What is Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)?

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) automates cloud security management across the following diverse infrastructure:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Instant computing infrastructure, provisioned and managed over the internet.
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Mechanism for users to connect to and use cloud-based apps over the Internet.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): The complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that enable you to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated, cloud-enabled enterprise applications.

Why is Cloud Security Posture Management Necessary?

CSPM tools empower companies to identify and remediate risks through security assessments and automated compliance monitoring. After moving to the cloud, many organizations mistakenly assume their cloud hosting provider is entirely responsible for security. This mistaken belief leads to data breaches and other security mishaps.

Cloud security breaches are commonplace today, with most breaches as a result of errors involving cloud misconfigurations. Cloud providers are responsible for securing the infrastructure cloud stack. However, users are responsible for configuring the cloud and securing applications and data.

CSPM solutions automatically and continuously check for misconfigurations that can lead to data breaches and leaks. This automated detection allows organizations to make necessary changes on a continuous, ongoing basis.

Why Do Misconfigurations Occur?

Misconfigurations can happen easily, and often by accident. Public cloud infrastructure is programmable through APIs, so misconfigurations put organizations at major risk. Misconfigurations are often caused by the mismanagement of multiple connected resources like Kubernetes, serverless functions, and containers. This is often the outcome of lack of visibility and not fully understanding which resources are interacting with one another, leading to the application of permissions from one resource to another without realizing the least privileged permissions actually required.

Lastly, today’s enterprise environments are large and complex, making it difficult to track and maintain tens of thousands of resources and accounts. Permissions set by developers might be too liberal and they might even lose track of critical assets.

CSPM Secures Cloud Configurations Through Visibility

CSPM solutions provide organizations with visibility into public cloud infrastructure. With the proliferation of cloud resources, many organizations are unaware of how many cloud resources are running and how they’re all configured. This lack of visibility can cause misconfigurations to go undetected for long periods, making it harder to secure the applications.

Cloud environments have become too large and complex for enterprises to rely on manual security management tools, leading to automation as a solution.

Automation Drives a Strong CSPM Solution

Automated CSPM security processes help organizations:

• 1. Continuously monitor and assess compliance policies

  Automated tools will detect and resolve compliance violations and internal security policies.

• 2. Monitor operations

  Identify how new assets comply with security policies and regulations. They can also identify threats that negatively impact cloud security posture.

• 3. Manage incident response

  Centrally review how threats are being detected, quarantined, and remediated.

• 4. Perform risk identification

  Identifying and classifying risks is critical to maintaining cloud security.

• 5. Classify and inventory assets

  Visibility into what assets are in the cloud and how they are configured is crucial for cloud security.

CSPM Solutions Are the Future of Data Security in the Cloud

Organizations across all industries are using cloud infrastructure for their operations, including financial institutions, healthcare providers, and even law enforcement agencies. As more companies move sensitive data to the cloud, security is more important than ever.

Employing a cloud security posture management solution is the best way for any industry to secure cloud configurations and keep private data secure. CSPM tools will even monitor risks across the infrastructure cloud stack.

CSPM is a Security Powerhouse

Cloud security issues are easier to resolve when continuous monitoring, automation, and proper configuration are applied. However, there are additional advantages to CSPM solutions.

CSPM can be used to identify unused assets, map how security teams work, verify the integrity of a recently deployed system, and identify what technologies are most used. In this way, CSPM can also help organizations save money and identify important opportunities for training. This makes CSPM a powerhouse for any cloud environment.

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