What is Cloud Security Posture Management?
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is a market category for security tools that automate the identification and remediation of risks across cloud infrastructures. CSPM solutions provide visibility into cloud assets, detect misconfigurations, and help maintain compliance with security policies and regulatory requirements.
Core Capabilities
Asset Discovery
- Automatic inventory of cloud resources
- Cross-cloud visibility
- Shadow IT detection
- Resource relationship mapping
Configuration Assessment
- Misconfiguration detection
- Security best practice validation
- Drift detection
- Remediation guidance
Compliance Monitoring
- Framework mapping (CIS, NIST, SOC 2)
- Continuous compliance assessment
- Audit-ready reporting
- Policy enforcement
Common Misconfigurations Detected
- Publicly accessible storage buckets
- Overly permissive IAM policies
- Unencrypted databases
- Missing network segmentation
- Disabled logging
CSPM vs. Related Tools
| Tool | Focus |
|---|---|
| CSPM | Configuration & compliance |
| CWPP | Workload protection |
| CASB | SaaS security |
| CNAPP | Unified cloud-native security |