The Importance of a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)

In today’s cloud-first world, organizations are increasingly adopting cloud applications to drive productivity, collaboration, and innovation. However, this rapid adoption also brings new security challenges. Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) has emerged as a critical solution to address these challenges and secure cloud applications. In this blog post, we’ll dive into what CASB is, its key use cases, and its importance in a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture.

What is CASB?

CASB is a security solution that sits between cloud service users and cloud applications, acting as a gatekeeper to enforce security policies and protect sensitive data. It provides visibility, compliance, data security, and threat protection for cloud applications, ensuring that only authorized users can access them, and that data remains secure. Key capabilities of CASB include:

• Cloud application discovery and risk assessment
• Application classification
• User and entity behavior analytics (UEBA)
• Access control and authentication
• Compliance monitoring and reporting

These are the typical core features and additional features may be included based on integrations with other SASE/SSE functions and solutions.

4 Common CASB Use Cases

The rise of unmanaged cloud applications and shadow IT—software and systems used within organizations without official approval or oversight—has grown significantly with the shift toward cloud-based services and remote work. Obviously, this poses a significant security risk, as these applications may bypass traditional security controls, leaving companies vulnerable to data breaches, compliance issues, and operational inefficiencies.

While the proliferation of cloud applications has boosted productivity by offering flexible, user-friendly tools, the lack of visibility and control over them complicates governance and increases the likelihood of security incidents. Managing this balance between agility and security is a growing challenge for organizations.

CASB addresses several critical use cases in cloud security, including:

1. Shadow IT Discovery: Employees may use unauthorized cloud applications, exposing sensitive data to potential risks without the knowledge of IT teams. CASB helps organizations identify and manage the use of unsanctioned cloud applications, reducing the risk of data breaches and compliance violations.
2. Data Loss Prevention: With data and applications residing in the cloud, organizations often struggle to maintain visibility into who is accessing their resources and how they are being used. CASB enforces DLP policies to prevent sensitive data from being leaked or exfiltrated from cloud applications.
3. Threat Protection: CASB uses advanced threat detection techniques, such as machine learning and behavior analytics, to identify and block malicious activities in cloud applications. Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics to exploit vulnerabilities in cloud services, making it crucial to have robust threat protection measures in place.
4. Compliance Management: Ensuring compliance with various regulations and industry standards becomes more complex when data is spread across multiple cloud environments. CASB helps organizations maintain compliance with industry regulations and standards, such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR, by providing visibility and control over cloud application usage.

However, there is more to your security strategy than introducing a singular CASB solution. The benefits only compound when combined with the overall capabilities of the converged network and security architecture: Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).

The Significance of CASB in a Unified SASE

CASB is a key component of a Unified SASE structure. Unlike the standard “disaggregated” SASE strategy made up of security and networking solutions from different vendors with multiple dashboards, Unified SASE is a singular convergence of network and security functions. Unified SASE is delivered as a cloud-based service underpinned by the principles of zero trust, that provides secure and optimized access to applications and data from anywhere. All of this is tied together under the visibility and control of a single pane of glass dashboard. CASB is a necessary component of that singular unified experience.

By integrating CASB into a Unified SASE framework, organizations will:

• Achieve a unified and consistent security posture across all cloud applications just as they do with their web, cloud, and network traffic.
• Simplify security management and reduce complexity, creating better visibility over all traffic and behaviors.
• Improve user experience and productivity with seamless and secure access to cloud applications.
• Scale security capabilities as their cloud adoption grows.

Incorporating a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) into your architecture is crucial for ensuring secure cloud usage, as it provides essential visibility, data protection, and threat management. By bridging security gaps between users and cloud services, CASBs help enforce policies and maintain control over sensitive data across a distributed cloud and network environment.

Embracing the Future of Cloud Security with CASB

As the cloud continues to evolve, so must our approach to security. CASB represents a significant step forward in revolutionizing cloud security, providing organizations with the tools they need to secure their data, applications, and users in the cloud era.

By leveraging the power of CASB within the multi-cloud infrastructure, organizations can confidently embrace the benefits of the cloud while mitigating risks and ensuring compliance.

If you want to learn more, be sure to read our blog detailing the differences between “unified” and “disaggregated SASE.”