The cloud has been instrumental in supporting remote and hybrid work environments, improving end-user connectivity, easing the workloads of IT teams and much more. The worldwide availability and on-demand services the cloud offers are fundamental for organizations across industries; however, without proper security measures, user and data safety can be overlooked. 

Cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools can help organizations get the most out of their cloud experience and support continued innovation. Seeing a cloud environment from a security perspective may not always be top of mind. For example, simple misconfigurations can leave data unprotected. The longer these gaps go unnoticed, the more susceptible to threats a cloud environment becomes.

CSPM tools work to centralize visibility, helping IT teams keep cloud environments secure. Learn more about CSPM and how these tools support organizations, keep data secure and enhance the cloud experience.

In addition to visibility, CSPM tools deliver:

• Configuration management: Public cloud providers continuously adapt and evolve their environments, which means that default configurations and other critical settings also change. CSPM tools assess environments against target compliance or security rules and alert IT staff or automatically make the necessary fixes. Proactive identification and elimination of improper configuration is a must, because it reduces one of the largest sources of cloud risk.
• Alerting, monitoring and notification: Threat intelligence is a broad umbrella, encompassing data related to threats and vulnerabilities, as well as bad actors, exploits, malware and indicators of suspicious activity or compromised systems. The concept is certainly not new, but it has taken on renewed importance in relation to the cloud. As organizations establish a cloud-specific threat intelligence program, CSPM solutions can serve as a foundational component. Better intelligence makes it possible to resolve security events faster and more effectively, while providing insights to further enhance strategy.
• Multicloud support: There are many reasons why multicloud has become the norm, but its benefits come with an added layer of complexity. When multiple cloud services communicate with each other, the landscape becomes even more difficult to parse. CSPM restores control and oversight to cloud ecosystems that can quickly feel unmanageable if they are not subject to proper controls. 
• Continuous compliance: Many organizations must comply with regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA or the General Data Protection Regulation, that apply highly specific requirements to cloud security. CSPM tools assess compliance against specific sets of rules and best practices. Equally important, organizations can choose to have CSPM tools automatically make corrections to maintain compliance, even as circumstances shift within the requirements or the cloud environment.

The CSPM market has grown relatively quickly, making it easier for organizations to find the capabilities and features that best complement their environments or advance specific objectives. Some tools assess multiple platforms and specific types of platforms, while others look at containers. 

Individual CSPM solutions may include these features:

• Enhanced visibility into cloud costs
• Cost optimization capabilities 
• Emphasis on seamless compliance and governance
• Network visualizations that depict trust relationships and guide remediations
• Threat remediation capabilities, including integrated cross-team capabilities 
• Compatibility with other cloud security tools 
• Robust customization of rules and reports, allowing for more granular control and analysis 

Story by Mike Mullen, a senior field solution architect for CDW’s Secure Cloud team. He is a knowledgeable cybersecurity professional focused on assisting companies as they develop security strategies for their public cloud and hybrid cloud environments. Mullen’s experience with businesses ranging from fledgling startups to expanding global corporations affords him a distinctive viewpoint for determining how security can advance business operations to achieve goals.