Many enterprises need more visibility into sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud applications, a significant challenge in cloud deployments. CASB solutions can help them mitigate this risk by monitoring activity in managed and unmanaged apps.
Choosing the right CASB solution involves considering several vital considerations. Here are some tips to help you make the right choice: Consider Deployment options (Forward Proxy, Reverse Proxy, or API) and integration capabilities.
Deployment options
Many CASB vendors offer several modes of deployment. The choice depends on the organization’s security needs and current infrastructure. For example, some CASBs provide a reverse proxy or API-control deployment between users and SaaS apps. It inspects content to and from the cloud and enforces real-time security policies to control access. This deployment type provides visibility and coverage of many use cases.
CASB solutions are designed to address threats and vulnerabilities across the entire cloud landscape. This includes cloud-based malware and ransomware. CASBs can also protect against insider threats by monitoring employee behavior and identifying compromised accounts. They also enable organizations to learn what systems users use and how often. This information is critical for ensuring compliance with data policies.
As businesses grapple with cloud security challenges, incorporating robust measures is imperative; evaluating CASB solutions, which stand for Cloud Access Security Broker, can significantly enhance data protection and governance within cloud environments.
Choosing the right CASB requires a deep understanding of the cloud threat landscape and the different types of business applications. It is essential to evaluate the CASB vendor landscape and identify those with a track record of preventing breaches and quickly remediating them.
Also, look for a solution that integrates with existing security infrastructure and offers a variety of capabilities that will meet your business requirements.
Integration capabilities
The CASB solution you choose should offer a variety of integration capabilities. These include support for the cloud applications you want to protect, the ability to monitor employee activities, and the capability to detect and block malware. It would help if you also looked for a highly rated and responsive customer support vendor. This is especially important for smaller security teams that don’t have the time or resources to devote to troubleshooting a complex tool.
A CASB should be able to discover all the SaaS applications and data that users access, even those using SSL-encrypted connections. This gives you a complete view of your enterprise’s cloud ecosystem so you can prioritize critical data and apply granular security policies to mitigate risk.
Additionally, the CASB should help you identify risks with your existing security infrastructure. It should be able to classify applications by their intended use quickly, determine whether they have sensitive data, and provide a community trust rating for each application.
A CASB should also be able to control activities in managed and unsanctioned cloud services. This helps you avoid blocking services, which could disrupt employees’ work. It can also prevent data loss by detecting and preventing anomalous behavior. Lastly, it can help you find and stop ransomware by scanning files and comparing them against your existing threat intelligence databases.
Security requirements
A CASB solution must be able to identify and protect sensitive information from threats. It should also be able to detect public and external data shares and provide granular visibility into how users access and use cloud applications. It should also support data loss prevention (DLP) and have a comprehensive threat analysis engine that integrates with enterprise security infrastructure.
The CASB must also be able to discover shadow IT, which is a significant source of vulnerability. Shadow IT is a growing problem for enterprises, and it can increase the number of users with uncontrolled access to corporate data. A CASB solution can help prevent these risks by securing sensitive information and ensuring all apps are correctly configured.
Another essential feature of a CASB is its ability to support hybrid environments and consistent policy applications on-premises and in the cloud. It should also provide visibility into cloud services and allow organizations to address compliance issues. For example, CASB will enable businesses to address HIPAA requirements, and it can ensure that all data is protected by encrypting and tokenizing information.
Choosing the right CASB is an essential decision for any organization. The key is to examine the solution about specific use cases, compile insights from cybersecurity analysts, or perform a detailed proof of concept.
Pricing
CASB solutions are becoming increasingly common, but it’s hard to compare them when evaluating pricing. Vendors’ public websites only provide limited information on their product’s features and pricing structure. This makes comparison shopping frustrating and difficult for prospective buyers.
Compared with traditional secure web gateways (SWG), CASBs offer deeper visibility into cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) usage, down to individual file names and data elements. They also include advanced threat protection and data loss prevention (DLP) functions that prevent sensitive or confidential data from being shared with unauthorized parties.
These features are critical as more employees work remotely with unmanaged devices. CASBs can detect remote workers’ use of non-approved SaaS applications and protect them from security breaches while ensuring their data is stored securely in corporate clouds. They can also monitor and protect SaaS applications from hackers, malware, and phishing attacks.
Another benefit of CASBs is that they can integrate with your existing security tools and provide a single, unified platform to manage all your company’s security protocols. One example is unifying its CASB with multi-factor authentication and web security solutions into a centralized platform. This can help save time and resources for IT teams. However, this type of solution can be pricier than other alternatives and might require dedicated IT support.
Final Words
Finally, select a CASB that is affordable and appropriate for the size of your security team. Larger teams need more configurable options and out-of-the-box templates, while smaller teams may prefer a simple interface.