Top 20 cloud native application protection platforms of 2023

Exploiting gaps in cloud infrastructure which might be leaving endpoints, identities and microservices uncovered is a fast method for an attacker to steal credentials and infect an enterprise’s DevOps course of. Assaults to use such gaps are skyrocketing. 

The latest 2023 Thales Cloud Security Study offers onerous numbers: 39% of enterprises have been hit with an information breach beginning of their cloud infrastructure this 12 months alone. A complete of 75% of enterprises say that greater than 40% of the info they retailer within the cloud is delicate. Lower than half of that knowledge is encrypted. 

CrowdStrike’s 2023 Global Threat Report explains why cloud-first assaults are rising: Attackers are shifting away from deactivating antivirus, firewall applied sciences and log-tampering efforts and towards modifying core authentication processes, together with shortly gaining credentials and identity-based privileges. 

The attackers’ objective is to steal as many identities and privileged entry credentials as potential to allow them to change into access brokers — promoting stolen identification data in bulk at excessive costs on the darkish internet. Entry brokers and the brokerages they’re creating usually flip into profitable, fast-growing unlawful companies. CrowdStrike’s report discovered greater than 2,500 ads for entry brokers providing stolen credentials and identities on the market. 

What’s driving CNAPP adoption  

Consolidating tech stacks continues to dominate CISOs’ plans, pushed by the necessity to enhance efficacy, handle a extra numerous multicloud safety posture, shut gaps between cloud apps and shift safety left in DevOps pipelines. All these components are contributing to the rising adoption of cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPP). 

“CNAPPs are shaped from the convergence of cloud safety posture administration (CSPM) and cloud workload safety platform (CWPP) capabilities in addition to different safety tooling like entitlement administration, API controls and Kubernetes posture management,” reads Gartner’s 2023 Planning Guide for Security. 

Main CNAPP vendors are competing in varied areas, an important of which embody the efficacy of their cloud infrastructure entitlement administration (CIEM), Kubernetes safety, API controls and cloud detection and response (CDR), in keeping with CISOs VentureBeat spoke with. Demand for CNAPP is biggest in bigger enterprises from extremely regulated industries that depend on intensive multicloud configurations. Finance, authorities and healthcare suppliers are among the many most dominant industries.  

CISOs inform VentureBeat that some of the sensible benefits of CNAPPs is the chance to consolidate legacy instruments with restricted visibility throughout all menace surfaces and endpoints. The takeaway? Lowering software sprawl is a fast win. 

Benchmarking the highest 20 CNAPP platforms for 2023 

Full-platform CNAPP distributors present built-in cloud-native safety platforms starting from DevOps to manufacturing environments. Listed below are the highest 20 platforms of 2023: 

Aqua Security: Extremely regarded for its method of scanning container registries and pictures, CSPM and runtime safety for container and cloud-native safety. Additionally has full life cycle safety and superior runtime methods, together with help for the prolonged Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF).

Check Point: Offers a broad set of capabilities by way of its CloudGuard platform, together with CSPM, CIEM and superior runtime safety. Identified for securing cloud workloads throughout environments with identity-centric entry controls, in addition to menace intelligence integration to offer real-time contextual prioritization of dangers.  

Cisco: Just lately acquired Lightspin for its Kubernetes safety capabilities and CSPM. Its Tetration platform focuses on runtime safety, leveraging eBPF and third-party insights for superior container monitoring and granular controls. Cisco emphasizes behavioral analytics to detect anomalies and threats in container environments and offers robust controls to restrict lateral motion between workloads.

CrowdStrike: Presents a number one CNAPP suite emphasizing identity-centric visibility, least-privilege enforcement and steady monitoring. Its runtime safety leverages brokers and eBPF for workload safety. CrowdStrike’s key design objectives included implementing least-privileged entry to clouds and offering steady detection and remediation of identification threats. 

Cybereason: Platform focuses closely on malicious conduct detection. A core power is its capacity to detect threats utilizing behavior-based methods. The corporate can be recognized for API integrations, AI and machine studying (ML) experience. Cybereason focuses on detecting compromised accounts and insider threats by way of detailed person exercise monitoring. 

Juniper Networks: Collects intensive knowledge on system posture and visitors patterns to offer networking context for safety insights. Additionally permits segmentation controls between Juniper gadgets.

Lacework: Centered on workload conduct evaluation for containers and runtime methods reminiscent of eBPF to achieve a complete perception into container exercise and efficiency. Its emphasis on detecting anomalies utilizing superior ML algorithms which might be custom-tuned for containerized environments is a key differentiator.

Microsoft: Integrates safety throughout Azure companies with zero-trust controls, enforces least-privileged entry and offers workload protections reminiscent of antivirus and firewalls. Makes use of Microsoft Graph to correlate safety analytics and occasions throughout Azure.

Orca Security: Performs steady authorization checks on identities and entitlements throughout cloud environments. A key differentiator is the flexibility to generate detailed interactive maps that visualize relationships between cloud property, customers, roles and permissions. 

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud: Offers a broad suite of capabilities, together with identity-based microsegmentation and strong runtime safety with eBPF. Prisma Cloud is an business chief recognized for superior protections reminiscent of deception approach and consists of intensive compliance automation and DevSecOps integrations. 

Qualys: Focuses on compliance and vulnerability administration by way of steady scanning and least-privilege controls. Identifies vulnerabilities all through the life cycle and permits automated patching and remediation workflows. One other key differentiator is compliance mapping and reporting.

Rapid7: Enforces least privilege entry and permits automated response and remediation triggered by occasions. Presents pre configured insurance policies and streamlined workflows designed for small safety groups. An intuitive person interface and fast implementation purpose to simplify deployment and usefulness for organizations with restricted safety assets.

Sonrai Security: Focuses on entitlement administration and identity-based safety utilizing graph database know-how to find and map person identities throughout cloud environments. Person identification, geolocation and different contextual components can outline {custom} entry controls.

Sophos: Focuses on knowledge safety, compliance and menace monitoring capabilities and presents superior knowledge loss prevention reminiscent of file fingerprinting and optical character recognition. Cloud environments even have anti-ransomware protections. 

Sysdig: Centered on runtime safety and superior behavioral monitoring. For container-level visibility and anomaly detection, the platform makes use of embedded brokers. Sysdig Safe Advisor consists of an built-in safety assistant to assist SecOps and IT groups create insurance policies sooner.

Tenable: Centered on compliance, entitlement administration and identification governance. Presents complete compliance automation mapped to PCI, HIPAA and ISO laws. Additionally offers differentiated identification and compliance administration by way of superior capabilities to implement least privilege and certify entry.

Trend Micro: Contains runtime safety, compliance and menace monitoring, enforces insurance policies and protects cloud environments from file- and email-based threats. Customized sandboxing for suspicious file evaluation can be included.

Uptycs: Differentiates itself by combining CNAPP capabilities with prolonged detection and response (EDR) capabilities. Employs knowledge lake methods to retailer and correlate safety telemetry throughout cloud and container workloads. Threats are recognized utilizing behavioral analytics, and automatic response workflows enable for fast remediation. 

Wiz: Centered on steady entry controls, micro segmentation and identity-based adaptive safety. Mechanically discovers and visualizes relationships between cloud property, customers and permissions. Wiz additionally conducts threat evaluation to determine potential assault paths and stands out with its specialised visualization, identification administration and micro-segmentation.

Zscaler: Posture Control prioritizes dangers brought on by misconfigurations, threats and vulnerabilities. Fully agentless and correlates knowledge from a number of safety engines.

Why CNAPP will succeed as a consolidation catalyst 

CNAPPs are gaining reputation as CISOs look to consolidate and strengthen their safety know-how stacks. Platforms can present built-in safety throughout the event lifecycle and cloud environments by combining capabilities together with cloud workload safety, container safety and CIEM.

CNAPP adoption will proceed accelerating in extremely regulated industries together with finance, authorities and healthcare. CISOs in these industries are beneath strain to consolidate tech stacks, enhance compliance and safe advanced cloud infrastructure concurrently. As a result of they supply a unified platform that meets a number of safety and compliance necessities, CNAPPs are proving to be an efficient consolidation catalyst.