What is the Role of a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) in Cybersecurity?

A cloud access security broker (CASB) is a software that resides between a cloud service customer and a cloud service provider on-premises or in the cloud. When data stored in the cloud is accessible, it acts as a tool for enforcing an organization's security standards through risk identification and legal compliance.

The trustworthiness of this watchdog tool to block malware and other dangers from penetrating a system and prevent data theft helps boost confidence in using cloud services in general. Customers of cloud services have already experienced benefits from using it. In fact, it's one of the most crucial improvements to a company's security.

Why are CASBs Important?

A CASB serves as a gatekeeper for enterprises, assisting them in keeping track of and safely utilizing cloud services while ensuring that network traffic complies with their security guidelines and standards. Customers can see how cloud applications are used across many platforms thanks to these outstanding technologies for data security. Additionally, threat actors are recognized, allowing for the immediate stoppage of the threat of security violation.

What are the Four Pillars of CASB?

The four pillars of CASB are −

• Visibility

• Compliance

• Data Security

• Threat Defense

Let's discuss each of these points in detail.

Visibility

Both managed and unmanaged cloud services must be visible to and under the control of the business. Cloud brokerage should allow IT to say "yes" too valuable services while maintaining controlling access to activities and data within services, as opposed to taking a "allow" or "block" attitude on all cloud services. This may entail providing unmanaged device users with web-only email while giving corporate device users full access to a sanctioned suite like Microsoft Office 365. Enforcing a "no sharing outside of the firm" policy in relation to a class of unauthorized services is another option.

While a cloud access security broker's primary concern is cloud security, you may also benefit from their assistance in understanding cloud spending. A CASB can assist you in discovering all cloud services that are currently in use, reporting on your cloud spending, and identifying functional and financial redundancy. A CASB can provide protection and useful commercial and financial information.

Compliance

When businesses choose to migrate their data and systems to the cloud, compliance is a key factor. Ignoring these concerns might result in risky and expensive breaches as these compliance rules are intended to safeguard the safety of personal and corporate data.

Whether you are a healthcare institution worried about HIPAA or HITECH compliance, a retail company worried about PCI compliance, or a financial services organization wanting to comply with FFIEC and FINRA; cloud access security brokers can assist ensure compliance in the cloud. By upholding the data laws established by your industry, a CASB can assist in preventing expensive data breaches for your business.

Data Security

When employing context to reduce the detection surface area and very advanced cloud DLP detection algorithms like document fingerprinting, accuracy is achieved (user, location, activity, etc.). The cloud access security broker (CASB) should allow IT to quickly transport suspected violations to their on-premises systems for additional investigation when sensitive content is found in or on its way to the cloud.

A CASB can serve as a gatekeeper a"d make this possible by acting as a gatekeeper and conducting a deeper study on threat observations to help your business identify and halt hostile behavior before it worsens. CASBs employ a skillful strategy to hone an organization's security because they are knowledgeable about both business needs and IT requirements.

Threat Defense

Businesses need to make sure that their staff isn't using cloud storage services and the accompanying sync clients and services to introduce or spread cloud malware and threats. When a worker tries to share or upload an infected file, it means being able to scan and remove risks across internal and external networks in real-time. This also entails identifying compromised accounts by detecting and restricting unwanted user access to cloud services and data.

A CASB can protect a business from a wide range of malware and cloud threats. Threats that can combine prioritized static and dynamic malware analysis for advanced threat intelligence must be avoided at all costs by your business. The right threat defense might be your shield because some risks may come from cloud services or be spread farther by them.

Why Do I Need a CASB?

Maintaining visibility and control in these environments is essential to meeting compliance requirements, protecting your enterprise from attack, and enabling your employees to use cloud services safely without introducing additional high risk to your enterprise as services that were previously provided on premises continue to migrate to the cloud.

However, even while using a CASB is essential for businesses looking to safeguard cloud usage within their organizations, it is only a small component of the entire security approach that companies should employ to provide defense from device to cloud. Businesses should also think about enhancing the capabilities of their CASB by implementing a secure web gateway (SWG) to aid secure internet usage and a device data loss prevention solution (DLP) to assist in safeguarding critical company data across the network and protect intellectual property.