Cloud Security Posture Management

The KuppingerCole Leadership Compass provides a detailed overview of the market segment concerning solutions that identify and control risks associated with the use of cloud services. These solutions provide visibility into vulnerabilities in how cloud services are configured, secured, and used. They assess and automate the discovery, reporting, and corrective actions for risks against common regulatory obligations, security frameworks, and organizational policies.

The report highlights the shift to hybrid IT environments where both on-premise and cloud services operate. Cloud IaaS enables accelerated development without capital expenditure, but security responsibilities are shared between Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and customers. CSPM tools help manage this complexity by identifying and handling risks.

Several tools help secure cloud services:

• CASB focuses on SaaS.
• SASE offers network-based access controls.
• CNAPP looks at cloud infrastructure security.
• CWPP secures virtual machines and containers.
• CIEM manages virtual resource entitlements.
• CDR detects and responds to threats in the cloud.

CSPM enhances, rather than replaces, controls provided by these tools, offering visibility into risks and supporting agile governance.

The report categorizes CSPM solutions based on several attributes, including basic capabilities, deployment ease, administration, cloud coverage, service inventory, user and entitlement risks, data security, network security, compute service risks, DevOps risks, risk reporting, and compliance with best practices.

Vendors are evaluated on product leadership, innovation leadership, and market leadership. The best solutions provide comprehensive cloud coverage, dynamic service inventories, strong user and data security mechanisms, and robust risk reporting against security frameworks and regulations. Key vendors listed include Check Point, Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, Palo Alto Networks, Qualys, VMware, and Wiz.