What is CASB Software?

Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) software enforces an organization’s security policies to secure cloud applications, cloud services and data in the cloud. Sitting between end-users and cloud service providers, CASB software serves as a point of policy enforcement, monitoring activity and access to filter out unauthorized usage, users and cyber threats. 

CASB solutions enforce policies around authentication, single sign-on, credential mapping, encryption, tokenization, logging, alerting, authorization, malware detection and prevention, and other areas of threat protection, data security and identity management. 

CASB software may be an on-premises or cloud-based solution, or it may be provided as a service by a CASB vendor.
 

CASB software serves various functions, operating as a filter, a firewall and a proxy between users and cloud environments. A CASB service or software solution can automatically discover all cloud applications in use and all employees using them, classify applications and data according to their level of risk, and identify and remediate any threats or policy violations.

CASB software accomplishes all this using a variety of tools. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) enable CASB software to monitor activity and analyze content. Gateways that reside between employees and cloud resources deliver real-time insights and help to enforce policies. Log data gathered from firewalls and secure web gateways provides insight into traffic and helps to enforce policies. CASB software may also rely on endpoint agents to monitor activity and enforce policies on unmanaged user devices like mobile phones and tablets.

CASB software offers significant advantages for an organization’s security and visibility into cloud infrastructure.

• Granular control over cloud usage. Security teams use CASB software to allow or block users from accessing specific cloud applications such as personal webmail or filesharing services.
• Centralized administration. CASB software streamlines the management of cloud security by centralizing policy enforcement for a wide range of cloud applications.
• Data loss prevention (DLP). CASB DLP capabilities include granular control over traffic and data flowing to cloud applications and infrastructure. Organizations can block sensitive data from leaving the organization or require that certain information be encrypted before being transmitted.
• Identifying shadow IT. CASB software quickly identifies and blocks the use of unauthorized cloud applications to minimize the risks associated with shadow IT.
• Automatic discovery. CASB tools automatically discover all the cloud applications that an organization and its employees are using. Since larger enterprises use hundreds or thousands of cloud services, the discovery feature of CASB software can play a vital role in securing these assets and identifying any security gaps.
• Cloud usage monitoring. CASB software monitors how users and data interact with cloud applications. By better understanding cloud usage, organizations can improve security while reducing costs.
• Minimize the cost of a breach. By helping to prevent breaches and cyberattacks, CASB software helps companies avoid the costs of downtime, lost productivity and damage to business reputation.

Organizations rely on CASB software for a broad array of use cases.

• Blocking malware. CASB tools block or remediate malware in cloud services, identify and issue alerts for suspicious login attempts, detect anomalies in uploads and downloads and block data exfiltration attempts.
• Stop exfiltration. CASBs can block data moving from sanctioned cloud services to unsanctioned cloud services or enforce different policies for corporate and personal instances of the same cloud service.
• Assess risk. Security teams use CASB software to assess security posture, monitor regular compliance and evaluate other factors that contribute to risk in cloud-based assets.
• Govern usage. CASBs govern cloud usage with granular control and greater visibility. Rather than blocking access to services with one-size-fits-all security policies, CASBs enable a more nuanced approach based on identity, activity, data and applications.
• Encrypt data at rest. CASB tools can help protect data in the cloud from unauthorized users by ensuring that data at rest is encrypted and that organizations retain control of their own encryption keys.
• Manage authentication. CASBs help verify users’ identities as they log into cloud applications and deliver visibility into how they interact with cloud data and applications.
• Support SASE implementation. CASB software is a core component of the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) framework for providing security in modern IT environments.

Recognized as a leader in cybersecurity by Forrester, Gartner, NSS Labs and others, Forcepoint offers a leading cloud access security broker software in Forcepoint ONE CASB. 

Part of the Forcepoint ONE security platform, Forcepoint CASB provides full visibility and control over data in any application to extend the best-in-class data security to all cloud applications. 

Forcepoint’s solution integrates cloud app security with DLP and advanced threat protection, providing granular access and data controls based on user, device or location. Running on the AWS hyperscaler platform, Forcepoint ONE CASB maximizes uptime while minimizing latency.

With Forcepoint CASB, organizations and security teams can:

• Increase productivity. Forcepoint’s CASB software enables users to access information anywhere seamlessly and safely.
• Reduce risk. By controlling sensitive data in the cloud and stopping malware, Forcepoint’s solution helps minimize the risk of attack, breach or data loss.
• Minimize costs. Forcepoint centralizes and simplifies security operations by providing a single place for setting, managing and enforcing cloud security policies.
• Streamline compliance. Forcepoint delivers demonstrable processes for controlling information, allowing security teams to ensure and prove compliance more easily.
• Secure popular cloud platforms. Forcepoint ONE CASB can augment cloud-based email platforms as well as Office 365 cloud app security.