properly. Asserting that it eliminates human oversight entirely misrepresents the balance needed between automation and human analysis in security operations, as human judgment is crucial for context and decision-making. Lastly, stating that it is less effective than annual audits overlooks the evolution of security practices, where continuous monitoring is designed to provide ongoing validation of security controls, making it a more proactive approach than periodic audits.