With CASBs, organizations can decrease the effects of shadow IT. The best CASBs protect against threats by scanning for data in transit and at rest, providing native advanced security functions, including data loss prevention (DLP), malware protection, and more. The right CASB can also help IT teams learn what unsanctioned apps employees use so they can guide them to sanctioned alternatives.
Enhanced Compliance
The rise of Shadow IT and the popularity of bring-your-own-device policies have greatly expanded the data environment, making it difficult for organizations to oversee data use and protect corporate assets. A CASB solution enhances visibility into the cloud environments, apps, and devices users access. Then, it enables IT teams to apply the same security principles they have for on-premises data to cloud services and applications. For example, a CASB solution can reveal unsanctioned applications that employees have adopted. This can help them to stop the spread of unauthorized tools and train employees on best practices. It can also enable a granular approach to security that balances collaboration with safety, allowing teams to continue to utilize time-saving and productivity-enhancing cloud services. CASB solution can enhance an organization’s data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities by monitoring for sensitive content being sent outside the network.
Enhanced Security
In a world of increasing cloud adoption and distributed workforces, safeguarding sensitive data across an organization becomes challenging when on-premises security solutions don’t provide visibility or security controls in the cloud. CASBs provide visibility into cloud apps and the data they’re accessing, allowing IT to identify unauthorized applications and stop data leaks before they occur. A CASB can detect and alert the security team to anomalies, such as downloading data from Salesforce at an odd time or sharing files with personal Google accounts. It can also arm the security team with tools such as anti-malware detection, machine learning to detect ransomware, and more. A CASB can also reduce shadow IT by identifying unsanctioned or unknown apps that store, move and share corporate data.
Enhanced Controls
As organizations adopt new cloud services, they need a way to monitor the data that flows across these apps. A CASB solution improves visibility into what’s being used, by whom, and how to detect anomalous activities like data leaks or unauthorized file sharing. This capability also helps prevent breaches by providing data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities that work on top of traditional on-premise DLP tools. CASBs can pinpoint activity that may indicate an attack by tracking user behavior through machine learning and UEBA. When a suspicious pattern is detected, the CASB can alert security teams and take action to prevent data loss. Unlike traditional binary security systems that block or allow access, a CASB can control activities within managed and unsanctioned cloud applications. Adjusting permissions at a category level allows the safe use of necessary business tools without compromising security. This enables organizations to safely allow the broad set of SaaS solutions their employees use while minimizing cost controls. This can also help reframe the security discussion from a “block everything” approach to one that balances accessibility and collaboration.
Enhanced Visibility
The nature of data stored in the cloud makes it susceptible to numerous threats, which is why securing such information is a significant challenge. CASB solutions are designed to scrutinize and protect the data from unauthorized activities, such as malware or phishing attempts. CASBs detect anomalies within a business’s cloud environment and provalerturity teams. Unlike traditional binary security systems, which only block or allow access, CASBs can enforce security policies based on identity, service, activity, application, and data. This gives security teams a more granular view of cloud usage and empowers them to take quick, targeted remediation actions. When searching for a CASB vendor, businesses should examine each solution for specific use cases. This will ensure the company selects a vendor to meet its business needs. The CASB must also be capable of protecting the business from various threat vectors, including malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and more. Varonis’ CASB solution provides advanced detection capabilities to identify and block these threats.
Enhanced Collaboration
Many employees share files and information through cloud-based tools. Whether through employee negligence or malicious intent, this often leads to intellectual property leaks and third parties stealing data. CASB solutions can detect and prevent such attacks by analyzing data, blocking malware, and providing visibility into what is uploaded to the cloud. A CASB can also help reduce the risk of shadow IT, which is applications and infrastructure employees use without IT’s knowledge. Using machine learning and UEBA technology, a CASB can identify and alert administrators of such risks by comparing new activities against regular users. The CASB solution you choose should offer features that support the business use cases you have identified, so make sure to perform detailed POCs or conduct research and analysis from cybersecurity analysts before selecting a vendor. It is also essential to choose a solution that offers multi-mode architectures, which provide flexibility as your needs change. This is a crucial feature for protecting against the myriad threats that businesses face today.