To detect, contain and prevent attacks, agencies need real-time visibility. And they need accurate, trustworthy data.
Autonomous endpoint management — with humans at the helm — reduces risks, enables faster responses and helps organizations maintain continuous compliance, all while relieving burdens on IT and security teams.
SHIFTING TO AUTONOMOUS ENDPOINT MANAGEMENT
Address governance. Before considering new technology, take stock of your environment. Organizations can avoid missteps if they take time to assess risks, set clear goals and establish governance for AI and autonomous security. Agencies should take the time to create decision-making roles, set thresholds for automation limits and define audit trails for actions taken by autonomous tools, for example.
Start small, then scale. Successful deployments should be phased in with a tiered implementation to make sure the tools are working with your environment. Start with automating high-burden, low-risk workflows, like routine software updates for PDF readers and browsers. These everyday tasks are relatively safe and carry minimal risk but are still time-consuming and repetitive, making them ideal candidates for early automation.
Run pilots in limited, controlled environments to test functionality and identify friction points. This gives teams a safe space to learn, build confidence and refine processes without risk before scaling.
Keep humans in the loop. Autonomous solutions don’t replace human judgment. They support it by providing real-time accurate data that guides informed, high-stakes decisions.
“Automation can speed up the identification of threats, but you have to have that human in the process,” said Nancy Rainosek, a Center for Digital Government* senior fellow and the former Texas state chief information security officer.
Humans must retain ownership of decision-making and sensitive actions, such as policy and configuration changes.
Automation can independently handle routine tasks like patching, quarantining and policy enforcement. But in scenarios where human oversight or approval is required, remediation shouldn’t stall while waiting for input.
“Suppose you have an attack,” said Claire Bailey, Tanium’s public-sector CIO. “The machine can be auto-quarantined, but then it’s important for a human to intervene.”
Dashboards help bridge that handoff. When roles and triggers are clearly defined, dashboards can surface high-risk alerts and provide critical context, giving teams the accurate, real-time telemetry they need — when they need it — to step in and act without delay.
And not every device or workflow should be automated. Consider a state trooper’s in-vehicle device, Bailey said. “This is a critical device,” she said. “If it does go down, the outage has to be minimal and immediately resolved.” For such endpoints that could potentially put lives at risk, humans must always stay in control. In these cases, autonomous tools can still provide the visibility and situational awareness needed for security teams to step in — whether that’s to intervene, pause or proceed — with confidence.
Build trust through transparency. Teams must understand how automation makes recommendations, how it supports their roles and where it fits into existing decision chains. Without insight into how autonomous tools operate and how to verify their recommendations, it’s challenging for IT and security teams to build trust in the technology and confidently integrate it into their workflows.
“When you’re dealing with any sort of autonomous system,” said Melissa Bischoping, senior director of security and product design research at Tanium, “you don’t want to run the risk of just assuming the AI got it right or that you have the right recommendation in front of you.” Automated workflows must be transparent, explainable and auditable.
Empower your workforce. Successful autonomous endpoint management implementations make teams feel empowered, not worried. Create space and dedicated time for your team to get hands-on experience with autonomous solutions, understand how the technology supports their work and grow more comfortable using it.
Build buy-in through internal communication. Sharing success stories, lessons learned and best practices across departments can make the value of automation more visible and create a culture of knowledge sharing.
“That keeps motivation high,” said Bischoping, “and makes teams feel empowered by the tool — not threatened.”
MUST-HAVE CAPABILITIES
- Real-time, continuous endpoint monitoring: Always-on visibility across all devices is essential to enable fast detection, investigation and response.
- Role-based access controls: Government agencies need granular access and policy enforcement controls to ensure the right people have the right privileges to act, intervene and escalate decisions when necessary.
- Unified platform with shared data for security and IT: Vendors should be able to provide intelligent, evidence-backed guidance on how to align automation with mission goals, as opposed to generic automation ideas that lack context.
- Ease of integration with existing tools: Autonomous endpoint management solutions must integrate seamlessly with existing IT ecosystems; otherwise, agencies risk project delays, adoption fatigue and inefficiencies that undermine effectiveness.
- Public-sector experience: Vendors with proven expertise in automation and endpoint management are better equipped to anticipate agency needs and deliver solutions that scale.
SMARTER, AUTONOMOUS ENDPOINT SECURITY
By giving security teams greater visibility, faster triage tools and the confidence that routine threats are being neutralized automatically, autonomous endpoint management doesn’t replace human judgment — it amplifies it. This partnership fosters a culture of trust and shared accountability, helping teams move from reactive firefighting to proactive resilience-building.
Ultimately, success with autonomous endpoint protection requires smart technology and smarter governance. Leaders who frame automation as a force multiplier for their teams — not a substitute for them — will be best positioned to navigate the complexity of today’s cyber landscape and build systems that serve both technical and organizational goals.
*Note: The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, Government Technology's parent company.
