A CASB is a critical component of SASE (Security Service Edge) architecture. This convergence of networking and security technologies provides significant functionality with a simplified interface.
This integrated approach to network and security functions makes it easier for your IT team to monitor, update, and manage infrastructure. It also streamlines remote work for your mobile workforce.
Using CASB to Secure Your Network
The proliferation of cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service applications has enabled organizations to boost productivity and collaboration, but these benefits come with significant security risks. CASBs can help mitigate these threats by providing visibility into the use of cloud apps, preventing sensitive data leaks, and detecting ransomware attempts.
With deep visibility, CASBs can detect and block the usage of unsanctioned or unknown SaaS applications in the enterprise network. They also allow IT to identify and remediate misconfigurations that could expose users to risk and prevent performance degradation. In addition, CASBs can protect users against attacks by implementing threat protection capabilities, such as preventing data loss from cloud apps and blocking malicious activity in web browsers. When choosing a CASB, evaluate the landscape of vendors by studying media coverage and analyst reports to identify reputable providers that can meet your organization’s unique use cases. To simplify your networking and security integration, consider a SASE solution that bundles CASB functionality with SD-WAN, secure web gateway (SWG), Zero Trust network access, and firewall-as-a-service to create a single service platform. This approach can enable easier policy creation and troubleshooting, reduced exclusions, and better metrics for security program management and upper management. For example, a single-vendor SASE solution like Versa Networks that includes CASB, SWG, and ZTNA can significantly reduce the number of client installs on customer devices.
Integrating CASB into Your Security Architecture
When protecting against cyber threats, an exemplary security architecture is critical. But with so many different solutions available, it can take time to figure out which ones best fit your business needs. That’s why it’s essential to understand how the other elements of a SASE solution (including SD-WAN, secure web gateway, cloud access security broker, zero-trust network access, and firewall as a service) work together to protect your business.
CASB is an integral part of a SASE solution because it allows businesses to enforce their enterprise security policies when employees use cloud applications and services. This helps to prevent shadow IT and other risks associated with unsanctioned employee cloud usage, such as introducing malware into the company’s network. Many CASBs also offer threat protection features that monitor cloud applications in real-time for suspicious activity, such as downloading malware or sending sensitive information to untrusted sources.
When selecting a CASB, consider its coverage, deployment mode, and integration options. You’ll also want to decide whether you’d prefer a real-time or API-based approach, as this will impact the speed of threat detection and response. Choose a solution that seamlessly integrates with your security infrastructure, such as your secure web gateway and firewall.
Using CASB to Secure Your Data
The ability to monitor and control third-party cloud applications is one of the biggest challenges for enterprises. With the rise in bring-your-own-device programs (BYOD), unsanctioned employee app usage (Shadow IT), and data loss prevention (DLP) tools that are unable to secure sensitive files sent into or from the cloud, the need for CASB becomes increasingly critical.
A CASB solution uses auto-discovery to compile a list of all third-party applications and their respective permissions within the organization. Then, using real-time traffic monitoring and benchmarking capabilities and continual security intelligence from the threat detection pillar, a CASB evaluates those applications for suspicious behavior. If a CASB detects any signs of malicious activity, it automatically stops the action and notifies administrators.
A CASB can also protect the enterprise’s internal data by encrypting data at rest and in transit, ensuring compliance with industry security standards and regulations. It can integrate with existing solutions for identity access management, multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on functionality. The CASB can also support deployment as a proxy or an API, depending on the organization’s needs and infrastructure. In addition, a CASB can be deployed on-premises or as a cloud service. A cloud-based CASB is ideal for reducing WAN latency and providing optimization capabilities that minimize performance impact. It can also be integrated with SD-WAN capabilities for a seamless, flexible, secure hybrid work environment.
Using CASB to Secure Your Applications
When it comes to CASB, there are many different capabilities that IT teams can leverage. For example, CASBs can identify unsanctioned software or applications and provide granular access control to prevent data leakage. They can also contain malware attacks by detecting anomalous behavior and alerting teams to threats. They can even help to improve compliance by identifying security policy violations and providing automated remediation.
Another everyday use case for CASB is to protect against insider attacks. To do this, CASBs use machine-learning techniques to create a comprehensive regular usage pattern and detect any unusual activity that might signal an attack. They can also use various technologies and methods, such as adaptive access control and dynamic and static malware analysis, to block and stop malicious activity in real-time.
For more comprehensive protection, CASBs can integrate with other solutions like DLP, network security gateways (SWG), zero trust networking (ZTNA), and firewall as a service (FWaaS). This approach is known as secure access services edge (SASE) and combines networking and security functions into one platform that enables organizations to secure their hybrid work environment flexibly. Look for vendors offering full SASE capabilities and CASB suite to ensure you get the best protection for your cloud deployments.