The effectiveness of CSPM tools depends on the specific needs and requirements of your organization. While CSPM is an important tool for securing a cloud environment, it is not enough on its own to provide complete protection. CSPM is designed to help organizations identify and remediate security risks in their cloud environment, but it does not address all of the potential security threats that can arise in the cloud. This topic is comprehensively discussed in Chapter 18, CSPM-Related Technologies.
Here are some reasons why CSPM alone may not be enough to protect a cloud environment:
- CSPM only focuses on the security posture of cloud resources: CSPM tools are designed to scan cloud resources for misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and other security issues. While this is an important part of cloud security, it does not address other types of security threats such as malware, phishing, or insider threats.
- CSPM does not provide real-time protection: CSPM tools are typically used to scan cloud resources periodically, often on a daily or weekly basis. This means that security issues may not be detected and remediated in real time, leaving the environment vulnerable to attacks.
- CSPM does not address all cloud security concerns: CSPM tools focus primarily on the security posture of cloud resources, but there are other security concerns that may need to be addressed in a cloud environment, such as network security, data protection, and user access management.
To address these concerns, organizations should consider using additional security tools alongside CSPM, such as the CASB for real-time monitoring and control of cloud traffic, cloud DLP for protecting sensitive data in the cloud, Identity and Access Management (IAM) for managing user access, and Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) for securing cloud-native applications.
Overall, CSPM is an important tool for securing a cloud environment, andit should be used in combination with other tools to provide comprehensive protection against a range of potential security threats.
What are other cloud security technologies and tools?
However, CSPM is just one part of a comprehensive cloud security strategy. There are several other tools that work together with CSPM to improve an organization’s security posture in the cloud. Here are some examples:
- CASB: A CASB is a security tool that helps organizations enforce security policies across their cloud environment. It acts as a gatekeeper between the organization’s on-premises infrastructure and its cloud environment, monitoring traffic and enforcing policies to ensure that data is protected. A CASB can work together with CSPM by providing additional visibility into cloud activity and enforcing policies to prevent security risks.
- Cloud DLP: Cloud DLP tools help organizations protect sensitive data in the cloud by identifying, monitoring, and preventing the unauthorized sharing or leakage of data. These tools can scan cloud storage, email, and other cloud-based applications to detect and prevent data breaches. By working together with CSPM, cloud DLP tools can provide additional protection against data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
- CNAPP: CNAPP is a security tool that provides protection for cloud-native applications. It is designed to address the unique security challenges that come with building and deploying applications in a cloud-native environment, including containerization and microservices architecture.
- Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM): CIEM is a security tool that helps organizations manage user access to their cloud environment. It provides visibility into user permissions and access control policies and helps organizations enforce least privilege access to reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.
- Vulnerability management: Vulnerability management tools help organizations identify and remediate security vulnerabilities in their cloud environment. These tools can scan cloud resources for vulnerabilities, prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk, and provide guidance on how to remediate them. By working together with CSPM, vulnerability management tools can provide additional visibility into security risks and help organizations prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities to improve their security posture.
- Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) and SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM): DSPM and SSPM are two relatively newly introduced terminologies, and many vendors are now marketing their products as DSPM or SSPM or announcing the new features as DSPM and CSPM capabilities. Though we will discuss these terminologies in detail in later chapters, let’s briefly cover both now:
- The term DSPM is believed to have emerged in response to the increasing adoption of cloud computing and the need for organizations to manage their data security posture comprehensively and proactively across multiple environments, including on-premises and cloud-based systems. This involves identifying and mitigating security risks and vulnerabilities, monitoring for unauthorized access and data exfiltration, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards.
- Similarly, the term SSPM is believed to have emerged in response to the growing use of SaaS applications and the need for organizations to manage their security posture concerning these applications, including managing access and permissions for users and monitoring for potential security threats. SSPM is focused on managing an organization’s security posture in relation to SaaS applications. This includes identifying and monitoring SaaS applications in use, managing access and permissions for users, ensuring compliance with security policies and regulations, and monitoring for potential security threats.
Overall, these tools and technologies work together with CSPM to provide a more comprehensive approach to cloud security. By combining these tools with CSPM, organizations can improve their visibility into security risks, enforce security policies, and reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.