CASB solutions enable companies to improve the visibility, compliance, and data security they need to protect their multi-cloud environments. Look for a solution that offers unsanctioned cloud application discovery to help reduce shadow IT, along with integrations into email systems, secure web application gateway devices, and identity management tools.
Evaluate the CASB vendor landscape by leveraging media coverage, and analyst reports to identify organizations with solid track records preventing breaches and quickly and effectively remediating security incidents.
Cost
The cost of a CASB solution depends on the number of cloud apps and integration capabilities. Gartner estimates that the total cost of ownership is between $15/user/year for simple installations of only a few cloud applications and $85/user/year for multimode coverage of unlimited cloud apps. However, evaluating the solution against your security and integration requirements is essential before choosing a vendor. For instance, a CASB solution should integrate with your existing secure web gateways and data loss prevention tools. It should also provide visibility into sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud services and devices.
A CASB solution can improve visibility in the cloud, enabling your organization to embrace cloud applications and eliminate blind spots safely. It can detect malware and other threats, prevent unauthorized access to cloud applications, and enforce DLP policies on data moving in or out of the cloud. Moreover, it can be deployed in reverse proxy, forward proxy, or API mode to provide comprehensive protection against cloud-based threats.
When evaluating CASB vendors, examining their integration capabilities, security features, and scalability is essential. Additionally, be sure to look for a proof of concept or trial period, as this will allow you to test the vendor’s technology in your environment. It would help to consider how fast the solution can detect and respond to threats.
Integrations
A CASB must be integrated with the organization’s existing security infrastructure. This includes firewalls, secure web gateways, data loss prevention tools, and email providers. It must also support mobile devices and cloud environments. It should be able to detect shadow IT and provide real-time protection against data leaks and malware. It should also allow for easy deployment and use. Finally, it should support all workers across multiple devices and environments.
Identifying a CASB vendor with the right integrations should be based on the organization’s specific use cases. It is recommended to use media coverage, and analyst reports to determine which vendors have a proven track record of preventing breaches and responding quickly to them. In addition, it is essential to evaluate the solution’s architecture, which will determine how it integrates with existing systems.
An ideal CASB will include various integrated functions, including identity management, threat protection, and data loss prevention. This will help prevent the loss of critical information from outside the company and eliminate blind spots in the work-from-anywhere environment. Ideally, the CASB will also offer advanced UEBA capabilities that can recognize risky behavior, such as atypical access patterns or sudden usage spikes. It will also ensure that only authorized devices, users, and applications can access corporate cloud services. The CASB will also provide visibility into unsanctioned cloud apps, so administrators can take action to prevent potential data breaches.
Security
As cloud adoption exploded, enterprises needed a way to deliver consistent security across multiple clouds and protect everyone who uses them. CASBs helped by giving organizations deeper visibility into their cloud services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) usage, even down to file names and data elements. They also allow administrators to encrypt data as it moves in and out of the cloud, ensuring that sensitive information stays safe and secure.
While CASBs can provide powerful visibility and control, they can still be hampered by obfuscation technologies that conceal malicious activity or data breaches. As such, the best CASB solutions should offer protection against a wide variety of threats and be able to scale to meet enterprise needs. They should also be able to protect IaaS environments in addition to SaaS and detect data breaches and security vulnerabilities.
Finally, the CASB solution should integrate with other existing security applications and deploy via a Reverse Proxy or Forward Proxy model. Evaluate vendors based on their integration capabilities and the deployment mode that suits your organization.
Choosing the proper CASB superhero is challenging, but it can be done with ethical considerations in place. By focusing on integration capabilities, security features, scalability, and cost, you can ensure your cloud environment remains as secure as possible.
Scalability
Organizations need a scale solution to increase their use of cloud platforms and apps. A CASB can provide visibility to a company’s entire portfolio of cloud applications and platforms. This enables IT teams to gain critical insights into data use, even when users work remotely.
CASBs can also monitor and analyze cloud services for anomalies. They can also help organizations comply with regulatory standards. For example, CASBs can detect data movement to untrusted environments and flag suspicious activity. Additionally, CASBs can block access to unauthorized services. The CASB solution can also prevent data loss by scanning for malware and phishing threats in file sharing, sync clients, and applications.
IT teams need to ensure that employees use sanctioned cloud applications. CASB solutions can provide visibility into the organization’s usage of SaaS tools and identify which ones require employee training or immediate action. They can also help prioritize and focus security team investigations on critical issues, such as insider risk management.
Many CASB vendors are on the market, and deciding which is right for your business can take time. Defining your critical use cases and evaluating vendors based on their ability to meet those needs is essential to make the best decision. For instance, a CASB should be able to track user activity and provide reports on cloud spending. It should also support multiple deployment options, including forward proxy and integrations with SIEMs.
