What is cloud application security?
Applications that reside in and utilize a cloud environment are known as cloud applications. These can be categorized as either:
Cloud-based applications, which is not fully designed for the cloud but incorporates some cloud-specific features, or
Cloud-native, which is fully integrated into the cloud and utilizes a microservice-based, containerized architecture.
Cloud app security involves ensuring that both cloud-native and cloud-based apps are protected from vulnerabilities through the use of proper application security tools and practices.
IBM Research says there was a 100% increase in cloud application vulnerabilities from 2019 to 2023. And according to the Wiz 2023 Cloud Vulnerability Report, 40% of modern cloud environments have, at a minimum, one publicly exposed workload that has been impacted by a vulnerability, with no indication that this trend slowing down. This means securing your apps is more important than ever.
Cloud application security threats
Selecting the proper threat model to follow for your cloud infrastructure and the software you host requires identifying the most common vulnerabilities faced by cloud environments today.
One way of evaluating the cloud threat landscape is through the Wiz cloud incidents catalog, which has reported more than 250 exploitations since 2010. Also, mitre.org provides a total of 237,725 Common Vulnerability Exposures (CVEs) that have occurred across various sectors, including cloud applications.
Due to the ever-increasing number of attack vectors used by malicious actors (Figure 1), it’s important to focus on proper defense mechanisms, especially ones that address human error. The “2023 Thales Global Cloud Security Study” found that 55% of cloud breaches were primarily the result of human oversight, an issue that can be minimized by adopting the right strategies and best practices for cloud app security.
Cloud computing strategies
Companies must define how security and management tasks are divided between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the customer, as well as principles to follow to keep their data safe. We discuss two important models for organizations to adopt in today’s landscape.
Shared responsibility model
Cloud application responsibility depends on the cloud service offering customers use to host their apps. There are four main cloud service offerings:
On-premises (private cloud)
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
Platform as a service (PaaS)
Software as a service (SaaS)
These service offerings are based on a mutual agreement between the CSP and the customer regarding who is responsible for what aspect of the cloud environment.
This shared responsibility model is often misunderstood, with many believing that the cloud provider is responsible for managing workloads, applications, and associated data. However, this is not true.
As Figure 2 above shows, customers are always responsible for data security, compliance, and access, regardless of which service offering they are subscribed to. This is because even CSPs do not have access to your data in the public cloud and therefore cannot effectively handle access management and data security.
Also, in some instances, CSPs do provide security instruments, but it’s the user's responsibility to manage, configure, and monitor them in their cloud applications. Customers must always make sure to carefully read their service level agreement (SLA), which can differ depending on the CSP and the cloud service offering they choose.
Zero-trust security model
Companies used to depend on virtual private networks (VPNs) to safeguard their data. Unfortunately today, data footprints extend beyond internal corporate networks, giving rise to the zero-trust security model to address more holistic attack vectors. This model features three core principles for organizations to follow:
Verify explicitly: Always authenticate people, devices, and processes.
Use least-privilege access: Implement risk-based adaptive policies, plus just-in-time and just-enough access (JIT/JEA) to restrict user access.
Adopt the assume breach mindset: Examine every request as though it came from an unmanaged network.
Modern cloud service providers often provide the zero-trust security model as a zero-trust network access (ZTNA) service. ZTNAs differ from VPNs, as they restrict access to data and apps in the network, only granting access to the specific application that has been requested.
Why CNAPP is essential for cloud app security
As cloud environments have rapidly evolved, traditional security tools have struggled to keep pace with the dynamic and complex nature of cloud-native applications. Managing separate solutions for each security function has led to gaps in protection, inefficient operations, and increased risks.
This fragmentation is what gave rise to the Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP). CNAPP was developed to address these challenges by providing a unified solution that integrates multiple security capabilities into one comprehensive platform. Here's why CNAPP is now essential for securing cloud applications:
Comprehensive Protection: CNAPP provides end-to-end security across cloud environments, from development to production. It integrates multiple security functions such as vulnerability scanning, configuration management, and identity security, ensuring holistic coverage of application risks.
Consolidation of Tools: CNAPP consolidates cloud security solutions into a single platform, streamlining security operations and reducing the complexity of managing multiple tools. Traditional cloud security often involves using separate tools for different tasks:
Shift-Left Security: CNAPP supports shift-left practices by embedding security earlier in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This means identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities in code, infrastructure, and configurations before they reach production, reducing the attack surface.
Real-Time Threat Detection and Response: CNAPP offers agentless, real-time visibility into cloud environments, enabling faster detection of potential threats. This allows security teams to respond to incidents quickly, minimizing the window of exposure.
Contextual Risk Prioritization: By combining identity, network, and workload context, CNAPP provides risk-based prioritization, helping security teams focus on the most critical security issues. This approach ensures more efficient use of resources.
Compliance and Governance: CNAPP helps enforce cloud security policies and best practices, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and reducing the risk of misconfigurations that can lead to breaches.
CNAPPs represent a significant advancement in cloud security, offering a unified approach to protecting cloud-native applications and infrastructure. By addressing the complexities of modern cloud environments and providing integrated, context-aware security, CNAPPs enable organizations to maintain robust security postures while keeping pace with rapid cloud adoption and development practices.
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In this report, Gartner offers insights and recommendations to analyze and evaluate emerging CNAPP offerings.
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7 essential cloud application security best practices
The two cloud security models discussed above are only part of the equation. Aligning these strategies with industry best practices delivers an optimized security posture. This post broadly discusses eight security best practices you can follow to minimize potential security risks across your cloud infrastructure and resources.
1. Secure Development and Testing
Implement secure coding practices and train developers on security best practices
Conduct regular code reviews
Use static code analysis tools (SAST) like Checkmarx
Implement dynamic application security testing (DAST)
Use interactive application security testing (IAST) for runtime analysis
Conduct regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments
Implement software composition analysis (SCA) for managing dependencies
Integrate security testing into CI/CD pipelines (DevSecOps)
CI/CD Pipeline Security Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]
In this 13 page cheat sheet we'll cover best practices in the following areas of the CI/CD pipeline: Infrastructure security, code security, secrets management, access and authentication, monitoring and response
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2. Identity and Access Management
Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all user accounts
Implement role-based access control (RBAC)
Use just-in-time (JIT) access and just-enough-access (JEA) principles
Implement single sign-on (SSO) to centralize authentication
Use adaptive/risk-based authentication
Apply the principle of least privilege
3. Data Protection and Encryption
Encrypt data at rest using strong algorithms like AES-256
Implement TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit
Use client-side encryption for sensitive data
Implement proper key management with a dedicated key management service (KMS)
Consider homomorphic encryption for processing encrypted data
Implement data classification and tagging
Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools
Apply data masking and tokenization for sensitive information
4. API and Container Security
Implement strong authentication for all APIs (e.g., OAuth, API keys)
Use API gateways for management and monitoring
Validate and sanitize all API inputs
Secure containers using minimal base images
Implement container image scanning
Apply security policies at the orchestration level
Use runtime container security tools
5. Monitoring, Logging, and Incident Response
Implement centralized logging across all cloud resources
Use security information and event management (SIEM) systems
Set up real-time alerts for suspicious activities
Implement user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA)
Use AI/ML-powered tools for advanced threat detection
Create and test incident response playbooks
Implement automated containment and mitigation procedures
Conduct post-incident analysis
Quickstart Cloud Incident Response Template
The only IR plan template on the web built with the cloud in mind.
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6. Patch Management and Updates
Implement an automated patch management system
Conduct regular vulnerability scans
Prioritize patching based on risk and criticality
Test patches in staging before production deployment
Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all systems and patch levels
7. Compliance and Governance
Ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA)
Implement proper data retention and deletion policies
Regularly audit and assess cloud configurations
Implement cloud governance policies
The Ultimate Cloud Security Buyer's Guide
Everything you need to know when evaluating cloud security solutions
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Wiz's approach to cloud app security
1.Comprehensive Visibility
Agentless Scanning: Covers major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, and more) to detect vulnerabilities in cloud-native applications without impacting performance
Full Inventory: Tracks all cloud resources, apps, and data to provide a complete picture of the application environment and potential security risks
Multi-Cloud Support: Offers a unified view across diverse cloud environments, ensuring consistent security for applications deployed across multiple platforms
2. Proactive Security Posture Management
Continuous Monitoring: Performs real-time configuration checks to identify misconfigurations in cloud applications that could lead to security breaches
Extensive Rule Set: Applies 2,300+ misconfiguration rules specifically designed for cloud-native applications to catch common and emerging security issues
Compliance Checks: Supports 150+ frameworks to ensure cloud applications meet industry-specific regulatory requirements
3. Secure Development Lifecycle
Shift-Left Security: Integrates security early in the development process through code scanning, pipeline integration, and container image analysis for cloud-native apps
Developer Feedback: Provides in-IDE security notifications to help developers address cloud application security issues during coding
Resource Traceability: Links cloud assets to source code, enabling quick identification and remediation of security issues in application components
4. Advanced Threat Detection
Runtime Protection: Offers cloud-specific threat monitoring to detect and prevent attacks on running applications in real-time
Behavioral Analysis: Identifies anomalous activities within cloud applications that may indicate a security breach or attack in progress
Rapid Response: Generates automated alerts and remediation suggestions for quick action on cloud application security threats
5. Intelligent Risk Prioritization
Security Graph Technology: Correlates risks across layers of cloud infrastructure to provide context-aware security for applications
Attack Path Analysis: Visualizes potential breach routes within cloud environments to help secure critical application components
Impact Assessment: Focuses on critical vulnerabilities that pose the highest risk to cloud applications and sensitive data
6. Robust Data Protection
Data Discovery: Locates sensitive information within cloud applications and storage to prevent unauthorized access or data leaks
Classification: Categorizes data by type and sensitivity to ensure appropriate security measures for different types of application data
Access Control Audit: Ensures proper data permissions are in place for cloud application users and services
Ruthless risk prioritization
See how Wiz analyzes configurations, vulnerabilities, network settings, identities, access, and secrets to discover critical issues that combined represent real risk
