What is a cloud workload protection platform?

According to Gartner, a "workload-centric security solution that tackles the particular protection requirements" of workloads in contemporary business contexts is the Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP). Physical servers, virtual machines (VMs), containers, and serverless applications are commonplace in modern systems.

For cloud security, cloud workload protection is necessary. Discover the advantages of employing a cloud workload protection platform (CWPP) in your business and how it functions.

A vital element of any plan for digital transformation is cloud computing. However, the quick adoption of the cloud has expanded the number of attack surfaces and threat vectors, raising questions about data security for businesses of all sizes.

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A cloud workload protection platform (CWPP) is what, exactly?

A security solution called a cloud workload protection platform (CWPP) finds and eliminates risks inside cloud applications. A CWPP inspects the interior of cloud services rather than automobiles, similar to an auto mechanic who spots defects and breakdowns inside an engine before they do additional harm. Virtual machines, serverless operations, real on-premise servers, and other workloads are all automatically monitored by CWPPs.

What is a cloud workload?

An application, service, feature, or quantity of work that uses cloud-based resources is referred to as a "cloud workload" (such as computing or memory power). As a result, cloud workloads include databases, containers, microservices, virtual machines, and Hadoop nodes. In addition, applications and services that use cloud resources to carry out analytical or transactional processing are known as "cloud workloads."

In the past, all workloads were executed on physical machines. However, workloads operate at various abstraction levels in the age of cloud computing.

The interface between high-level and low-level functions is referred to as an "abstraction layer" because the two are often kept isolated enough that no one or object engaging with the high-level functions is typically aware of the low-level ones. For instance, even though most users are not computer programmers, they may use computers since the programming languages are separated from consumers via graphical user interfaces and user-friendly software.

Why is CWPP crucial?

It doesn't happen automatically when moving from traditional to cloud-native applications. Now on-premises applications cannot be "copied and pasted" onto the cloud by organizations. The Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) is crucial for the following four reasons:

1. Most businesses have outdated infrastructure and apps, which hinder a full migration of functions to the cloud.
2. Depending on their unique demands, most enterprises purposefully use different cloud suppliers. Because of this, most businesses now operate in a hybrid, multi-cloud environment, either by necessity or design. Because of this, security experts find it challenging to understand, identify, and control the locations of applications and data in a fragmented environment.
3. Today, application developers use workloads to construct applications and distribute them straight to their intended user audience by grabbing code from several sources. This strategy, known as "continuous innovation and continuous development" (CI/CD) or "DevOps," allows companies to swiftly adapt to consumer needs and enhance the experience for both partners and customers within a matter of weeks or days.
4. Security is no longer a stringent barrier for application creation due to the trade-off between procedure, speed, and apps' ongoing improvement. Security experts can no longer add controls during application runtime as they formerly could.

CWPP is a crucial security solution in the contemporary workplace because of the dangers to data and applications posed by fluctuating workloads, a lack of visibility and control, and the emergence of the "always on" DevOps environment.

How does a cloud workload protection platform work?

A public cloud environment hosts a platform for protecting cloud workloads. Accessing a company's cloud resources through a gateway or interface with a third-party service safeguards server workload. Events like illegal access to a virtual machine (VM), strange network traffic, or suspect system behavior are among the indicators it looks for. It may also search for unusual activity in log files and data to improve visibility in a cloud environment.

Adaptive access restrictions are then implemented by the program to stop criminal activity, lessen false alerts, and protect privacy.

It allows users to delve down into specific workloads and access logs for additional analysis while also giving them situational awareness of cloud activity. As a result, teams at IT security operations centers (SOCs) can recognize problems, comprehend their underlying causes, and set priorities for mitigation measures.

What are the primary CWPP capabilities?

These eight skills, according to Gartner, a leading worldwide research and consultancy company, characterize CWPPs:

• Before software is deployed into production, CWPPs help verify there are no vulnerabilities by hardening, configuring, and managing vulnerabilities.
• A CWPP uses network firewalling, visibility, and micro-segmentation to secure and micro-segment a network. The latter phrase refers to segmenting a network so that an attacker cannot simultaneously take over the entire network.
• A CWPP ensures that cloud systems operate as intended by performing system integrity assurance.
• Application control and allow listing: Based on a list of approved applications, a CWPP either approves or rejects applications.
• Memory protection and vulnerability prevention: CWPPs stop software vulnerabilities from being exploited.
• Endpoint detection and response (EDR), behavioral monitoring, and threat detection and response: CWPPs react to current threats and questionable server and application behavior changes.
• CWPPs guard servers against intrusions from the outside by combining host-based intrusion prevention with vulnerability shielding.
• Anti-malware CWPPs monitor cloud workloads for malware that has been embedded.

Any workload, including those performed by physical servers, virtual machines, containers, and serverless operations, may be used with these capabilities by CWPPs.

The advantages of cloud workload protection

Critical software applications and sensitive data in a hybrid or multicloud environment are always secured, whether in transit, used, or at rest, thanks to a cloud workload protection platform. The advantages of utilizing a cloud workload protection platform are as follows:

• Monitoring of workload behavior

Based on customizable compliance criteria, a cloud workload protection platform continually analyzes the behavior of each workload. As a result, you may identify security flaws and fix them to stop unauthorized operations. Additionally, it lessens erroneous warnings and false positives, allowing security personnel to concentrate on preventing actual threats.

• Restrictions for access based on identity

Adaptive access controls, which are crucial for upholding cloud security and adhering to different data privacy standards, are used by CWPPs. For example, to impose a zero-trust security policy, you can give individual permissions depending on user identification and job duties.

• Flexible enforcement of policy

Depending on changing business requirements, you may deploy and enforce regulations using a cloud workload protection platform. You may design distinct security maps and customize each micro-segment to achieve granular control and maintain compliance with rapidly shifting rules.

• Monitoring of workloads

A CWPP gives you complete visibility into your cloud environments. By determining the methods attackers use to access resources, the nature of the assaults, and the potential attacks spread throughout the infrastructure, vulnerabilities may be managed more successfully.

• Several levels of defense

Even if your architecture involves various providers or settings, a CWPP can protect your data. You may take proactive actions to safeguard data in use, at rest, and during transit by applying security protections to workloads based on their unique requirements.

• Monitoring and management of logs

To assist you in coordinating numerous security technologies connected to diverse workload components, a CWPP offers unified logs and single-pane-of-glass security monitoring and reporting features. Consolidating incident management in this way can reduce false alarms, boost productivity, and make compliance audits simpler.

VTG can assist in defending your cloud workload.

With a single integrated platform that integrates all your demands—from endpoint to public cloud workload security—VTG can help safeguard your business.

We created a checklist of things to consider while choosing a CWPP to help you choose the best option for your needs: What to Consider When Choosing a Platform for Cloud Workload Protection.

Get in touch with us today to discover the benefits of a unified, quick, reliable, and advanced platform for protecting cloud-native workloads.