Today the question of transitioning to cloud-based infrastructures is less a question of if and more a question of when for organizations that do not want to get left behind or miss out on the array or advantages that the cloud offers. Alongside the utilization of cloud resources comes the need to ensure cloud security is robust, to avoid creating new areas of vulnerability.
Cloud security software plays an important role in fortifying digital infrastructures against prevalent cyber-attacks. These tools are designed to secure data, applications, and networks housed in the cloud, offering comprehensive protection against both internal and external threats. By integrating cloud security software into their operations, organizations can better safeguard sensitive data, maintain regulatory compliance, and foster a secure and reliable cloud ecosystem.
The cloud security market is crowded, with a wide variety of solutions available that each take their own approach to securing cloud environments. Given all the choices available, finding the right cloud security software is no easy task, so we have put together this guide to make the process of choosing the right solutions for your organization a bit more straightforward. In this guide we will cover 10 of our top picks for cloud security software, exploring their core capabilities and providing some background on the vendors listed to help you evaluate which solution best aligns with your organization’s objectives and security protocols.
Cato Networks is a company that provides a secure, cloud-native service designed to optimally and securely connect enterprise locations, users, applications, and clouds. Their key product, Cato SASE Cloud with SSE 360, integrates remote access, edge SD-WAN, a global private backbone, multi-cloud/hybrid-cloud support, SaaS optimization, and a management application for comprehensive security.
Remote access in the Cato SASE Cloud allows users to securely connect to authorized applications using their devices through multi-factor authentication. The Cato Socket SD-WAN device connects physical locations to the Cato PoP, offering various traffic management capabilities. The global private backbone hosts over 75 PoPs for end-to-end route optimization and maximum uptime, and Cato’s multi-cloud and hybrid-cloud integration is compatible with major cloud providers like Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. The Cato Management Application offers a self-service approach for customers, providing full network and security policy configuration with detailed analytics on network traffic and security events.
This solution enables fast and simple deployment, eliminating the need for premium cloud connectivity solutions. Additionally, Cato optimizes traffic to public cloud applications and accelerates end-to-end throughput.
Cloudflare is a global cloud platform that offers various network services to businesses of all sizes. Originating as a simple email spam tracking application, Cloudflare has evolved into a service that protects websites from a wide range of threats while optimizing performance and enhancing security and reliability. Cloudflare One, the company’s Zero Trust network-as-a-service platform, supports the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) model.
Cloudflare One aims to replace the outdated network infrastructure model, which relies on centralized corporate data centers and on-premise network perimeters. This solution connects users to enterprise resources through identity-based security controls, irrespective of users’ locations, conveniently eliminating the need for manual integration of multiple point products and providing consistent security and speed anywhere. Cloudflare One’s Zero Trust services include Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) for fast and secure connections, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) for visibility and control over SaaS applications, and Secure Web Gateway (SWG) for blocking internet threats and easily managing data flows.
With Cloudflare One, businesses can expect simple deployment and management with every service available in over 300 cities worldwide. The features they offer work together to provide a secure and efficient network experience for businesses in a variety of industries, and the platform is compatible with existing identity, endpoint, and cloud providers, making integration seamless.
Forcepoint is a renowned cybersecurity company specializing in user and data security, assisting businesses in their digital transformation and growth. Their real-time, adaptive solutions offer secure access to data, empowering employees to create value within their organizations. Forcepoint’s approach emphasizes data-first security, utilizing cutting-edge research in threat and behavior intelligence to bolster organizations cybersecurity.
By harnessing the power of machine learning and analytics, Forcepoint can provide an advanced understanding of user behavior to ensure robust protection. Incorporating a data-first SASE framework, Forcepoint delivers top-notch data security, secure networking, and cloud protection for any application, user, and device. Their continuous zero trust security system allows for automatic control of access and usage based on each individual’s behavior, greatly simplifying security management.
This platform also includes a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) to provide risk-adaptive protection for cloud applications, such as Office 365, and ensure the security of data regardless of where users are or which device they use. As a result, Forcepoint can secure cloud, web, and endpoints within a single platform, safeguarding data across an organization’s entire scope of operations.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) designed to protect applications from various cyber threats and vulnerabilities. It incorporates development security operations (DevSecOps), cloud security posture management (CSPM), and cloud workload protection platform (CWPP) capabilities, providing security at the code, infrastructure, and runtime levels.
With centralized policy management users can maintain security conditions across their environment with the built-in Microsoft cloud security benchmark, while the secure score feature provides a summary of the security posture based on recommendations and assists in remediation efforts. The data-aware security posture feature automatically discovers datastores that contain sensitive data, helping to reduce the risk of data breaches. Attack path analysis models network traffic to identify potential risks before implementing changes, while the security governance feature drives improvements throughout the organization by assigning tasks to resource owners and tracking progress in maintaining security policies.
Defender for Cloud also provides multi-cloud coverage for Azure, AWS, and GCP environments, as well as advanced CSPM capabilities include tools for identifying security weaknesses and improving security posture through governance, regulatory compliance, and cloud security explorer features. This solution enables security teams to manage DevOps security across multi-pipeline environments and improve their overall security posture.
Netskope Security Cloud Platform is a comprehensive security solution for organizations undergoing digital transformation. By focusing on data-centric and cloud-smart security, Netskope aims to address new challenges and risks that are arising from evolving SaaS, IaaS, and web environments and to ensure data protection for users, regardless of their location.
This platform is built upon a patented technology known as Netskope Cloud XDTM, which is designed to provide unparalleled visibility and control over activities across a multitude of cloud services and websites. By offering full control from a single cloud, customers gain a 360-degree data protection approach, as well as advanced threat protection capabilities to guard against cyber-attacks. Netskope solutions, such as Netskope Intelligent Security Service Edge (SSE), utilize the Netskope Security Cloud to provide unmatched visibility and real-time data and threat protection during cloud service interactions, website access, and private app usage.
With diverse deployment options, including the Netskope Client, the platform is designed to easily integrate with existing network infrastructures. Online integration options include compatibility with firewalls, proxies, or SD-WAN devices, while other options include mobile clients, clientless solutions, and out-of-band API connectors for managed applications.
Orca Security is a comprehensive cloud security platform specializing in the identification, prioritization, and remediation of security risks and compliance issues across various cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Google Cloud, and Kubernetes. The platform uses AI-driven technology to offer complete coverage of all cloud risks, including misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, identity risks, data security, API exposure, and advanced threats.
The Orca platform enables prioritization of the most crucial risks through attack path analysis and takes crown jewel assets and personally identifiable information into account to prevent significant risks to businesses. The solution combines multiple cloud security capabilities such as vulnerability management, multi-cloud compliance and posture management, cloud workload protection, and container security into a single platform. Orca Security facilitates easier activation of advanced capabilities like API security, cloud detection and response, and shift-left security for increased visibility and improved risk management. Additionally, the platform helps security teams remediate cloud risks swiftly by tracing them back to the line of code responsible for the issue, leading to a more efficient resolution process and improving the overall cloud security posture.
With a focus on providing contextual security insights through its unified data model, Orca Security simplifies securing cloud infrastructure and offers a streamlined approach to managing risks in today’s fast-paced DevOps environment.
Prisma Cloud is a comprehensive security solution that covers applications from code to cloud, facilitating collaboration between security and DevOps teams to expedite secure cloud-native application development and deployment. This integrated platform helps address challenges arising from scattered security tools, reducing the need for multiple vendor training and staffing. The prevention-first approach goes beyond mere visibility and alert prioritization to actively stop attacks and defend against zero-day vulnerabilities.
By incorporating code-to-cloud protection, Prisma Cloud aids in the swift identification and remediation of security flaws during software development, while also detecting and blocking untrusted software images and packages before deployment. Real-time visibility in Prisma Cloud enables continuous monitoring of cloud resources and workloads for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities. Machine learning-based monitoring of cloud network activities and user behaviors helps identify any deviations from the baseline. With its ability to span any cloud-native security use case, Prisma Cloud offers consistent security across various clouds, workload architectures, and developer environments.
As a scalable solution, Prisma Cloud automatically adapts to match the varying infrastructure across multi-cloud and hybrid environments. This ensures that as the cloud environment expands, the security measures will also keep pace, providing a secure and reliable experience.
Proofpoint’s Cloud App Security Broker (CASB) is a solution that safeguards cloud users, apps, and data from threats, data loss, and compliance risks. It offers protection for sensitive data and enables quick responses to cloud security incidents through its seamless integration of user visibility and threat intelligence from the cloud with email, endpoint, and web sources.
The Cloud App Security Broker provides several key benefits, including preventing unauthorized access with identity and role-based controls, reducing compliance risks with device-based access and data controls, and securing sensitive files with real-time data loss prevention. Proofpoint’s CASB solution prioritizes people-centric security controls to protect highly targeted individuals and privileged users, providing granular policy controls based on risk, context, and user role, as well as actionable threat intelligence. Proofpoint CASB is easy to deploy and quickly secures popular IT-approved applications like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Zoom, Box, Salesforce, and Workday.
As an essential component of any security service edge (SSE) framework, CASB capabilities fulfill security-service needs within a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture, offering real-time security measures based on risk, context, and role with adaptive access controls.
Trend Micro Cloud One is a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) designed to secure business-critical applications across hybrid cloud environments. Offering broad support for data center and public cloud technologies, Trend Micro Cloud One helps to streamline security and increase visibility for both security and development teams during cloud transformation journeys.
This platform allows for holistic cloud visibility by simplifying the addition of security solutions to various cloud environments, reducing visibility silos, and accelerating cloud compliance. With Trend Micro Cloud One, businesses can consistently evaluate and meet compliance, governance, and assurance requirements across their infrastructure, including GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and NIST regulations. Furthermore, Trend Micro Cloud One enables efficient outcomes with centralized visibility, allowing teams to prioritize actions and manage risk and governance effectively.
By integrating seamlessly with existing toolsets and processes, the platform minimizes the impact on development and runtime. Security for cloud-native applications is delivered through APIs, providing meaningful intelligence and protection for both security teams and developers.
Zscaler is a security platform focused on strengthening the security posture of enterprises during their digital transformation journey. The platform offers zero trust connectivity to applications from anywhere, preventing cyberthreats and data loss while ensuring fast and reliable access for users. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is designed to provide seamless protection without added complications.
This solution enables distributed workforces to securely connect from any location while proactively blocking threats. Complementing this, Zscaler Data Protection offers comprehensive security for all cloud data channels, safeguarding users and devices, and providing control over all applications. In addition to this, Zscaler offers cloud-native application protection and zero trust connectivity for securing workloads in public clouds, which ensures direct and secure access to internet and private applications based on zero trust principles. The platform also provides privileged access to OT and zero trust connectivity for IoT and OT devices.
With a focus on user experience, Zscaler delivers rapid, low-latency access while continually monitoring the quality of user experiences. This helps organizations proactively diagnose and resolve digital experience issues, making it an essential tool in managing and securing digital transformations.
Everything You Need To Know About Cloud Security Software (FAQs)
What is Cloud Security Software?
Cloud security refers to the services, policies, controls, and technologies put in place to help protect cloud data, infrastructure, and applications from cyber threats. Cloud security software falls into the category of software applications and devices that exist to provide added protection for the important resources that reside in within the cloud computing environment.
These tools are highly useful for safeguarding cloud-based assets from the many and varied cyber threats that may target your organization and can also be very helpful in ensuring compliance with security standards and regulations is maintained. Cloud security software can be used in various cloud deployment models, which include private clouds, public clouds, and hybrid cloud environments.
Why Is Cloud Security Important?
For organizations making that big shift to the cloud, cloud security is a must-have. Attacks on cloud environments are growing in numbers and sophistication all the time, so any solutions you employee need to be able to handle it.
Cloud security is very important as it protects organizations valuable data and intellectual property from loss of thefts. Cloud security is also helpful in keeping up with compliance requirements and in monitoring and controlling access and usage of important cloud resources, which can in turn help to prevent or mitigate the risks associated with cyberattacks like DDoS, hackers, and malware etc.
As cloud systems are managed and accesses over the internet, there are certain challenges to be aware of when it comes to maintaining a security cloud, including controlling cloud data, misconfigurations, constantly shifting workloads, access management, and disaster recovery. To keep ahead of these challenges, it is important to take steps to maintain strong cloud security.
What Features Should You Look For In Cloud Security Software?
A good way to bolster cloud security is to implement a good cloud security software solution. These solutions may differ depending on the provider, but typically should include the following capabilities:
- Access control. Ensuring there are strong access controls in place to manage identities and make sure than only the right people can view and interact with certain cloud resources is very important, and role-based access and fine-grained permissions are an excellent barrier against unauthorized access, both accidental and malicious. Single sign-on and multi-factor authentication are also useful in facilitating strong user authentication and preventing breaches.
- Data Encryption. To ensure data is fully safeguarded, both at rest and in transit, data should be securely encrypted. Good cloud security software should also provide key management, as well as key storage and rotation, for further supported security.
- Network Security. To protect cloud resources, it is useful to utilize capabilities like network segmentation and to employ things like integrated firewalls and intrusion detections and prevention systems to protect cloud networks from attacks.
- Vulnerability scanning. Organizations with any kind of online presence need to be keeping ahead of prevalent web threats. This feature keeps a digital eye out for vulnerabilities, both those that have been patched and ones that are new and unfamiliar, so that steps can be taken to ensure no cracks are left in the organizations armor that could be exploited.
- Threat detection and response. To avoid incidents, it is important to have real-time monitoring for security threats, with anomaly detection and behavioral analysis in place to ensure any potentially malicious activity is identified. With automated threat response and incident investigation tools these anomalies can be swiftly dealt with, without requiring a lot of input from users.
- Any cloud security software that is considered should be capable of supporting adherence with regulatory requirements and industry standards. This should be done via continuous compliance monitoring in cloud environments, with frequent compliance assessments and reporting for audit trails.
- The ability to integrate seamlessly with other security tools and cloud services in place at the organization is vital for a streamlined experience that causes no issues for users.
