To effectively protect companies from cyberattacks, mitigate risks and respond to incidents, security teams need numerous tools. How well these work (together) can make all the difference. The third part of the "OTRS Spotlight: Corporate Security 2023" survey, which focuses on the topic of tools and interoperability, was conducted by the software company OTRS in collaboration with the market research company Pollfish - 500 IT and cybersecurity professionals were surveyed, including 100 in Germany.

The latest results show that 44% of respondents identify the complexity of security tools and 41% the difficulties of integration as the main challenges in managing and maintaining multiple security solutions.

Functionality and integration capability more important than costs

According to the survey, only 59% of respondents in Germany are satisfied (43%) or very satisfied (16%) with the integration and interoperability of their tools, compared to an average of 71% for all respondents. Nevertheless - or precisely for this reason - many German security teams are planning to introduce new tools. Functionality (40 percent), integration capability (38 percent) and costs (36 percent) are the most important decision criteria for them when making their choice.

Security tools less widespread in Germany

Although the proportion of German security teams using SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response) software has increased by 25 percent compared to 2022, they still use fewer tools overall in an international comparison, as shown in Table 1.

SOAR software in the SOC

Also striking is the high proportion in Germany that neither uses SOAR software nor plans to introduce it (22%). Internationally, security teams see great advantages in SOAR software for the SOC (Security Operations Center). At 54% of all respondents, most feel that using the software makes it easier for them to collaborate with IT. Around half (51%) of all respondents stated that the benefits of SOAR software for their SOC are that it improves response times and the tracking and reporting of incidents.

Jens Bothe, Vice President of Information Security at OTRS AG, encourages security teams: "Although there are many tools on the market that leave a lot to be desired in terms of integration options and interoperability, security teams should not bury their heads in the sand and give up the search prematurely. After all, error-prone manual processes or even unsecured communication represent an enormous security risk and cannot be the alternative. Tools such as powerful SOAR software not only save teams valuable time through automated processes and secure interfaces to other tools, but also ensure that they can respond quickly and effectively to threats and incidents while easily adhering to compliance guidelines."

About the "OTRS Spotlight: Corporate Security 2023" survey
The data used is based on an online survey conducted by Pollfish Inc. on behalf of OTRS AG, in which 500 IT and cybersecurity professionals in Germany, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore and Malaysia participated between September 5 and 8, 2023, including 100 in Germany.