A manual process is a workflow that depends on repeated human action instead of automation. Staff may copy data between systems, approve requests by email, check logs by hand, or reset accounts through a help desk. Manual steps are often flexible, but they are also slower, harder to audit at scale, and more likely to produce mistakes or inconsistent decisions.
In cyber security, manual processes matter because attackers often look for the weakest human link. Phishing, social engineering, and business email compromise can succeed by tricking people into performing a step that software would have blocked or verified. At the same time, defenders sometimes keep certain actions manual on purpose, such as approving high-risk access changes or reviewing unusual transactions, because human judgment can add control when automation alone is not enough. The security challenge is to reduce unnecessary manual handling while keeping deliberate human checks where they improve trust and oversight.