Technology

Top 5 Cloud Security Tools You Must Use in 2023

Cloud Security

Forbes reports that 84% of medium and large-scale businesses will have moved to the cloud by 2023, which positions technology as one of the most defining trends of 2023. Cloud-hosted solutions, like software applications, computing resources, and storage, offer great efficiencies, convenience, and opportunities to companies that migrate to the cloud. But these solutions also expose organizations and companies to various cyber and cloud security threats. Therefore, building resilience and spending on cyber security should be the topmost priority for companies migrating to the cloud.

A 2022 State of Public Cloud Report states that while many companies prioritize cloud security, there are certain basic security practices that they do not follow. In a rush to transfer resources and data to the cloud, businesses struggle to keep up with the ever-expanding cloud attack surfaces and the multi-cloud complexities. Against this backdrop, the top 5 cloud security tools can help secure cloud-based data, workloads, and applications across varied cloud environments.

  • SASE

SASE or Secure Access Service Edge is primarily a managed solution offering different security and integrated networking attributes. These include NGFW or next-generation firewalls, ZTNA or zero trust network access, secure web gateways, cloud access security brokers, and SD-WAN. This network architecture helps to improve remote access with the perfect blend of software-defined WAM or wide area network functions with network security assets native to the cloud.

ZTNA blends real-time context with compliance and security policies to allow easy access to different systems based on entity identity or device. SASE simplifies the operation and delivery of cyber security and networking services and improves resiliency and agility. It enables companies to develop secure access with a single managed solution instead of a number of point solutions requiring proper integration. SASE offers the best secure connectivity for remote workers, on-premise data centers, and branch offices.

Cloud Security

Cloud Security

  • SAST, IAST, and DAST

Different cloud-based human auditors and automated tools help with cloud security testing that assists companies in verifying that sensitive data and applications remain protected from attack vectors. With the right tools, cloud security testing can help examine security policies, controls, and standards for the cloud environment. It even helps identify vulnerabilities that can result in data breaches and other security problems.

IT staff and developers use various security testing tools to identify security threats in cloud applications. These include:

SAST or Static Application Security Testing

These tools use advanced technology to examine binary executables and source code for patterns that indicate suspicious activities and security vulnerabilities. Popular SAST use cases include:

  • Monitoring and detecting dangerous vulnerabilities in open-source libraries.
  • Scanning and identifying exposed secrets like API keys, security tokens, and passwords in binaries and source code.
  • Creating the digital inventory of third-party assets used on production websites and development environments.
  • Assuring due compliance with the open-source license terms.
  • Examining third-party asset behavior, security threats, and data transfer location.

DAST or Dynamic Application Security Testing

Quality Analysts and testing professionals use DAST tools to examine running applications and to identify problems related to error handling, application input and output, configuration, and more. DAST and SAST are generally used in combination.

IAST or Interactive Application Security Testing

These tools combine DAST and SAST technologies to inspect application runtime behavior and source code.

 

Cloud Security

Cloud Security

  • CASB or Cloud Access Security Broker

These cloud security tools encapsulate cloud-hosted or on-campus security solutions. These digital and physical tools can function as a gateway and stop-gap between cloud service providers and users. This security policy enforcement tool intercepts connections and applies different security policies when the cloud-based resources are accessed minutely. This extends to PaaS, IaaS, and a few SaaS environments. CASB tools plug security holes by letting companies extend their security standards beyond the campus to the cloud and come up with cloud-only security controls.

CASB tools are based on these four significant concepts:

  • Identity
  • Data protection
  • Visibility
  • Threat protection

If the main priority of your organization is visibility into SaaS application access and usage, the CASB tools can be your perfect solution. These are highly established and mature cloud security tools comparatively broader than the other cloud security solutions. CASB tools can enforce different varieties of security policies:

  • Single sign-on and authentication
  • Credential mapping
  • Authorization
  • Device analysis
  • Tokenization
  • Encryption
  • Malware detection and prevention
  • Alerting and logging
  • CSPM or Cloud Security Posture Management

CSPM tools are specifically designed to analyze cloud compliance risks and misconfiguration problems. These tools help monitor cloud infrastructure constantly for prospective gaps in security policy enforcement. Companies use CSPM tools to adopt the right cloud-first strategy and to extend security best practices to their multi-cloud and hybrid environments. CSPM tools can also be used to recognize and remediate different misconfigurations for IaaS or infrastructure as a service, SaaS or software as a service, and PaaS or platform as a service.

  • SSPM or SaaS Security Posture Management

Many organizations use several SaaS applications while leaving security in default settings, which can lead to several security threats. SSPM or SaaS security posture management tools can assess these security challenges and manage the security posture of different SaaS applications.

Dissimilar to the CASB tools that can safeguard application traffic but cannot get through the internal configuration settings in the SaaS applications, SSPM tools report on the configuration of SaaS security settings, deal with identity rights, and suggest configuration changes to bring down risk.

Wrapping Up

The slightest error in configuring cloud infrastructure and dependence on the built-in security of cloud platforms can result in significant breaches. Cloud security tools are important security models that can plug all organizational leaks and protect an organization from sinking. Use these tools to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities in the cloud infrastructure proactively.

 

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