Integrated Cloud Security Platforms

Also known as:

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP)

What problem does it target?

Modern organizations are rapidly adopting cloud-native architectures—microservices, containers, Kubernetes, and serverless. This introduces new security challenges:

Fragmented security tooling – multiple point solutions for workload, configuration, and identity security
Lack of visibility – difficulty tracking risks across the full application lifecycle (build, deploy, run)
Complex compliance requirements – need to demonstrate security controls for cloud-native environments
Rapidly evolving threats – attackers exploit misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and excessive permissions
DevOps velocity – security must keep pace with fast, automated development and deployment cycles

CNAPP solutions address these challenges by providing integrated, end-to-end security and compliance for cloud-native applications across the entire lifecycle.

However, CNAPPs have notable limitations:

Most CNAPPs have limited effectiveness in protecting applications at runtime, often lacking deep application-layer visibility and response capabilities.
Application security features such as SAST, DAST, and code analysis are often treated as superficial add-ons rather than core functions.
Current CNAPPs and related tools often fail to provide complete visibility across application, workload, and cloud layers, making it difficult to detect and respond to complex, multi-stage attacks (e.g., the MoveIT exploit, which spans multiple layers).

What does this solution do?

CNAPP solutions provide:

Unified visibility – single-pane-of-glass for risks across workloads, cloud configurations, identities, and data
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) – continuous assessment of cloud configurations against best practices and compliance standards
Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) – runtime protection for VMs, containers, and serverless workloads
Identity and entitlement management – detect and remediate excessive or risky permissions
Vulnerability management – scan images, code, and running workloads for vulnerabilities
DevSecOps integration – embed security into CI/CD pipelines and automate policy enforcement
Threat detection and response – monitor for suspicious activity and automate remediation
Compliance reporting – generate evidence for regulatory requirements (PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, etc.)

Advanced features may include:

Data security posture management (DSPM) – discover and protect sensitive data in cloud environments
API security – monitor and secure APIs used by cloud-native applications
Side-scanning – agentless scanning of cloud storage and block devices for malware and vulnerabilities
Automated remediation – auto-fix misconfigurations and vulnerabilities based on policy

Evolving Landscape: Toward CADR and ADR

Runtime security in the cloud is evolving toward Cloud Application Detection & Response (CADR), also known as Application Detection and Response (ADR), which is a new and distinct category focused on deep, runtime detection and response at the application layer. This space is mainly populated by startups and is rapidly evolving. For more, see Cloud Application Detection and Response (CADR/ADR).
Cloud Detection & Response (CDR) tools focus on correlating telemetry from containers and cloud resources to provide workload-to-cloud attack visibility, but may lack application context.
Effective runtime cloud security increasingly requires solutions that can correlate events and alerts across all layers to provide actionable context for security operations teams.
Key emerging vendors in the CADR/ADR space include ARMO, Sweet, Upwind, Oligo, Operant, and Raven, each approaching the problem from different technical perspectives.

Who is this for?

Organizations building and running applications in public, private, or hybrid clouds
DevOps and security teams seeking unified, automated security
Enterprises with compliance requirements for cloud-native workloads
Companies adopting containers, Kubernetes, and serverless architectures
Businesses looking to consolidate security tooling and reduce operational complexity

Who might not benefit from this?

Organizations with only on-premises, monolithic applications
Small teams with simple cloud environments and minimal security needs
Companies relying solely on cloud provider native security tools
Environments with no regulatory or compliance obligations

Pitfalls and remedies

Pitfall	Remedy
Overlapping or redundant tools	Consolidate security functions within CNAPP; phase out point solutions
Integration complexity	Leverage native integrations and APIs; involve DevOps and platform teams early
Alert fatigue	Tune detection rules and prioritize high-severity risks
Skill gaps in cloud-native security	Provide training and leverage managed CNAPP services if needed
Performance impact on pipelines	Test security controls in staging; optimize scanning and enforcement
Incomplete coverage	Ensure all cloud accounts, workloads, and environments are onboarded

Sample products

Wiz – unified CNAPP with CSPM, CWPP, and identity security
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud – comprehensive CNAPP for multi-cloud environments
Microsoft Defender for Cloud – integrated CNAPP for Azure and multi-cloud
Orca Security – agentless CNAPP with side-scanning technology
Trend Micro Cloud One – integrated cloud-native security platform
Aqua Security – end-to-end protection for containers, serverless, and cloud VMs
Lacework – behavior-based CNAPP with strong analytics and automation
Emerging CADR/ADR vendors: ARMO, Sweet, Upwind, Oligo, Operant, Raven

The Future of Cloud Security

The future of cloud security will depend on making alerts actionable by providing full attack context, enabling security teams to respond quickly and effectively to cloud incidents. Solutions that can correlate events across application, workload, and cloud layers will be best positioned to address modern, multi-stage attacks.