How CSPM can help strategize your cloud security

Cloud security posture management (CSPM) is an automated cloud security tool that identifies any risks or misconfigurations in the cloud. With organizations growing at the rapid pace that they are today, facilitated only by the scalability that the cloud offers, it becomes hard to monitor the thousands of instances that are created every minute unless the process is automated. This is why organizations should make use of a CSPM tool, which offers automated cloud security management across the different cloud infrastructures, namely Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service.

According to Gartner, CSPM is a new category of security tools that can help automate cloud security and ensure compliance, which is very important for those organizations that have moved to the cloud. While many organizations make use of the various cloud infrastructures available, some still assume that their cloud service providers (CSPs) are entirely responsible for the security of their resources and data.

On-premises vs cloud security: Shared responsibility

With on-premises security systems, the organization is wholly responsible for setting up the infrastructure and for the security of their data. With cloud security, however, the company and its CSP have shared responsibility over the security framework. The CSP's responsibility lies in securing the cloud environment and the infrastructure required; the security of the applications and data that are hosted on cloud is up to the user. The misconception that the CSP is responsible for the entire security framework can leave organizations vulnerable to threats, which is why a CSPM tool is required.

On-premises vs cloud security: APIs

One of the predominant differences between on-premises and cloud security is the use of APIs. The cloud relies heavily on APIs to access data and resources. Legacy on-premises security frameworks aren't equipped to handle the ever-evolving, dynamic nature of these APIs, which is why a cloud-specific security tool such as CSPM is required for the cloud.

Cloud security largely depends on monitoring who uses the resources, via what API, and from where. A CSPM tool provides this visibility. It empowers users to spot cloud misconfigurations—a common cloud attack vector—and fix them.

Advantages of CSPM

  • Automated monitoring

    A CSPM tool automatically monitors and identifies any misconfigurations that attackers can take advantage of, and remediates them.
  • Compliance management

    Organizations that use cloud platforms are expected to be compliant with the laws and regulations that apply for those using the cloud. A CSPM security tool helps ensure compliance.
  • Risk identification

    CSPM tools identify any threats to an organization's security posture, including unauthorized access or activity, using real-time threat detection.
  • Incident response management

    CSPM offers a central view into the identification and remediation of the different kinds of threats.
  • Visibility into assets

    Organizations often lack visibility on the different cloud resources they have running, their respective configurations, and which resources interact with each other. This lack of visibility gives way to misconfigurations that can go undetected for long periods of time and makes it harder to secure applications.
  • This is where a CSPM security tool is beneficial—it not only has the ability to detect and notify users of these misconfigurations but can automatically remediate them as well.

An environment as dynamic as the cloud needs a security tool that can adapt. A CSPM tool automatically monitors for security threats, identifies risks, and offers visibility into an organization's security framework—all of which is essential to identify any misconfigurations in the cloud and prevent future cloud-based attacks.

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