Automation urged as manual data moves expose defence supply lines

More than half of national security organisations still rely on manual processes to transfer sensitive data, a trend highlighted by The CYBER360: Defending the Digital Battlespace. The piece argues that such handling is not only inefficient but also creates systemic vulnerabilities, enabling human error, weak policy enforcement, and audit gaps across cross‑domain data moves.

It warns that breaches in defence supply chains show how manual steps can become exploitable seams that adversaries weaponise, potentially delaying incident response and eroding mission readiness. To counter this, the article promotes a secure automation approach centred on three principles—Zero Trust Architecture, Data‑Centric Security, and Cross Domain Solutions—to ensure identity, data, and domain boundaries are enforced at scale.

It emphasises that automation must be paired with training, culture change, and pilot programs to overcome resistance and achieve mission speed without compromising security. The conclusion is clear: automation is a mission imperative, not optional, and organisations should prioritise high‑impact workflows and auditable, policy‑driven automation to harden data flows and reduce reliance on manual handling.