While cloud computing has revolutionized business and IT, it has also dramatically increased the complexity of infrastructure security. Closing security gaps in programs and the platforms they run on is the main issue, and it requires integrating a wide range of tools from development to production.
Platforms for cloud-native application protection (CNAPP) can help in this situation. By using an integrated, lifecycle security and compliance approach to secure workloads and apps, they change the conversation. The idea was first presented by the research and consulting firm Gartner, Inc., and it is starting to catch on. it is because CNAPP has the ability to change the security industry.
The Increasing Complexity of Cloud Security
A classic lift-and-move methodology becomes increasingly untenable as enterprises shift from an on-premises to a cloud-centric mindset. Many assets are fleeting and dynamic. Traditional security approaches are typically unprepared to manage containers and serverless settings. As a result, silos, gaps, and overall complexity grow.
According to Gartner, Inc.’s August 2021 study Innovation Insight for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (paywall), organizations have manually stitched DevSecOps with ten or more heterogeneous security technologies—some new and some old—each with walled duties and a limited perspective of application risk. Some examples of these are; Cloud application security brokers (CASB), cloud security posture management (CSPM), cloud application workload protection platforms (CWPP), and cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM).
Furthermore, traditional vendors frequently acquire cloud security products while doing little to solve silos. As a result, they lack the overall picture and context required to identify, prioritize, and remediate risk across virtual machines. Understanding and mitigating the true risk of cloud-native apps necessitates advanced analytics that combines siloed views of application risk, open-source component risk, cloud infrastructure risk, and runtime workload risk, according to Gartner, Inc. in its August 2021 report.
According to Gartner’s analysis, optimal security of cloud-native applications necessitates an integrated approach that begins with the development and continues with runtime protection. Because of the unique properties of cloud-native applications, they are impossible to secure without a sophisticated combination of overlapping development and production technologies.
Cloud Control and Storm Avoidance
CNAPP aims to integrate cloud security on an end-to-end basis by connecting siloed perspectives of risk so that enterprises may assess and address security weaknesses.
According to Gartner, Inc., the strategy brings together five main components:
- Infrastructure as code scanning
- Scanners for containers
- Platforms for cloud workload protection (CWPPs)
- Cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM)
- Cloud security posture management (CSPM)
CIEM, in particular, gives CNAPP the ability to manage, view, and configure cloud assets in novel ways—all while viewing relationships, privileges, and much more. This identification architecture also aids in tackling governance and compliance issues.
CNAPP: The Next Generation of Security
Even if your firm isn’t ready to take the complete leap, developing a CNAPP strategy to handle risk in your AWS, Azure, or GCP environment is critical. To begin the journey, consider the framework in a wide and holistic sense. CNAPP isn’t about slapping a lot of goods together or checking off all the boxes on a Gartner, Inc. diagram. It is also more than a tactical strategy.
Rather, a business should concentrate on acquiring a comprehensive perspective of cloud risk. It is prudent to strive for an integrated and complete CNAPP architecture. One that provides visibility and insights to DevOps and production engineering teams in order to improve the company’s overall security posture.
Furthermore, when enterprises transition to a CNAPP paradigm, systems that integrate CIEM and CSPM and provide capabilities for; network configuration monitoring and scanning of secrets, sensitive data, and other information. According to a survey, 83% of enterprises stated that at least one of their cloud breaches was related to access. As per Gartner, Inc., enterprises should adopt a clear strategy for cloud-native protection and strive to consolidate technologies and suppliers within the CNAPP sector.
Without a doubt, CNAPP symbolizes the future of cloud security and has helped revolutionize how we approach it. While no vendor presently provides a comprehensive solution, and vendor roadmaps are expected to shift as the area evolves and matures, organizations seeking a strategic advantage are already investing in CNAPP and benefiting from an identity-first strategy.
