Understanding Cloud Access Security Brokers

A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) is a software tool or service that sits between an organization’s on-premises infrastructure and the cloud provider’s infrastructure.

It acts as a gatekeeper, monitoring and controlling the flow of data between the organization and the cloud.

CASBs provide organizations with visibility, compliance, data security, and threat protection across multiple cloud services, including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) environments.

How CASBs Work

CASBs implement various security measures and controls based on an organization’s policies and requirements. They can be deployed in different ways, such as via reverse proxy, forward proxy, or API-based integration. The main functions of a CASB include the following:

1. Visibility: CASBs provide organizations with insights into cloud usage, user activities, and data flow, helping identify potential risks and vulnerabilities.
2. Compliance: CASBs ensure that cloud services meet regulatory and industry-specific compliance requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
3. Data Security: CASBs protect sensitive data through encryption, tokenization, and data loss prevention (DLP) techniques. They can also control access to data based on user roles and privileges.
4. Threat Protection: CASBs detect and mitigate threats, such as malware, ransomware, and insider threats, by leveraging advanced security technologies like machine learning and behavioural analysis.

CASB Use Cases

1. Secure Cloud Adoption: As organizations migrate to the cloud, CASBs help meet security and compliance requirements. They provide a centralized platform for managing access, data protection, and threat detection across multiple cloud services.
2. Shadow IT Discovery: CASBs can detect and monitor the use of unauthorized cloud services (Shadow IT) within an organization, providing visibility and control over these potentially risky applications.
3. Data Leakage Prevention: CASBs implement DLP policies to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data or its transfer to untrusted destinations. This is crucial for organizations handling confidential information, such as financial data or personal health records.
4. Identity and Access Management (IAM): CASBs integrate with existing IAM systems to provide centralized authentication, authorization, and user provisioning for cloud services. This ensures that only authorized users can access the appropriate data and applications.
5. Insider Threat Detection: CASBs monitor user activities and identify abnormal behaviour that could indicate an insider threat, such as data exfiltration or unauthorized access to sensitive information.

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Luis Soares

CTO | Head of Engineering | Cyber Security | Blockchain Engineer | NFT | Web3 | DeFi | Data Scientist

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