As a business grows and expands its use of cloud services, the need to implement a CASB becomes more critical. Gartner suggests enterprises should perform detailed PoCs (proof of concepts), research from cybersecurity analysts, and compare vendors before selecting the best CASB solution for their unique use cases.
Whether your organization uses private, public or hybrid cloud solutions, a CASB can provide you with the security, compliance, and visibility you need to stay safe. Here are the top five benefits of implementing a CASB solution:
Security
CASBs provide much deeper visibility into how data moves in the cloud, providing security teams with a powerful tool to help them protect against the risks and vulnerabilities of cloud computing. They also can reduce the risk of Shadow IT, which refers to applications and infrastructure being managed and used without the knowledge of the enterprise’s IT department.
Whether a CASB is a single solution or a combination of technologies, it should be designed to scan and discover sensitive data, perform risk assessments and manage access across applications and data. It should also integrate with endpoint and other security solutions to provide comprehensive threat protection.
A CASB can reduce the risk of Shadow IT by revealing unauthorized activities like developers adopting Calendly or uploading financial data to personal cloud drives that employees use on their own devices without IT authorization. This enables the IT team to stop these behaviors and train employees on best practices for using the cloud.
A CASB should offer sophisticated DLP capabilities to protect content en route to and in cloud apps. This includes detecting data movement through untrusted channels, including endpoints, USB drives and email, and monitoring file activity for exfiltration vectors such as phishing, malware and tampering.
Compliance
CASBs are essential in keeping organizations compliant with data and privacy regulations, like the EU’s GDPR and US state privacy laws. These solutions offer visibility, automated remediation, policy creation and enforcement and reporting capabilities to help enterprises meet compliance requirements.
Specifically, CASBs can protect organizations from Shadow IT or applications employees access outside of the sanctioned tech stack. These unapproved tools are often a boon to users’ productivity but can pose risks.
For example, they can be vulnerable to malware and phishing attacks that target unsecured devices. A CASB can monitor suspicious logins and alert administrators to prevent these threats.
Additionally, a CASB can provide visibility into cloud traffic and enforce security policies to protect cloud services and data. A CASB can also encrypt traffic and sandbox sensitive files to avoid eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
Choosing the right CASB solution is a complicated process, reliant on understanding an organization’s specific needs and goals. It’s best to begin by setting out your desired use cases and assessing vendors with a proven track record.
Scalability
A CASB is an essential component of a secure cloud infrastructure. It helps organizations extend their security policies to cloud services outside their control and provides visibility into how employees use these services.
CASBs are often deployed with secure web gateways to protect sensitive data and enforce access policies across cloud apps. They also offer activity analytics to help administrators monitor user activity, detect malware and phishing threats, and remediate issues.
To get the most out of a CASB solution, choosing the right one for your organization’s needs is essential. Several criteria are to consider, including functionality, performance, certifications, and customer support.
For example, look for a CASB that includes features such as a dashboard to show how much data is being stored in the cloud. This will provide helpful insight into user usage and identify potential issues. You should also find a CASB with a solid track record in preventing and quickly remediating breaches. Conducting a trial before purchasing a solution is also a good idea.
Flexibility
One of the top benefits of implementing a CASB solution is its flexibility. You can use a CASB to address many cloud security and privacy issues.
Whether you are addressing the security of sensitive data moving to the cloud or preventing shadow IT from using unapproved devices and software, a CASB gives your organization a comprehensive view of how employees use cloud-based applications and their associated risks.
Your CASB should be able to integrate with all your systems and infrastructure so that you have complete visibility into the unauthorized use of cloud services by users and potential security threats. It would help if you also looked for a CASB that offers good customer support, so you can resolve any issues that arise during implementation or ongoing management.
Lastly, your CASB should be able to detect and respond to cloud threats, such as malware and phishing. It should also help you configure policies for automated remediation of hazards. These policies may include alerting administrators and blocking suspicious authentication or authorization attempts. Additionally, your CASB should integrate with your identity access management (IAM) tools to ensure your employees are only authorized to access data when needed.
Cost
CASBs are a critical technology in the cloud security landscape and offer several benefits to help your organization improve its overall cloud security posture. Gartner predicts that the total market for CASB solutions will grow to around $112B by 2023.
With the mass migration of IT resources to multiple cloud services and the wide range of online applications, a CASB solution can be invaluable for companies looking to protect their sensitive data. It allows organizations to see what data is in the cloud and how employees access it.
The cost of implementing a CASB solution can vary depending on the size and complexity of your organization. It is recommended that you evaluate the costs before making a purchase decision.
A CASB can also reduce compliance burdens by providing a complete view of all data across your cloud environment. This can help you avoid hefty fines arising from regulatory compliance violations, such as GDPR. Additionally, a CASB can prevent the unauthorized installation of malware or other threats. By analyzing logs from network devices, a CASB can identify abnormal behavior that can be used to mitigate threats.
