Cloud Security Posture Management

If you were to even utter the words cloud-computing just a few years ago, many would have baulked at the idea, and many others would be asking, “What are you talking about?” Today, most people are aware of cloud-computing and cloud storage, and for businesses, it has become an essential part of their online data and where everything is stored. 

Thanks to the effects of the pandemic in recent years, many organisations had to switch to cloud-based solutions so that people could carry on with their day-to-day working lives. Now, even with the return of many to the office, cloud computing has become the go-to, and the need for cloud security risk management has become even more important today. 

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at what cloud security posture management is, why it is important, and how it works. 

What is Cloud Security Posture Management?

Cloud security posture management is a category of automated data security solution that manages: monitoring, identification, alerting, and remediation of compliance risks and misconfigurations in cloud environments. One of its most critical functions is continuous monitoring for gaps in the way security policies are enforced.

Analyst firm, Gartner defined CSPM as “a category of products that automate security and compliance assurance and address the need for proper control over cloud infrastructure configurations.” In 2020, according to Gartner, the adoption of CSPM solutions was strong, projected to reach 25% in just a few years as more organisations recognised them as must-have cloud security tools.

However, many organisations wrongly believe that when they move to a cloud-based infrastructure, their cloud hosting provider is in charge of the security. This is in fact not correct, and this mistaken belief leads to data breaches and other security mishaps. 

CSPM is designed to not only mitigate these compliance risks but also to continuously monitor the cloud infrastructure. 

Why is CSPM Important?

We have all become very attuned to the idea of cloud computing in recent years, so much so that we take for granted just how it has helped to improve the way we work and even, where we work. Alongside this leap in quality in recent years, there are many who are taking advantage of these systems to launch cyber attacks and jeopardise the future of organisations, by getting hold of information stored in these cloud systems. 

This is where CSPM has become ever more important in recent years. Despite the efforts of businesses to better train staff and to be aware of the issues that can be thrown up by cybersecurity attacks, CSPM tools are involved in protecting businesses from potentially devastating security threats. 

The benefits of a CSPM system include:

• They reduce the possibility of data breaches.
  Data breaches occur from misconfigurations on the cloud infrastructure, which can potentially expose amounts of sensitive data. CSPM helps to stop this from happening.
• CSPM tools are used to monitor cloud systems for compliance.
  These tools are automated to the point that they allow for compliance across different systems. This is unachievable manually using traditional on-premise tools and procedures.
• They continuously monitor cloud environments to detect threats in real time.
  Cloud security systems are continuously updated to ensure that they are not only compliant but also safe. In this case, having regular updates to provide security against new and emerging threats is essential.
• Enhanced risk visualisation capabilities.
  CSPM tools allow you to see what enhanced risks there are to the system and what can be done to help mitigate them from ever affecting your business. 

Some of the capabilities of CSPM include:

• Identify and monitor the cloud environment footprint – detecting changes.
• Provide policy visibility and ensure consistent enforcement.
• Scan for misconfigurations and improper settings.
• Audit for adherence to regulatory compliance.
• Perform risk assessments.
• Automate remediation.

How Does CSPM Work?

The idea behind CSPM is that it provides protection in 3 ways, this includes:

• Cloud asset and configuration visibility.
  • Discovers misconfiguration.
  • Recognises changes in policy or metadata.
  • Helps policy management through centralised facilities.
• Manages and fixes misconfiguration.
  • Compares cloud configurations against industry standards and other pre-built rules.
  • Reduces human error.
  • Lowers costs.
• Discovers new potential threats.
  • Real time cloud environment monitoring.
  • Detects inappropriate access and anomalies.

In Conclusion

We have grown accustomed to the use of cloud computing but for many organisations who have switched to this data infrastructure, many haven’t realised that the potential security threats to their data isn’t protected by the cloud computing provider. This is where CSPM tools come into their own. They not only help to protect your data in cloud solutions but also work to uncover potential weaknesses and mitigate any issues that could potentially arise from a misconfigured cloud storage solution. 

If you are looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can not only help you to get a much better understanding of these threats but also provide you with the solutions to protect your organisation in the long term.

Call 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.