Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM): Top 6 Capabilities

Key takeaways

• CSPM identifies and fixes cloud misconfigurations to maintain compliance and reduce security risks.
• Common misconfigurations include exposed storage buckets, excessive permissions, unsecured APIs, and poor network segmentation.
• Key capabilities of CSPM include multi-cloud integration, policy enforcement, threat detection, compliance mapping, and contextualized risk analysis.
• CSPM continuously monitors cloud environments, provides real-time compliance insights, and supports automated remediation workflows.
• Integrating CSPM into DevSecOps processes embeds security checks across the development lifecycle.

What is cloud security posture management (CSPM)? 

Cloud security posture management (CSPM) helps ensure security compliance in cloud environments by identifying and correcting misconfigurations. It acts as a safeguard, continuously monitoring cloud infrastructure to maintain secure settings according to industry standards. 

CSPM tools automate security assessments across hybrid and multi-cloud setups, offering centralized visibility. These cloud-based solutions often come with complex configurations that may lead to security vulnerabilities.

CSPM provides automated assessment, alerts, and remediation recommendations. By integrating with cloud service providers, CSPM tools analyze configurations and compare them against best practices and compliance requirements. This helps in identifying existing vulnerabilities and helps prevent potential security breaches. 

This is part of a series of articles about zero trust security.

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Common cloud misconfigurations and their impact

Misconfigurations in cloud environments are one of the most common causes of security vulnerabilities. These missteps often stem from the complexity of cloud services and the pace of deployment, leading to gaps in security. Common types of cloud misconfigurations include:

• Exposed storage buckets: Publicly accessible storage buckets can inadvertently leak sensitive information, making data vulnerable to unauthorized access. Misconfigured permissions on storage resources have led to several high-profile data breaches, highlighting the importance of restricted access.
• Excessive permissions: Granting overly broad permissions to users or roles creates unnecessary risk by increasing the number of people who can alter configurations or access sensitive resources. This can lead to both accidental and malicious changes that compromise security.
• Unsecured API endpoints: API endpoints left unprotected or with inadequate authentication controls can allow attackers to exploit and access cloud resources directly. APIs are common targets due to their accessibility, making secure configuration critical.
• Lack of network segmentation: Without proper network segmentation, attackers who compromise one resource can potentially move laterally across the cloud environment, gaining access to additional resources. Network misconfigurations often arise from insufficient firewall rules, inadequate subnet configurations, or missing virtual private cloud (VPC) protections.

The impact of these misconfigurations can be severe, ranging from data breaches and compliance violations to reputational damage and financial losses. Compliance violations, in particular, occur when misconfigurations lead to non-adherence to regulatory standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS. 

How CSPM works  

Discovery and visibility

CSPM starts with discovery and visibility by identifying all resources across cloud environments. It creates an inventory of cloud assets, highlighting any inconsistencies between the current state and desired configurations. This visibility ensures that no resource goes unmanaged, significantly reducing blind spots that may harbor vulnerabilities.

Additionally, having visibility allows for better control over cloud environments. Stakeholders can make informed decisions about resource allocation, security policies, and compliance requirements. CSPM solutions continuously update inventories, adapting to changes and providing insights that guide security strategies and improvements.

Continuous monitoring and compliance

Continuous monitoring in CSPM provides real-time insights into cloud security statuses. Automated checks surface compliance gaps fast, so teams can prioritize the right fixes and act before risks escalate. This proactive approach enables identification of weak points, ensuring that security policies are consistently enforced.

CSPM also supports compliance by generating detailed reports on security posture. These reports help organizations demonstrate adherence to regulatory requirements during audits. Continuous monitoring and compliance features collectively contribute to reducing manual checks, saving time, and improving accuracy in maintaining security standards.

Risk assessment and prioritization

Risk assessment involves evaluating the potential threats each misconfiguration poses, allowing organizations to prioritize which issues need immediate attention. By categorizing vulnerabilities based on their risk level, resources can be allocated more effectively to address the most critical threats.

This prioritization process is vital for efficient remediation strategies, ensuring that high-risk areas are addressed promptly. CSPM tools often provide contextual insights into risks, offering guidance on the potential impact and necessary corrective actions. 

Automated remediation

Automated remediation jumps on misconfigurations and fixes them before they can do damage. When CSPM tools detect issues, they recommend or apply predefined fixes, which helps teams restore security faster while keeping human oversight where it matters. This reduces the time window in which vulnerabilities can be exploited by malicious entities.

Automation also alleviates the burden on security teams by handling repetitive tasks. It ensures that solutions are applied consistently across all detected issues, minimizing human error and freeing up resources.

Integration with DevSecOps processes

Integration of CSPM with DevSecOps processes ensures security is embedded in the entire software development lifecycle. This alignment enables rapid detection and correction of security flaws discovered during code deployment, reducing risk exposures and compliance challenges.

By incorporating CSPM into DevSecOps pipelines, security checks become part of the build and deployment processes, encouraging a security-first culture. This simplifies operations, as development and security teams collaborate more easily, reducing deployment delays caused by security issues.

Key capabilities of CSPM solutions 

1. Multi-cloud integration

CSPM solutions operate across multiple cloud platforms, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and others. By integrating with each platform’s native tools and APIs, CSPM provides centralized visibility and control over configurations, resource inventories, and security policies. 

This eliminates the need for siloed management, allowing security teams to address vulnerabilities and compliance issues consistently across all cloud services. CSPM’s ability to standardize security practices across hybrid and multi-cloud setups reduces complexity, making it easier to enforce policies and maintain security regardless of the underlying infrastructure.

2. Securing IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

CSPM solutions can secure infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and software-as-a-service (SaaS) environments by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities specific to each service model:

• In IaaS environments, CSPM tools monitor and manage the configurations of virtual machines, storage, and networking resources. They ensure that access controls, encryption settings, and network security configurations align with best practices. For example, CSPM can detect open ports or unprotected storage buckets that may expose sensitive data.
• For PaaS, CSPM focuses on securing managed services such as databases, messaging systems, and serverless computing. It identifies misconfigurations in service-specific settings, such as improperly secured API gateways or insufficiently restricted database access.
• In SaaS environments, CSPM ensures the correct application of policies related to user permissions, data sharing, and integration with external services. It identifies over-permissioned user accounts and data exposures, helping maintain compliance and protecting sensitive information.

3. Policy enforcement and governance

CSPM tools enforce security policies by aligning cloud configurations with organizational and regulatory requirements. They provide prebuilt templates based on industry standards, such as CIS Benchmarks and NIST, while also enabling customization for specific business needs.

Governance features ensure that configurations remain compliant over time through continuous monitoring and automated remediation. 

For example, if a storage bucket is inadvertently made public, the CSPM tool can immediately enforce the correct access controls to prevent data exposure. These solutions also generate audit-ready reports, demonstrating adherence to policies and simplifying compliance processes. 

4. Threat detection and remediation

CSPM tools help uncover security gaps by continuously scanning for misconfigurations and policy violations across cloud environments. While some advanced CSPM solutions integrate basic risk indicators, full behavioral anomaly detection typically falls to broader platforms like CNAPPs.

Once threats are detected, CSPM solutions simplify remediation by providing actionable insights and automated workflows. For example, if an unprotected storage bucket is discovered, the tool may apply corrective actions such as modifying permissions or enabling encryption. Many CSPM solutions integrate with incident response platforms, ensuring that detected threats are escalated to the appropriate teams

5. Compliance management

CSPM solutions simplify compliance management by mapping cloud configurations to regulatory frameworks, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS. They continuously monitor for deviations and provide detailed reports that highlight areas of noncompliance, along with recommendations for remediation.

Automated compliance checks reduce manual effort and ensure that security teams can quickly address issues before they become audit findings. For example, CSPM tools can detect unencrypted data or improperly configured access controls that may violate regulatory standards.

6. Contextualized risk analysis

Contextualized risk analysis helps prioritize vulnerabilities by evaluating their potential impact within the cloud environment. CSPM tools assess risk based on factors such as asset criticality, threat exposure, and compliance requirements, providing a nuanced understanding of security gaps.

This analysis allows security teams to focus on high-risk issues that could lead to significant damage, such as exposed sensitive data or weak access controls. For example, a misconfigured database containing confidential customer information would be flagged as a top priority. 

Tips from the expert

Anthony Dombrowski Developer Relations

Anthony Dombrowski is a product manager and developer advocate with expertise in developer experience, cybersecurity, and product strategy. He has led initiatives at Ping Identity and DevNetwork to enhance developer tools, authentication processes, and user experiences.

Anthony Dombrowski is a product manager and developer advocate with expertise in developer experience, cybersecurity, and product strategy. He has led initiatives at Ping Identity and DevNetwork to enhance developer tools, authentication processes, and user experiences.

• Leverage tagging and labeling for fine-grained CSPM insights: Use consistent resource tagging for categorization by environment, application, or owner. This helps CSPM tools provide more granular insights, enabling easier prioritization and remediation tailored to specific teams or projects.
• Set up custom policies for unique organizational requirements: While CSPM solutions provide templates for industry best practices, organizations should customize policies to reflect specific business needs. Tailored policies can address proprietary configurations or regulatory requirements unique to the organization.
• Incorporate threat intelligence into CSPM processes: Integrate real-time threat intelligence to adjust CSPM policies and responses based on emerging threats. This ensures that the cloud environment is always protected against the latest attack vectors, especially those targeting common misconfigurations.
• Use drift detection to maintain policy compliance: CSPM tools with drift detection notify security teams of deviations from secure configurations. By identifying and alerting on configuration drift in real-time, organizations can rapidly restore compliant settings before vulnerabilities are exploited.

CSPM vs other cloud security solutions 

CSPM vs CASB

CSPM protects the infrastructure layer of cloud environments by enforcing secure configurations and compliance. Cloud access security broker (CASB) focuses on securing the data and user activity within cloud applications themselves, which protects against risks like data leakage and unauthorized access. Both address different layers of cloud security.

While CSPM secures the cloud infrastructure, CASB provides visibility into cloud application usage and enforces data-centric security policies. Both solutions complement each other but address different security layers.

CSPM vs CWPP

Cloud workload protection platforms (CWPPs) primarily focus on securing dynamic workloads in cloud environments, such as virtual machines and containers, ensuring they are protected throughout their lifecycle. CSPM addresses configuration security across the entire cloud infrastructure.

CWPP solutions secure active workloads like virtual machines, containers, and serverless functions while they run. CSPM, in contrast, protects cloud environments by identifying misconfigurations and policy violations before they become vulnerabilities. Together, they cover both runtime and posture security needs. Integrating both solutions allows organizations to secure both configurations and active workloads, providing a holistic cloud security approach.

CSPM vs CIEM

Cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM) targets managing and monitoring access rights across cloud services, ensuring users have appropriate levels of access. CSPM takes a broader approach to security by focusing on configuration management and compliance.

While CIEM zeroes in on identity and access management, CSPM ensures that every aspect of the cloud environment adheres to established security postures. Together, they provide comprehensive security oversight, addressing both configuration vulnerabilities and access-related concerns.

CSPM vs CNAPP

Cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs) protect cloud-native application development, emphasizing security from code to deployment. CSPM ensures that the infrastructure hosting these applications complies with security standards.

CNAPP solutions bring together multiple capabilities (including CSPM, CWPP, and runtime protection) to offer end-to-end cloud security. CSPM focuses specifically on securing the cloud infrastructure configuration, acting as one critical pillar within CNAPP’s broader framework.

Best practices for implementing CSPM 

Organizations should implement the following practice to ensure the most effective use of their cloud security posture management solution.

1. Define clear security policies

Security policies guide the security configuration of cloud resources, ensuring they meet organizational and compliance standards. It’s essential to establish clear policies that cover all aspects of cloud infrastructure, including data management, access controls, and network configurations.

Documenting and communicating these policies across all teams is crucial. This provides a unified approach to security that reduces the risk of misconfigurations and ensures everyone understands their roles in maintaining a secure cloud environment. Establish feedback loops to adapt policies to evolving business needs and technological changes.

2. Regularly audit configurations

Regular audits of cloud configurations ensure compliance with security policies and help identify potential vulnerabilities. Auditing involves checking configurations against an organization’s defined policies to detect discrepancies and mitigate risks promptly. These audits form a cycle of continuous improvement, enabling quick adaptation to security challenges.

Automating the auditing process can increase its efficiency and consistency. CSPM tools can perform these checks regularly, providing real-time alerts and reports to stakeholders. This ensures that security remains proactive rather than reactive.

3. Automate remediation processes

Leading CSPM tools streamline misconfiguration fixes, using automation where safe, and flagging higher-risk changes for expert review to minimize exposure time. This efficiency is useful in maintaining cloud security at scale, especially as environments grow more complex.

Implementing automated remediation saves time and minimizes human error, ensuring a more reliable approach to security management. While automation handles routine fixes, it allows security teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.

4. Integrate with existing security tools

Integrating CSPM with existing security tools and workflows improves the overall security posture by providing a consolidated view of cloud vulnerabilities. This ensures that data from CSPM is factored into broader security strategies and incident response plans, enabling quick adaptation to emerging threats.

By unifying CSPM with tools like SIEM, CASB, or EDR, organizations can correlate data across different security layers, offering more comprehensive threat detection and response capabilities. This synergy strengthens defenses and supports measures to prevent breaches.

5. Educate teams on CSPM usage

Teams must understand how to use CSPM tools and interpret their findings correctly. Providing training on best practices, policies, and tool functionalities ensures that all team members can contribute to maintaining a secure cloud environment.

Create a culture of security awareness by offering regular training sessions and incorporating CSPM education into onboarding processes. This ensures that as new tools or methodologies emerge, teams can effectively incorporate them into their workflows.

How Frontegg complements CSPM

CSPM solutions do a great job identifying cloud misconfigurations and enforcing security best practices, but they stop short of solving identity bottlenecks inside your apps. That’s where Frontegg steps in. Frontegg distributes identity management beyond developers, giving Product, Customer Success, and Infosec teams the power to update roles, enforce MFA, and manage user access directly, without adding developer toil.

By integrating Frontegg alongside CSPM, organizations close critical gaps in their cloud security posture. Instead of leaving identity control siloed with engineering, Frontegg turns it into a shared responsibility, boosting security, speeding up stakeholder requests, and giving developers back the freedom to focus on building what’s next.

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