Security is always paramount when investing in cloud computing. But even more critical is implementing cloud security posture management or CSPM in your cloud environment. It offloads a lot of effort when it comes to managing and maintaining compliance. Gartner reports that risk management leaders are investing more in CSPM, and the investment is likely to continue in the future. But how should you go about figuring out the right platform for your business? In this article, learn how to choose the best Platform for Cloud Security.
What is Cloud Security Posture Management?
Cloud security posture management is defined as a collection of applications and tools configured in a particular way that automates the process of identifying and remediating risk across the cloud infrastructure. It can uniformly apply the best security practices to multi-cloud and container environments.
To understand its importance, visualize a scenario. Throughout the day, the cloud connects and disconnects from thousands of networks outside of the environment. While this functionality makes the cloud platforms useful, they also make them vulnerable to security breaches.
As your cloud consumption grows, so does the need to protect against misconfigurations. Considering that 95% of security breaches are caused by misconfiguration, you should realize why you need to invest in configuration.
You can invest in a manual team, but it’s better to invest in CSPM that automates configuration management.
With that said, how do you select a CSPM platform? When evaluating a platform, here are a few things to look for:
End-to-end Continuous Visibility
The platform should give you complete visibility across your cloud environment. This is perhaps the most important thing you should look for in a CSPM.
Lack of clear data always interferes with business goals, while clear data visibility aids in decision making. The platform should operate in complete transparency without holding back any data.
For visibility, check for the following features:
- Dashboard and filters
- Search options
- Insights on data movement
- Alerts
- Trend-line comparison
- Data collaboration
- Encryption of sensitive data
Automated Remediation and Prevention
Automation is an essential component of CSPM. So you should look at the auto-remediation features.
In cloud platforms, assertive remediation is a must. The cloud monitoring system alerts the users when they violate one of the policies. It is a great way to keep a check on the users.
Auto remediation takes this one step further. It automatically remediates the events that violate the policies. The IT teams have to configure the actions in advance, and the system will take care of the rest.
Data Loss Prevention
When there’s a breach, a certain amount of data is always lost. But the amount can always be controlled and handled. Look for the DLP solutions available on the platform. As you scale your cloud storage and usage, you should focus more on the platform’s DLP capabilities.
While the platform will have the options, it depends mainly on the administrator how they configure it. Administrators should prioritize the data, classify it, and under when it is at risk. Constant monitoring and proactive action are also good practices.
Compliance Enforcement and Governance
For every industry, there are rules businesses must comply with. And these rules extend to digital format as well. When you’re running a cloud infrastructure, you need to make sure that it complies with the industry regulation. HIPAA for the healthcare industry is a prime example.
The platform should have built-in frameworks. These frameworks would allow you to create policies that comply with the regulation. But you can always create your framework from scratch. Either way, you should look for the compliance enforcement capabilities of the platform.
Risk and Security Monitoring
The importance of monitoring goes without saying. Risk and security monitoring tools allow you to detect potential security vulnerabilities. You can then act on them before there’s a breach.
The monitoring systems can scan and evaluate data before it is allowed into the enterprise network. This will enable you to keep the data clean.
The platform should have real-time security monitoring to facilitate risk management.
Third-party Integration
The platform you select should have third-party integration capabilities. With tools like Zapier, it’s easier to integrate any two distinct applications easily. But you’re adding a layer in such cases. It’s better if the platform has in-built integration capabilities with other products like Jenkins, Slack, Jira, and ServiceNow.
As cloud computing gets more complex, your responsibility for keeping data safe will increase. Cloud Security Posture Management can help you in a variety of ways in doing that. If you’re unsure which platform to invest in, compare them using the above measures and select the one matching your requirements.
