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Avishai Wool, CTO and co-founder of AlgoSec, looks at how organizations can implement and manage SDN-enabled micro-segmentation... Micro-segmentation Building a Blueprint for a Successful Micro-segmentation Implementation Prof. Avishai Wool 2 min read Prof. Avishai Wool Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 6/22/20 Published Avishai Wool, CTO and co-founder of AlgoSec, looks at how organizations can implement and manage SDN-enabled micro-segmentation strategies Micro-segmentation is regarded as one of the most effective methods to reduce an organization’s attack surface, and a lack of it has often been cited as a contributing factor in some of the largest data breaches and ransomware attacks. One of the key reasons why enterprises have been slow to embrace it is because it can be complex and costly to implement – especially in traditional on-premise networks and data centers. In these, creating internal zones usually means installing extra firewalls, changing routing, and even adding cabling to police the traffic flows between zones, and having to manage the additional filtering policies manually. However, as many organizations are moving to virtualized data centers using Software-Defined Networking (SDN), some of these cost and complexity barriers are lifted. In SDN-based data centers the networking fabric has built-in filtering capabilities, making internal network segmentation much more accessible without having to add new hardware. SDN’s flexibility enables advanced, granular zoning: In principle, data center networks can be divided into hundreds, or even thousands, of microsegments. This offers levels of security that would previously have been impossible – or at least prohibitively expensive – to implement in traditional data centers. However, capitalizing on the potential of micro-segmentation in virtualized data centers does not eliminate all the challenges. It still requires the organization to deploy a filtering policy that the micro-segmented fabric will enforce, and writing this a policy is the first, and largest, hurdle that must be cleared. The requirements from a micro-segmentation policy A correct micro-segmentation filtering policy has three high-level requirements: It allows all business traffic – The last thing you want is to write a micro-segmented policy and have it block necessary business communication, causing applications to stop functioning. It allows nothing else – By default, all other traffic should be denied. It is future-proof – ‘More of the same’ changes in the network environment shouldn’t break rules. If you write your policies too narrowly, when something in the network changes, such as a new server or application, something will stop working. Write with scalability in mind. A micro-segmentation blueprint Now that you know what you are aiming for, how can you actually achieve it? First of all, your organization needs to know what your traffic flows are – what is the traffic that should be allowed. To get this information, you can perform a ‘discovery’ process. Only once you have this information, can you then establish where to place the borders between the microsegments in the data center and how to devise and manage the security policies for each of the segments in their network environment. I welcome you to download AlgoSec’s new eBook , where we explain in detail how to implement and manage micro-segmentation. AlgoSec Enables Micro-segmentation The AlgoSec Security Management Suite (ASMS) employs the power of automation to make it easy to define and enforce your micro-segmentation strategy inside the data center, ensure that it does not block critical business services, and meet compliance requirements. AlgoSec supports micro-segmentation by: Providing application discovery based on netflow information Identifying unprotected network flows that do not cross any firewall and are not filtered for an application Automatically identifying changes that will violate the micro-segmentation strategy Automatically implementing network security changes Automatically validating changes The bottom line is that implementing an effective network micro-segmentation strategy is now possible. It requires careful planning and implementation, but when carried out following a proper blueprint and with the automation capabilities of the AlgoSec Security Management Suite, it provides you with stronger security without sacrificing any business agility. Find out more about how micro-segmentation can help you boost your security posture, or request your personal demo . Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

The persistence of sophisticated ransomware In 2023, organizations faced a surge in ransomware attacks, prompting a reevaluation of... Network Segmentation Navigating the Cybersecurity Horizon in 2024 Prof. Avishai Wool 2 min read Prof. Avishai Wool Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/17/23 Published The persistence of sophisticated ransomware In 2023, organizations faced a surge in ransomware attacks, prompting a reevaluation of cybersecurity readiness. The focus on high-value assets and critical infrastructure indicated an escalating threat landscape, demanding stronger preemptive measures. This trend is expected to continue in 2024 as cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities. Beyond relying on technology alone, organizations must adopt strategies like Zero Trust and Micro-segmentation for comprehensive preparedness, fortifying data security. A resolute and practical response is crucial to safeguard critical assets in the evolving cybersecurity landscape. DevSecOps Integration DevSecOps is set to become a cornerstone in software development, integrating security practices proactively. As Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) popularity rises, customizing security settings becomes challenging, necessitating a shift from network perimeter reliance. Anticipating an “Always-on Security” approach like Infrastructure as Code (IaC), companies can implement policy-based guardrails in the CI/CD pipeline. If risks violating the guardrails are identified, automation should halt for human review. Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP): The CNAPP market has advanced from basic Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) to include varied vulnerability and malware scans, along with crucial behavioral analytics for cloud assets like containers. However, few vendors emphasize deep analysis of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) networking controls in risk and compliance reporting. A more complete CNAPP platform should also provide comprehensive analytics of cloud applications’ connectivity exposure. Application-centric approach to network security will supersede basic NSPM Prepare for the shift from NSPM to an application-centric security approach, driven by advanced technologies, to accelerate in 2024. Organizations, grappling with downsizing and staff shortages, will strategically adopt this holistic approach to improve efficiency in the security operations team. Emphasizing knowledge retention and automated change processes will become crucial to maintain security with agility. AI-based enhancements to security processes Generative AI, as heralded by Chat-GPT and its ilk, has made great strides in 2023, and has demonstrated that the technology has a lot of potential. I think that in 2024 we will see many more use cases in which this potential goes from simply being “cool” to a more mature technology that is brought to market to bring real value to owners of security processes. Any use case that involves analyzing, summarizing, or generalizing text, can potentially benefit from a generative AI assist. The trick will be to do so in ways that save human time, without introducing factual hallucinations. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Organizations transitioning to the cloud require robust security concepts to protect their most critical assets, including business... Cloud Security Top Two Cloud Security Concepts You Won’t Want to Overlook Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 11/24/22 Published Organizations transitioning to the cloud require robust security concepts to protect their most critical assets, including business applications and sensitive data. Rony Moshkovitch, Prevasio’s co-founder, explains these concepts and why reinforcing a DevSecOps culture would help organizations strike the right balance between security and agility. In the post-COVID era, enterprise cloud adoption has grown rapidly. Per a 2022 security survey , over 98% of organizations use some form of cloud-based infrastructure. But 27% have also experienced a cloud security incident in the previous 12 months. So, what can organizations do to protect their critical business applications and sensitive data in the cloud? Why Consider Paved Road, Guardrails, and Least Privilege Access for Cloud Security It is in the organization’s best interest to allow developers to expedite the lifecycle of an application. At the same time, it’s the security teams’ job to facilitate this process in tandem with the developers to help them deliver a more secure application on time. As organizations migrate their applications and workloads to a multi-cloud platform, it’s incumbent to use a Shift left approach to DevSecOps. This enables security teams to build tools, and develop best practices and guidelines that enable the DevOps teams to effectively own the security process during the application development stage without spending time responding to risk and compliance violations issued by the security teams. This is where Paved Road, Guardrails and Least Privilege could add value to your DevSecOps. Concept 1: The Paved Road + Guardrails Approach Suppose your security team builds numerous tools, establishes best practices, and provides expert guidance. These resources enable your developers to use the cloud safely and protect all enterprise assets and data without spending all their time or energy on these tasks. They can achieve these objectives because the security team has built a “paved road” with strong “guardrails” for the entire organization to follow and adopt. By following and implementing good practices, such as building an asset inventory, creating safe templates, and conducting risk analyses for each cloud and cloud service, the security team enables developers to execute their own tasks quickly and safely. Security staff will implement strong controls that no one can violate or bypass. They will also clearly define a controlled exception process, so every exception is clearly tracked and accountability is always maintained. Over time, your organization may work with more cloud vendors and use more cloud services. In this expanding cloud landscape, the paved road and guardrails will allow users to do their jobs effectively in a security-controlled manner because security is already “baked in” to everything they work with. Moreover, they will be prevented from doing anything that may increase the organization’s risk of breaches, thus keeping you safe from the bad guys. How Paved Road Security and Guardrails Can Be Applied Successfully Example 1: Set Baked-in Security Controls Remember to bake security into reusable Terraform templates or AWS CloudFormation modules of paved roads. You may apply this tactic to provision new infrastructure, create new storage buckets, or adopt new cloud services. When you create a paved road and implement appropriate guardrails, all your golden modules and templates are already secure from the outset – safeguarding your assets and preventing undesirable security events. Example 2: Introducing Security Standardizations When creating resource functions with built-in security standards, developers should adhere to these standards to confidently configure required resources without introducing security issues into the cloud ecosystem. Example 3: Automating Security with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) IaC is a way to manage and provision new infrastructure by coding specifications instead of following manual processes. To create a paved road for IaC, the security team can introduce tagging to provision and track cloud resources. They can also incorporate strong security guardrails into the development environment to secure the new infrastructure right from the outset. Concept 2: The Principle of Least Privileged Access (PoLP) The Principle of Least Privilege Access (PoLP) is often synonymous with Zero Trust. PoLP is about ensuring that a user can only access the resources they need to complete a required task. The idea is to prevent the misuse of critical systems and data and reduce the attack surface to decrease the probability of breaches. How Can PoLP Be Applied Successfully Example 1: Ring-fencing critical assets This is the process of isolating specific “crown jewel” applications so that even if an attacker could make it into your environment, they would be unable to reach that data or application. As few people as possible would be given credentials that allow access, therefore following least privilege access rules. Crown jewel applications could be anything from where sensitive customer data is stored, to business-critical systems and processes. Example 2: Establishing Role Based Access Control (RABC) Based on the role that they hold at the company, RBAC or role-based access control allows specific access to certain data or applications, or parts of the network. This goes hand in hand with the principle of least privilege, and means that if credentials are stolen, the attackers are limited to what access the employee in question holds. As this is based on users, you could isolate privileged user sessions specifically to keep them with an extra layer of protection. Only if an administrator account or one with wide access privilege is stolen, would the business be in real trouble. Example 3: Isolate applications, tiers, users, or data This task is usually done with micro-segmentation, where specific applications, users, data, or any other element of the business is protected from an attack with internal, next-gen firewalls. Risk is reduced in a similar way to the examples above, where the requisite access needed is provided using the principle of least privilege to allow access to only those who need it, and no one else. In some situations, you might need to allow elevated privileges for a short period of time, for example during an emergency. Watch out for privilege creep, where users gain more access over time without any corrective oversight. Conclusion and Next Steps Paved Road, Guardrails and PoLP concepts are all essential for a strong cloud security posture. By adopting these concepts, your organization can move to the next stage of cloud security maturity and create a culture of security-minded responsibility at every level of the enterprise. The Prevasio cloud security platform allows you to apply these concepts across your entire cloud estate while securing your most critical applications. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

The past few years have witnessed a rapid surge in the use of SaaS applications across various industries. But with this growth comes a... Hybrid Cloud Security Management Cloud security study reveals: over 50% of system failures are caused by human error and mismanagement Malynnda Littky-Porath 2 min read Malynnda Littky-Porath Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 6/20/23 Published The past few years have witnessed a rapid surge in the use of SaaS applications across various industries. But with this growth comes a significant challenge: managing security and assessing risk in application connectivity. In this blog, I’ll explore the fascinating insights from a recent study conducted by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). The study delves into the complexities of managing security and assessing the risk of application connectivity in the rapidly growing world of SaaS applications and cloud environments. With responses from 1,551 IT and security professionals from organizations of all sizes and from all corners of the globe, this study provides valuable insights into the challenges of application security in cloud environments and how to best manage them. Insight # 1 – Human error is the leading cause of application outages With more than half of these outages linked to manual processes and the increasing complexity of the systems themselves, businesses are losing productivity, revenue, and even reputation due to downtime. In many cases, the root cause of these outages is traced back to configuration errors, software bugs, or human mistakes during deployments or maintenance activities. To combat these issues, investment in automation and machine learning technologies can mitigate the risk of human error and ensure the reliability and stability of their applications. Insight # 2 – 75% of organizations experienced application outages lasting an hour or more. The financial impact of outages has been significant, with an estimated cost of $300,000 or more per instance. These costs include lost productivity, revenue, and potential customer churn. While human error is the major contributor to downtime, outages are often caused by a combination of additional factors, including hardware or software failure and cyber-attacks. Comprehensive disaster recovery plans, backup systems, and application performance monitoring tools are necessary to minimize outages and ensure business continuity. Insight # 3 – A lack of visibility and compliance are the primary constraints to rolling out new applications . Visibility is essential to understanding how applications are used, where they are deployed, and how they integrate with other systems. Compliance gaps, on the other hand, can pose significant risks, resulting in issues such as data breaches, regulatory fines, or reputational damage. To ensure successful application rollout, organizations must have a clear view of their application environment and ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations. Insight # 4 – The shift to the DevOps methodology has led to a shift-left movement where security is integrated into the application development process . Traditionally, application security teams have been responsible for securing applications in the public cloud. However, DevOps teams are becoming more involved in the security of applications in the public cloud. DevOps teams are now responsible for ensuring that applications are designed with security in mind, and they work with the application security teams to ensure that the necessary controls are in place. Involving the DevOps teams in the security process can reduce the risk of security breaches and ensure that security is integrated throughout the application lifecycle. Insight # 5 – Organizations are targeting unauthorized access to applications in the public cloud . Organizations can protect their applications by implementing strong authentication mechanisms, access controls, and encryption to protect sensitive data. Using the principle of least privilege can limit application access to only authorized personnel. cloud infrastructure is secure and that vulnerabilities are regularly identified and addressed. Organizations must review their security requirements, monitor the application environment, and regularly update their security controls to protect their data and applications in the public cloud. Insight # 6 – A rapidly evolving technology landscape has created skills gaps and staffing issues Specialized skills are not always readily available within organizations, which can result in a shortage of qualified personnel. This can overburden teams, resulting in burnout and increased staff turnover. Staffing shortages can also lead to knowledge silos, where critical skills and knowledge are concentrated in a few key individuals, leaving the rest of the team vulnerable to knowledge gaps. Organizations must invest in training and development programs to ensure that their teams have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their roles. Successful cloud migrations require a comprehensive knowledge of cloud security controls and how they interconnect and collaborate with on-premise security systems. To make this happen, organizations need complete visibility across both cloud and on-premise environments, and must automate the network security management processes. To sum up, the rapidly evolving threat environment demands new ways to enhance security. Proactive risk detection, powerful automation capabilities, and enhanced visibility in the cloud and outside of it are just a few ways to strengthen your security posture. AlgoSec can do all that, and more, to help you stay ahead of emerging threats and protect your critical assets.. Even better, our solution is ideal for organizations that may lack in-house expertise and resources, complementing the existing security measures and helping to keep you one step ahead of attackers. Don’t miss out on the full insights and recommendations from the study. Click here to access the complete findings. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Compared to on-premises data storage, cloud computing comes with a lot of benefits. On-demand access to company data, flexibility, and... Cloud Security What is a Cloud Security Assessment? (and How to Perform One) Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/12/23 Published Compared to on-premises data storage, cloud computing comes with a lot of benefits. On-demand access to company data, flexibility, and fast collaboration are just a few. But along with these advantages come increased security risks. To manage them, companies should invest in regular cloud security assessments. What Is a Cloud Security Risk Assessment? A cloud security assessment evaluates the potential vulnerabilities of an organization’s cloud environment. These assessments are essential to mitigate risks and ensure the continued security of cloud-based systems. By looking at cloud applications, services, and data, companies can better understand the biggest threats to their cloud environment. By managing these threats, businesses can avoid costly workflow interruptions. A security assessment can be done by an organization’s internal security team or by an outside security expert. This can happen one time only, or it can be done regularly as part of an organization’s overall cybersecurity plan. How Do Cloud Security Risk Assessments Protect Your Business? Cloud-based systems and services are an essential part of most businesses nowadays. Unfortunately, what makes them convenient is also what makes them vulnerable to security threats. A cloud security risk assessment helps organizations find out what might go wrong and prevent it from happening. It also helps with prioritizing and managing the most serious issues before they become full-on data breaches. One way assessments do this is by identifying misconfigurations. Cloud misconfigurations are behind many security breaches. They result from errors introduced by network engineers working on early cloud systems. A cloud security assessment earmarks these and other outmoded security features for repair. What’s more, cloud security assessments identify third-party risks from APIs or plugins. When your company identifies risks and manages permissions, you keep your cloud environment safe. By mitigating third-party risks, you can still benefit from outside vendors. Of course, none of this information is valuable without employee education. Employees need to know about risks and how to stop them; this is the best way to reduce the number of security incidents caused by human error or carelessness. To put it simply, a cloud security assessment helps your business run smoothly. When you know the risks your company faces and can manage them, you reduce the impact of security-related incidents. That means you can recover faster and get back to work sooner. 7 Benefits of Cloud Security Risk Assessments Cloud security risk assessments provide lots of benefits. They can help you: Improve cloud security posture . Understanding the ins and outs of a cloud-based system helps organizations plan better. For example, they can modify their security budget or improve their risk management strategy based on the results. Uncover security vulnerabilities . Cloud security assessments pinpoint weak spots. This includes misconfigurations , access control issues, and missing multi-factor authentications (MFAs). Once identified, organizations can fix the issues and avoid security breaches. Develop a more secure multi-cloud environment . Most organizations use multiple cloud platforms. Usually, this involves private or public clouds or a combination of both. This is ideal from a financial and agility perspective. But every extra layer in a cloud environment introduces potential risks. A cloud security assessment is essential in identifying these cross-cloud threats. Achieve compliance with industry standards and regulatory bodies . Ensuring compliance with GDPR, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA helps protect organizations from millions of dollars of potential fines . Manage your reputation. A sensitive data leak or other cloud security incident damages a company’s reputation. Think of companies like Target, Facebook, and LinkedIn. All have faced backlash after security breaches . Conducting cloud security assessments shows that organizations value customer and stakeholder privacy. Detect past threats . A cloud security assessment looks for things that might be wrong with the way your cloud system is set up. It can also help you find out if there have been any past security problems. By doing this, you can see if someone has tried to tamper with the security of your cloud system in the past, which could signal a bigger problem. Increase efficiency . Cloud security assessments show you which security measures are working and which aren’t. By getting rid of security tools that aren’t needed, employees have more time to work on other tasks. Cost savings . The most compelling reason to run a cloud security assessment is that it helps save money. Cost savings come from eliminating unnecessary security measures and from missed work time due to breaches. What Risks Do Cloud Security Assessments Look For? Cloud security assessments focus on six areas to identify security vulnerabilities in your cloud infrastructure: overall security posture, access control and management, incident management, data protection, network security, and risk management and compliance. Some specific risks cloud security assessments look for include: Cloud Misconfigurations Misconfigurations are one of the most common threats to overall security posture. In fact, McAfee’s enterprise security study found that enterprises experience 3,500 security incidents per month because of misconfigurations. From improperly stored passwords to insecure automated backups, misconfiguration issues are everywhere. Because they’re so common, fixing this issue alone can reduce the risk of a security breach by up to 80%, according to Gartner . Access Control and Management Problems This assessment also highlights ineffective access control and management. One way it does this is by identifying excessive network permissions. Without the proper guardrails (like data segmentation) in place, an organization’s attack surface is greater. Plus, its data is at risk from internal and external threats. If an employee has too much access to a company’s network, they might accidentally delete or change important information. This could cause unintended system problems. Additionally, if hackers get access to the company’s network, they could easily steal important data. Cloud security assessments also look at credentials as part of user account management. A system that uses only static credentials for users or cloud workloads is a system at risk. Without multifactor authentication (MFA) in place, hackers can gain access to your system and expose your data. Improper Incident Management and Logging When it comes to incident management, a cloud security assessment can reveal insufficient or improper logging — problems that make detecting malicious activities more difficult. Left unchecked, the damage is more severe, making recovery more time-consuming and expensive. Insufficient Data and Network Security Data protection and network security go hand in hand. Without proper network controls in place (for example firewalls and intrusion detection), data in the cloud is vulnerable to attack. A cloud security assessment can identify gaps in both areas. Based on the results of a cloud security assessment, a company can make a risk management plan to help them react as quickly and effectively as possible in the event of an attack. The last aspect of cloud security the assessment looks at is compliance with industry standards. 7 Steps To Perform a Cloud Security Assessment The main components of cloud security assessments include: Identifying your cloud-based assets, discovering vulnerabilities through testing, generating recommendations, and retesting once the issues have been addressed. The steps to performing a cloud security assessment are as follows: Step One: Define the project Get a picture of your cloud environment. Look at your cloud service providers (CSPs), third-party apps, and current security tools. First, decide which parts of your system will be evaluated. Next, look at the type of data you’re handling or storing. Then consider the regulations your business must follow. Step Two: Identify potential threats Look at both internal and external threats to your cloud-based system. This could include endpoint security, misconfigurations, access control issues, data breaches, and more. Then figure out how likely each type of attack is. Finally, determine what impact each attack would have on your business operations. Step Three: Examine your current security system Look for vulnerabilities in your existing cloud security. In particular, pay attention to access controls, encryption, and network security. Step Four: Test Penetration testing, port scanners, and vulnerability scanners are used to find weaknesses in your cloud environment that were missed during the original risk assessment. Step Five: Analyze Look at the results and determine which weaknesses need immediate attention. Deal with the issues that will have the biggest impact on your business first. Then, focus on the issues most likely to occur. Finish by handling lower-priority threats. Step Six: Develop an action plan Come up with a time-bound remediation plan. This plan should spell out how your organization will deal with each security vulnerability. Assign roles and responsibilities as part of your incident response program. Depending on the results, this could include updating firewalls, monitoring traffic logs, and limiting access control. Step Seven: Maintain Cloud security assessments can be done as a one-off, but it’s much better to monitor your systems regularly. Frequent monitoring improves your organization’s threat intelligence. It also helps you identify and respond to new threats in real time. Getting Help With Your Cloud Security Assessment Cloud security assessment tools are used to identify vulnerabilities in a cloud infrastructure which could lead to data loss or compromise by attackers. As an agentless cloud security posture management (CSPM) tool , Prevasio helps identify and fix security threats across all your cloud assets in minutes. Our deep cloud scan checks for security weaknesses, malware, and compliance. This helps ensure that your company’s cloud environment is protected against potential risks. But any CSPM can do that . Prevasio is the only solution that provides container security dynamic behavior analysis. Our technology spots hidden backdoors in your container environments. It also identifies supply chain attack risks. Paired with our container security static analysis for vulnerabilities and malware, your containers will never be safer. Our CSPM works across multi-cloud, multi-accounts, cloud-native services , and cloud assets. Whether you’re using Microsoft Azure, S3 buckets in AWS, or Cosmos DB in GCP, Prevasio is the security system your company has been looking for. But we do more than identify security threats. We increase your team’s efficiency. How? By providing a prioritized list of cloud risks ranked according to CIS benchmarks. That means no more uncertainty about what needs to get done. Our easy-to-understand results help your team concentrate on the most important things. This saves time and money by reducing the need for extra administrative work. A Final Word on Cloud Security Assessments Performing regular cloud security assessments helps your business spot security issues before they become major problems. When you reinforce your security controls and define your incident response plan, you make your organization more efficient. Plus, you keep things going even when issues arise. Put together, these proactive measures can save you money. Sign up today and see how Prevasio can help your team ! FAQs About Cloud Security Assessments What are the four areas of cloud security? The four pillars of cloud security are data availability, data confidentiality, data integrity, and regulatory compliance. What is included in a security assessment? Cloud security assessments include: Identifying your cloud-based assets, discovering vulnerabilities through testing, generating recommendations, and retesting once the issues have been addressed. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

With the rapid proliferation of cloud computing, lean deployment methods, such as containers, have become common practice. According to... Cloud Security Intro to Kubernetes Security Best Practices Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 11/27/20 Published With the rapid proliferation of cloud computing, lean deployment methods, such as containers, have become common practice. According to CIO.com, 70% of global companies are expected to be running multiple apps simultaneously using a containerized framework, like Kubernetes in the next few years. But as Kubernetes’ use becomes more widespread, so do the vulnerabilities inherent to containerization. According to a 2019 Forbes article , Kubernetes had at least 7,000 identified vulnerabilities at the beginning of 2019 alone. Couple that with the fact that cyber-attacks involving containerization have increased a whopping 240% since 2018, and you’ll understand the value of security should your company use a solution like Kubernetes to handle its container orchestration. What Causes Kubernetes Security Blindspots? To understand how to best optimize your Kubernetes experience, it’s worthwhile to understand the basic ways security issues arise in a containerized framework. Images are the core building blocks of containerization; they are the executable process at the centre of your container. As a result, anything that exposes an image to a broader audience puts the container at risk of being hijacked. One of the primary ways this occurs is by using out-of-date software. Using old software gives malicious actors a small incongruence that they can exploit within the code. Another problem is poorly defined user access roles. If sensible changes aren’t made to an orchestration tool’s default settings, inappropriate parties may have access to alter the container’s core executable. Containerization gives you a way to manage a large number of processes easily and with increased adaptability. As a result, automation makes it impossible to keep your eyes on everything at once. Here are some best practices that can help you counter the wide range of vulnerabilities inherent to containerization and Kubernetes in general. Kubernetes Security Best Practices Given the architecture of the Kubernetes framework, security risks are a constant and evolving threat. Luckily, Google made Kubernetes an open-source application under the auspices of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation where solutions to new security issues are actively crowdsourced by the community. Regardless, there are a number of things that you can do during the build, deployment, and runtime phases to make your Kubernetes implementation more secure. Take care of your images Images are the heart of every container. Executable functions are essential, so images must be well-maintained and in good working order. Only use up-to-date images, scanning them regularly for security issues. As a rule of thumb, you should also avoid including unnecessary tools and functions in your image coding as they can inadvertently give hackers an access route. Ensure that your secrets remain secret The term “secrets” refers to any private information such as login credentials, tokens, or other sensitive data. While it’s not customary to keep sensitive data stored adjacent to the container’s image, the scenario has come up before. Keep secret data as far from the image as possible in order to increase security. Keep up-to-date with scans and security patches The community does a good job of patching Kubernetes when issues arise. If you don’t take the time to update both your OS and Kubernetes’ security, you give malware additional avenues of attack. Updates should be performed at least every nine months, if not more often. Due to the nature of how Kubernetes works, if you are using an outdated version, you could actively be spreading issues when the container is deployed elsewhere. Take advantage of customization to define user roles and access A container orchestration tool like Kubernetes is a complex web running thousands of processes across numerous machines. That means hundreds of end-users involved with the application. Take advantage of Kubernetes administrative functions to clearly define user roles, limiting full access for those who don’t need it. As they say, too many cooks spoil the broth. Keeping Kubernetes Simple and Safe Containers are an agile, lightweight framework for cloud computing, but manually deploying the correct containers to their destinations can quickly become overwhelming. An orchestration tool like Kubernetes is the perfect solution to managing your containerization, but the security risks inherent to this model can be restrictive. By keeping a few key practices in mind when implementing Kubernetes into your workflow, you can help to promote safety while streamlining your processes. To Sum It All Up Kubernetes has become the centrepiece of the cloud Native landscape and a notable advantage for organizations to rapidly manage and deploy their containerized business logic. But certain security best practices must be followed such as working with reliable docker images, properly defined resource quotas, network policies, work with namespaces for access control and authentication\authorization, and more. To learn more about Prevasio integration and security for K8s containers, contact us today. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

14 Step Checklist for a Flawless Network Security Audit If security policies aren’t periodically updated to meet modern threat demands,... Cyber Attacks & Incident Response 14 Step Checklist for a Flawless Network Security Audit Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/20/23 Published 14 Step Checklist for a Flawless Network Security Audit If security policies aren’t periodically updated to meet modern threat demands, organizations risk introducing vulnerabilities into their IT security posture. Comprehensive audit reports help security leaders gain in-depth visibility into their organization’s cybersecurity strategy and assess the resilience of its network infrastructure . Network Security Audit Checklist: What Does Your IT Security Audit Need to Cover? Cybersecurity audits demand an extensive overview of the organization’s security posture and risk profile. It requires gathering and analyzing network data to identify security vulnerabilities, monitor access controls, and assess potential threats. It also includes an overview of operational security practices, penetration testing results, and incident response playbooks . Ultimately, comprehensive risk assessment data should guide the organization towards improving its security measures and preventing hackers from breaching critical data and assets. A complete network security audit should include provide in-depth visibility into the following: Security controls and their implementation. The availability of network devices and access points. High-impact security risks and their potential consequences. The effectiveness of information security management processes. Performance data on security systems and network assets like firewalls. What Do Network Security Audits Help You Achieve? Conducting in-depth security audits helps security leaders identify data breach risks and develop plans for managing those risks. Audit results play an incredibly important role in preventative risk management and in the remediation of cyberattacks. Organizations that regularly conduct these kinds of assessments are better equipped to address the security weaknesses that might arise when onboarding new users, adding new endpoints to the network, or installing new apps. Network audits and security assessments can also help you achieve other important goals as well, such as: Identifying network performance issues and addressing them to improve overall performance. Unlocking opportunities to leverage network assets and mobile devices more efficiently. Demonstrating compliance with regulatory frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 1.1 , ISO 27001 and 27002 , and SOC 2 Type 2 . Present security performance information to core stakeholders to demonstrate the value of security policies and controls. Update system security processes to address new vulnerabilities and potential threats. Recommended Read: 20 Best Network Security Solutions + FAQs How to Perform a Network Security Audit The network audit process involves collecting data, analyzing it to identify potential threats, and using it to compile a formal audit report. Depending on the size and complexity of the organization, this audit may be performed by an individual network analyst, a third-party IT security audit specialist, or an entire team of internal security professionals. These are the steps that make up a typical network audit: 1. Plan for the audit and inform everyone involved The audit process will involve many different types of technical tasks. The specific steps you take will change depending on the complexity of your network and the specialist talent required to assess data security in different IT contexts. You will need to verify authentication protocols, operating system security, password policies, and more. It’s rare for an individual security auditor to have all the technical skills necessary to do this on every app, device, and platform an organization uses. In most cases, you’ll need to work with other employees, third-party service providers, and other stakeholders to obtain the data you need. 2. Document all procedures and processes associated with the audit Recording every process that takes place during the audit is crucial. When preparing your final report, you may want to go back and verify some of the processes that took place to ensure the fidelity and accuracy of your data. If methodological errors creep into your data, they can skew your final report’s findings and end up damaging your ability to secure sensitive data correctly. Documentation is especially important in network security audits because you are looking for systematic flaws in the way user accounts, network assets, and security systems interact with one another. These flaws may not reveal themselves without clear documentation. 3. Review standard operating procedures and how they are managed Protecting sensitive information and critical network assets from security threats takes more than sophisticated technology. It also requires strict adherence to security policies and best practices from human users. Security audits should verify that employees and third-party providers are observing security policies in their operating procedures, and provide evidence attesting to that fact. Reviewing the organization’s procedure management system should provide key insight into whether users are following procedures or not. If they are not, there is a high risk of shadow IT processes leading to phishing attacks and security breaches. This should be reported so that the security team can find ways to remediate these threats. 4. Assess the training logs and operations Human error is behind eight out of ten cyberattacks . All customer-facing employees should be trained to detect phishing and social engineering attacks, and internal staff should know how to prevent malware from infecting the network. Every employee should understand how their role contributes to the security profile of the organization as a whole. Verifying authentication processes, permissions, and password policy is also part of employee training. Every user account should be protected by a consistent policy that follows the latest guidelines for beating brute force and dictionary-based credential attacks. Data encryption policies should keep sensitive login credentials secure even if hackers successfully compromise network assets. 5. Confirm the security patches for network software are up-to-date Start by creating a list of every software application used on the network. This can be a long, time-consuming manual process, but there are automated vulnerability scanning solutions that can help you automate this step. You will have to investigate each item on the list and determine whether new security patches are installed in a reasonably tight time frame. Keep in mind that cybercriminals often exploit security patch releases by scanning for organizations that delay installing new patches. Patch release changelogs essentially broadcast known vulnerabilities directly to hackers, so exploiting late patch installations is a trivial task. 6. Confirm the penetration testing policy and process is sufficient Penetration testing is one of the best ways to identify vulnerabilities on a network. If your organization has invested in pentesting initiatives, you will need to review and confirm its policies as part of the network security audit process. If you haven’t yet invested in pentesting, you may wish to outline a potential path for incorporating it into your security processes here. You may wish to verify the size and scope of your pentesting processes at this point. Assess some of the vulnerabilities you have uncovered and determine whether the organization is investing the appropriate resources into pentesting, or whether other security initiatives should take precedence. 7. Identify gaps and misconfigurations in your firewall policies Your organization’s firewalls play an important role managing traffic between network assets. Firewall rules should not be static. They must be continuously updated to meet the needs of the organization as it changes and grows. These devices can enforce bring your own device (BYOD) mobile policies, prevent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and contribute to proper network segmentation. Manually configuring firewall policies can be costly and time-consuming. Consider using an automated change management platform like AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer to rapidly identify potential vulnerabilities in your firewall rules. Document any changes you make and include those updates in your report. 8. Ensure all sensitive and confidential data is stored securely Every organization has to store some form of sensitive or confidential data. A major goal of network security audits is making sure this data is kept separate from non-sensitive data and protected by a higher standard of security. This data includes individuals’ names, addresses, phone numbers, financial information, and government ID data. Access to sensitive data should be only allowed when critical for business purposes, and every action involving sensitive data should generate comprehensive logs. The data itself should be encrypted so that even if attackers successfully breach the database, they won’t be able to use the data itself. It may also be worth considering an enterprise data backup solution to provide a failsafe in the event of a disaster. 9. Encrypt the hard disks on any company laptops Portable devices like laptops should not generally hold sensitive data. However, many employees can’t work without processing some amount of sensitive data and storing it on the local hard drive. This is usually less than critical data, but it can still contribute to a cyberattack if it falls into the wrong hands. Encrypting laptop hard disks can help prevent that from happening. If all the data on the device is encrypted, then the organization can avoid triggering a crisis-level security incident every time an employee misplaces or loses a company device. 10. Check the security of your wireless networks Wireless network security is vital for preventing hackers from conducting phishing attacks against employees and on-premises customers. If your organization’s Wi-Fi network is not secured, hackers can spoof the network and trick users into giving up vital information without their knowledge. All modern Wi-Fi equipment supports multiple security protocols. Avoid WEP and WPA – these are old protocols with well-known security vulnerabilities – and make sure your networks are using WPA2. If the organization has equipment that does not support WPA2, you must upgrade the equipment. 11. Scan for and identify any unauthorized access points Your network may have access points that were never set up or approved by the organization. Cybercriminals can use these unauthorized access points to steal data without triggering exfiltration alerts. Additional Wi-Fi frequencies are a common culprit here – your private Wi-Fi network may be configured to use the 2.4 GHz band even though you have equipment that supports 5 GHz frequencies. If someone sets up an access point on the 5 GHz frequency, you can easily overlook it. Data breaches can occur over a wide variety of similar media. USB and Bluetooth-enabled devices have introduced malware into corporate networks in the past. Your security audit should cover as many of these communication channels as possible. 12. Review the event log monitoring process The best way to verify security events is by analyzing the logs generated by network assets as they respond to user interactions. These logs can tell you who accessed sensitive data and report where and when that access took place. Security analysts can connect log data across applications to contextualize security incidents and understand how they took place. The problem is that even a small organization with a simple network can generate an enormous volume of log data every day. Your security audit should investigate the event log monitoring process and look for opportunities to streamline it. You may consider implementing a security information and event management (SIEM) platform or improving your existing one. 13. Compile a comprehensive report Once you’ve gathered all the relevant data and included your insight into the organization’s security posture, you are ready to create your audit report. This report should compile all of your findings into a single well-organized document, with evidence supporting the claims you make and clear recommendations for improving operational security moving forward. Consider creating customized data visualizations to showcase how key performance metrics change over time. The way you choose to communicate data can have a major impact on the way it is received, potentially convincing key stakeholders to implement the changes you suggest. 14. Send the final report to appropriate stakeholders and other key parties. Once you’ve finished your network security audit, you are ready to send it to your organization’s leaders and any other stakeholders who have an interest in your findings. Be prepared to explain your recommendations and justify the methods you used to collect and analyze the organization’s security data. The more confident you are in the accuracy of your findings, the better-equipped you’ll be to present them if called upon. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

A quarter-by-quarter review of AlgoSec’s 2025 covering key product launches like Horizon, our latest research on zero trust and convergence, customer milestones, and the industry recognition that defined our year. AlgoSec Reviews 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? Adel Osta Dadan 2 min read Adel Osta Dadan Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/18/25 Published As we close out 2025, I find myself reflecting on what has been an extraordinary journey for AlgoSec. This year was marked by breakthrough innovations, significant industry recognition, and an unwavering commitment to our vision of secure application connectivity. From launching game-changing solutions to earning accolades on the global stage, 2025 challenged us to push boundaries – and we rose to the occasion with confidence and purpose. Every challenge met, every milestone achieved, has reinforced our resolve to lead in network security policy management across hybrid cloud environments. The story of AlgoSec in 2025 is one of innovation validated by the industry and, most importantly, by the trust of our customers. In this featured year-end review, I’ll walk through AlgoSec’s 2025 journey quarter by quarter. It’s a personal narrative from my vantage point as someone fortunate enough to help shape our story. The tone is proud and forward-looking because the accomplishments of this year have set the stage for an even more ambitious 2026. So let’s dive in, quarter by quarter, into how 2025 unfolded for AlgoSec – a year of solidifying leadership, fostering innovation, and securing connectivity for enterprises worldwide. Q1 – Launching a new horizon in hybrid cloud security The first quarter of 2025 was all about bold beginnings. We started the year by challenging the status quo in hybrid network security and laying the groundwork for everything to follow. Launch of the AlgoSec Horizon platform: In February, we unveiled AlgoSec Horizon , our most advanced application-centric security management platform for converging cloud and on-premise environments. This wasn’t just a product launch – it was a statement of direction. AlgoSec Horizon is the industry’s first platform to unify security policy automation across hybrid networks, giving teams a single pane of glass for both cloud and data center connectivity. By applying AI-driven visibility and risk mitigation, Horizon allows security teams to consistently manage application connectivity and policies across any environment. “Today’s networks are 100x more complex... requiring organizations to unify security operations, automate policies and enhance visibility across infrastructures,” as our VP of Product Eran Shiff noted at launch. With Horizon, our customers gained full visibility into their hybrid-cloud network and the power to remediate risks without slowing down the business. We even showcased Horizon live at Cisco Live 2025 in Amsterdam, letting attendees see firsthand how it simplifies hybrid cloud security. This Q1 milestone set the tone for the year – proving that we don’t just adapt to industry shifts, we lead them. Continuing analyst recognition and thought leadership: Building on momentum from the previous year, we carried forward strong validation from industry analysts. AlgoSec entered 2025 still highlighted as a Market Outperformer in GigaOm’s recent Radar Report for Cloud Network Security. In that report, analyst Andrew Green praised our core strength: “AlgoSec automates application connectivity and security policy across the hybrid network estate including public cloud, private cloud, containers, and on-premises networks.” Such independent insight validated our unique, application-centric approach. Internally, these early recognitions energized our teams. We doubled down on R&D and prepared to share our expertise more broadly – including wrapping up work on our annual research report. Q1’s focus on innovation and expert validation paved the way for the accomplishments that followed in subsequent quarters. Q2 – Thought leadership and industry accolades on the global stage If Q1 was about innovation, Q2 was about validation. In the second quarter, AlgoSec stepped onto the global stage at RSAC 2025 and emerged with both influential research and prestigious awards. It was a period where our thought leadership in secure connectivity met with resounding industry recognition. State of network security report 2025: In April, we released our annual State of Network Security Report , a comprehensive vendor-agnostic study of emerging trends and challenges in network security. This report quickly became a cornerstone of our thought leadership. It revealed how businesses are prioritizing multi-cloud strategies and zero-trust architecture in unprecedented ways. For instance, zero-trust adoption reached an all-time high – 56% of organizations reported they had fully or partially implemented zero-trust by 2025. We also highlighted that multi-cloud environments are now the norm, with Azure rising to become the most widely used cloud platform among respondents. Perhaps most telling was the finding that automating application connectivity ranked as the top priority for minimizing risk and downtime [9] . These insights underscored a message we’ve championed for years – that security can and should be an enabler of business agility. By shining a light on gaps in visibility and the need for policy automation, our Q2 research reinforced AlgoSec’s role as a thought leader in secure application connectivity. The report’s influence was evident in conversations at industry events and in how customers approached their network security strategy. Awards at RSAC 2025 – best security company and more: The highlight of Q2 came during the RSA Conference in late April, when AlgoSec earned two major industry accolades in one week. SC Media honored AlgoSec with the 2025 SC Award for Best Security Company, a recognition of our impact and innovation in cybersecurity. At the same time, Cyber Defense Magazine announced us as a winner of a 2025 Global InfoSec Award for Best Service – Cybersecurity Company [11] . Securing these prestigious awards simultaneously was a proud and humbling moment. It marked a significant milestone for our team as we continue to gain momentum across the global enterprise market. These accomplishments also validated our mission to deliver secure, seamless application connectivity across hybrid environments. “We’re honored to be recognized for empowering our customers to move faster and stay secure,” an AlgoSec spokesperson said, when discussing what the SC Award means to us. Indeed, being named Best Security Company came on the heels of some impressive company growth metrics – over 2,200 organizations now trust AlgoSec for their security policy management needs, and we saw 14% customer growth over the past year. The SC Award judges also noted that we command roughly 32% of the security policy management market share , highlighting AlgoSec’s leadership in this space. For me personally, seeing our work celebrated at RSAC 2025 was exhilarating. It wasn’t just about trophies; it was about validation from the community that the path we chose – focusing on application-centric, hybrid-cloud security – is the right one. Q2 ended with our trophy cabinet a bit fuller and our resolve stronger than ever to keep raising the bar. Q3 – Accelerating growth and fostering community The third quarter saw our innovations bear fruit in the market and our community initiatives take center stage. Coming out of the big wins of Q2, we maintained that momentum through the summer by executing on our strategies and engaging deeply with customers and partners. Q3 was about scaling up – both in terms of business impact and thought leadership outreach. Surging adoption and business growth: By mid-year, the impact of our new platform and solutions was clear in the numbers . In fact, we recorded a 36% year-over-year increase in new annual recurring revenue (ARR) in the first half of 2025 , driven largely by strong adoption of the AlgoSec Horizon platform. Our existing customers stayed with us as well – we maintained a gross dollar retention rate above 90%, a metric that speaks to the tangible value organizations are getting from our products. One anecdote that sticks with me is a story from a major U.S. financial institution: after deploying Horizon, they discovered 1,800 previously unknown applications and their connectivity requirements within the first two weeks . That kind of visibility – uncovering what was once shadow IT – is a game-changer for risk reduction. It proved that our focus on hybrid cloud security and intelligent automation is solving real problems. Equally rewarding was the feedback from customers. By Q3, AlgoSec was sustaining an average rating of 4.5 stars on Gartner Peer Insights , with users praising our platform’s depth and ease of use. We’ve also consistently ranked at the top of our category on peer review sites like G2 and PeerSpot, reflecting the positive outcomes our users are achieving . This convergence of market growth and customer satisfaction in Q3 affirmed that our application-centric approach is resonating strongly. Extending thought leadership through strategic research: Our growth in Q3 wasn’t just reflected in numbers—it also showed in how we’re shaping the security conversation. One standout was the publication of the Security Convergence eBook , developed in partnership with ESG. This research-backed guide addressed the operational and strategic challenges of aligning application, network, and cloud security. It offered actionable insights for enterprises navigating the intersection of security domains, a challenge we consistently hear about from our customers. The eBook resonated with CISOs and security leaders tasked with unifying fragmented processes under growing compliance and performance pressures. It reaffirmed AlgoSec’s unique position—not just as a solution provider, but as a partner helping drive clarity and convergence in the face of growing complexity. Community engagement and knowledge sharing : Even as we grew, we never lost sight of the importance of community and education. In September, we launched the AlgoSec Horizon Tour , a roadshow of interactive sessions across EMEA and the U.S. aimed at sharing best practices in secure application connectivity. These workshops gave enterprise security teams a hands-on look at Horizon’s capabilities and provided a forum for us to hear feedback directly from users. The tour culminated in our annual AlgoSummit 2025 – a virtual conference we hosted on September 30th that brought together customers, partners, and industry experts. If I had to choose a proud moment from Q3, AlgoSummit 2025 would be high on the list. We facilitated deep-dive discussions on zero trust architecture , cloud security, and the future of network policy automation. It was inspiring to see our community openly exchange ideas and solutions. This summit wasn’t just a company event; it felt like an industry think-tank. It reinforced AlgoSec’s role as a trusted advisor in the field of network security, not just a product vendor. By the end of Q3, we had strengthened the bonds with our user community and showcased that as networks evolve, we’re evolving right alongside our customers – providing guidance, platform innovations, and an open ear to their needs. Recognition of customer success: On a more personal note, Q3 also brought moments that reminded us why we do what we do. I recall one customer review that particularly struck me, where a network security manager described how AlgoSec became indispensable as their organization embraced zero trust. “As we aspire to achieve zero-trust… we need tools like AlgoSec to assist us in the journey because most application owners do not know what access is needed. This tool helps them learn what needs to be implemented to reduce the attack surface,” he noted. Hearing directly from customers about how we’re helping them reduce risk and implement zero trust principles is incredibly motivating. It underscores that behind the growth statistics are real organizations becoming safer and more agile, powered by our solutions. This customer-centric ethos carried us through Q3 and into the final stretch of the year. Q4 – Culminating achievements and setting the stage for what’s next As the year drew to a close, AlgoSec showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, Q4 was about finishing strong and preparing for the future. We used the final quarter to expand our solution capabilities, help customers navigate new security paradigms, and celebrate the capstone of several achievements. It’s been a period of tying up 2025’s narrative threads and pointing our compass toward 2026. Expanding zero-trust and cloud security initiatives: In Q4, we doubled down on helping customers realize Zero Trust Architecture across their increasingly complex environments. Building on the micro-segmentation and application dependency mapping capabilities of our platform, we introduced new workflows to streamline zero-trust policy adoption. Our approach has been to make zero trust practical – ensuring that as enterprises segment their networks, they maintain clear visibility into application flows and can automate rule changes without fear of breaking things. We also expanded integrations with cloud platforms, recognizing that hybrid cloud deployments require consistent enforcement of zero-trust principles. The goal is simple: only allow what’s necessary. As one of our customers at NCR put it, “we need tools like AlgoSec… because most application owners do not know what access is needed. This tool helps them learn what needs to be implemented to reduce the attack surface.” That insight from the field echoes in our Q4 product enhancements – we focused on features that help identify and tighten overly permissive access, be it on-prem or in the cloud. Additionally, we kept an eye on emerging regulations and frameworks. With new security compliance requirements on the horizon, we ensured our solutions can automate audits and segmentation policies to keep our customers one step ahead. In short, Q4 was about reinforcing our commitment to hybrid cloud security and zero trust, so that our users can enter 2026 with confidence in their security posture. Even as 2025 ends, the wave of recognition we’ve ridden continues into Q4. I’m thrilled to share that in November, AlgoSec was named a “Trailblazing” company in Network Security and Management as part of the 2025 Top InfoSec Innovator Awards . This honor, bestowed by Cyber Defense Magazine’s panel of judges, places us among a select group of cybersecurity companies driving innovation and shaping the future of the industry. It’s a testament to our team’s hard work and our forward-thinking roadmap. Looking ahead to 2026 Reflecting on 2025, it’s clear that this year has been t ransformationa l for AlgoSec. We innovated boldly, earned trust widely, and solidified our position as the go-to partner for enterprises seeking secure, agile connectivity. The awards and recognitions were wonderful highlights – they energize us – but what truly drives our pride is knowing we helped organizations around the world accelerate their business securely . The foundations we laid this year in areas like zero trust architecture, hybrid cloud security, and intelligent policy automation have set us up for an even more impactful 2026. As we turn toward 2026, our vision is sharper than ever. We will continue to advance our platform – expect even more AI-driven insights, broader cloud integrations, and features that make managing network security policies in complex environments simpler than ever. We’ll also keep championing thought leadership through research and community engagement, because educating the market is part of our DNA. The threat landscape will undoubtedly evolve in 2026, but we plan to stay ahead of the curve , helping our customers navigate whatever comes next with confidence and clarity. On a personal note, I am incredibly grateful for the dedication of our team and the unwavering support of our AlgoSec community. It’s your feedback and your challenges that inspire our innovations. This year we’ve seen what we can achieve together – from launching Horizon to embracing zero trust, from winning awards to solving tough problems on the ground. 2025 has been a chapter of leadership and growth in AlgoSec’s story. Now we set our sights on writing the next chapter. With the momentum at our backs and our mission guiding us, we step into 2026 ready to continue redefining what’s possible in secure application connectivity. Here’s to another year of innovation, collaboration, and success on the horizon! Thank you for being part of our 2025 journey. We’re excited for what’s to come – and we’ll be sure to keep you posted every step of the way. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

So, you’ve dipped your toes into the cloud, chasing after that sweet combo of efficiency, scalability, and innovation. But, hold up –... Application Connectivity Management Unlocking the secrets of a rock-solid cloud security game plan Malynnda Littky-Porath 2 min read Malynnda Littky-Porath Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/13/23 Published So, you’ve dipped your toes into the cloud, chasing after that sweet combo of efficiency, scalability, and innovation. But, hold up – with great power comes great responsibility. It’s time to build up those digital defenses against all the lurking risks that come with the cloud craze. Since we’re all jumping headfirst into cloud computing, let’s talk about some killer moves and strategies that can turn your organization into a fortress of cloud security, ready to take on anything. Mastering the Cloud Security Playground Picture this: you’re in a race to grab the transformative benefits of the cloud, and every step forward is like leveling up. Sounds cool, right? But, before you go all in, you need to get the lowdown on the constantly changing world of cloud security. Picking Your Defender: What Cloud Providers Bring to the Table Choosing a cloud provider is like choosing your champion. Think AWS, GCP, Azure – these giants are committed to providing you with a secure playground. They’ve got this crazy mix of cutting-edge security tech and artificial intelligence that builds a solid foundation. And guess what? Diversifying your cloud playground can be a power move. Many smart organizations go for a multi-cloud setup, and tools like AlgoSec make it a breeze to manage security across all your cloud domains. The Hybrid Puzzle: Where Security Meets the Unknown Okay, let’s talk about the big debate – going all-in on the cloud versus having a foot in both worlds. It’s not just a tech decision; it’s like choosing your organization’s security philosophy. Keeping some stuff on-premises is like having a security safety net. To navigate this mixed-up world successfully, you need a security strategy that brings everything together. Imagine having a magic lens that gives you a clear view of everything – risks, compliance, and automated policies. That’s the compass guiding your ship through the hybrid storm. A Master Plan for Safe Cloud Travels In this digital universe where data and applications are buzzing around like crazy, moving to the cloud needs more than just a casual stroll. It needs a well-thought-out plan with security as the VIP guest. App Connections: The Soul of Cloud Migration Apps are like the lifeblood of your organization, and moving them around recklessly is a big no-no. Imagine teaming up with buddies like Cisco Secure Workload, Illumio, and Guardicore. Together, they map out your apps, reveal their relationships, and lay down policies. This means you can make smart moves that keep your apps happy and safe. The Perfect Move: Nailing the Application Switch When you’re moving apps , it’s all about precision – like conducting a symphony. Don’t get tangled up between the cloud and your old-school setup. The secret? Move the heavy-hitters together to keep everything smooth, just like a perfectly choreographed dance. Cleaning House: Getting Rid of Old Habits Before you let the cloud into your life, do a little Marie Kondo on your digital space. Toss out those old policies, declutter the legacy baggage, and create a clean slate. AlgoSec is all about minimizing risks – tune, optimize, and refine your policies for a fresh start. Think of it as a digital spring-cleaning that ensures your cloud journey is free from the ghosts of the past. The Cloud’s Secure Horizon As we venture deeper into the digital unknown, cloud security becomes a challenge and a golden opportunity. Every step towards a cloud-fueled future is a call to arms. It’s a call to weave security into the very fabric of our cloud adventures. Embrace the best practices, charge ahead with a kick-butt strategy, and make sure the cloud’s promise of a brighter tomorrow is backed up by an ironclad commitment to security. Now, that’s how you level up in the cloud game! Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

In today’s digital world, is your data 100% secure? As more people and businesses use cloud services to handle their data,... Cloud Security Your Complete Guide to Cloud Security Architecture Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/4/23 Published In today’s digital world, is your data 100% secure? As more people and businesses use cloud services to handle their data, vulnerabilities multiply. Around six out of ten companies have moved to the cloud, according to Statista . So keeping data safe is now a crucial concern for most large companies – in 2022, the average data leak cost companies $4.35 million . This is where cloud security architecture comes in. Done well, it protects cloud-based data from hackers, leaks, and other online threats. To give you a thorough understanding of cloud security architecture, we’ll look at; What cloud security architecture is The top risks for your cloud How to build your cloud security How to choose a CPSM (Cloud Security Posture Management) tool Let’s jump in What is cloud security architecture? Let’s start with a definition: “Cloud security architecture is the umbrella term used to describe all hardware, software and infrastructure that protects the cloud environment and its components, such as data, workloads, containers, virtual machines and APIs.” ( source ) Cloud security architecture is a framework to protect data stored or used in the cloud. It includes ways to keep data safe, such as controlling access, encrypting sensitive information, and ensuring the network is secure. The framework has to be comprehensive because the cloud can be vulnerable to different types of attacks. Three key principles behind cloud security Although cloud security sounds complex, it can be broken down into three key ideas. These are known as the ‘CIA triad’, and they are; Confidentiality Integrity Availability ‘The CIA Triad’ Image source Confidentiality Confidentiality is concerned with data protection. If only the correct people can access important information, breaches will be reduced. There are many ways to do this, like encryption, access control, and user authentication. Integrity Integrity means making sure data stays accurate throughout its lifecycle. Organizations can use checksums and digital signatures to ensure that data doesn’t get changed or deleted. These protect against data corruption and make sure that information stays reliable. Availability Availability is about ensuring data and resources are available when people need them. To do this, you need a robust infrastructure and ways to switch to backup systems when required. Availability also means designing systems that can handle ‘dos attacks’ and will interrupt service. However, these three principles are just the start of a strong cloud infrastructure. The next step is for the cloud provider and customer to understand their security responsibilities. A model developed to do this is called the ‘Shared Responsibility Model.’ Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model Big companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform offer public cloud services. These companies have a culture of being security-minded , but security isn’t their responsibility alone. Companies that use these services also share responsibility for handling data. The division of responsibility depends on the service model a customer chooses. This division led Amazon AWS to create a ‘shared responsibility model’ that outlines these. Image Source There are three main kinds of cloud service models and associated duties: 1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), 2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) 3. Software as a Service (SaaS). Each type gives different levels of control and flexibility. 1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) With IaaS, the provider gives users virtual servers, storage, and networking resources. Users control operating systems, but the provider manages the basic infrastructure. Customers must have good security measures, like access controls and data encryption. They also need to handle software updates and security patches. 2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) PaaS lets users create and run apps without worrying about having hardware on-premises. The provider handles infrastructure like servers, storage, and networking. Customers still need to control access and keep data safe. 3. Software as a Service (SaaS) SaaS lets users access apps without having to manage any software themselves. The provider handles everything, like updates, security, and basic infrastructure. Users can access the software through their browser and start using it immediately. But customers still need to manage their data and ensure secure access. Top six cybersecurity risks As more companies move their data and apps to the cloud, there are more chances for security to occur. Although cybersecurity risks change over time , some common cloud security risks are: 1. Human error 99% of all cloud security incidents from now until 2025 are expected to result from human error. Errors can be minor, like using weak passwords or accidentally sharing sensitive information. They can also be bigger, like setting up security incorrectly. To lower the risk of human error, organizations can take several actions. For example, educating employees, using automation, and having good change management procedures. 2. Denial-of-service attacks DoS attacks stop a service from working by sending too many requests. This can make essential apps, data, and resources unavailable in the cloud. DDoS attacks are more advanced than DoS attacks, and can be very destructive. To protect against these attacks, organizations should use cloud-based DDoS protection. They can also install firewalls and intrusion prevention systems to secure cloud resources. 3. Hardware strength The strength of the physical hardware used for cloud services is critical. Companies should look carefully at their cloud service providers (CSPs) hardware offering. Users can also use special devices called hardware security modules (HSMs). These are used to protect encryption codes and ensure data security. 4. Insider attacks Insider attacks could be led by current or former employees, or key service providers. These are incredibly expensive, costing companies $15.38 million on average in 2021 . To stop these attacks, organizations should have strict access control policies. These could include checking access regularly and watching for strange user behavior. They should also only give users access to what they need for their job. 5. Shadow IT Shadow IT is when people use unauthorized apps, devices, or services. Easy-to-use cloud services are an obvious cause of shadow IT. This can lead to data breaches , compliance issues, and security problems. Organizations should have clear rules about using cloud services. All policies should be run through a centralized IT control to handle this. 6. Cloud edge When we process data closer to us, rather than in a data center, we refer to the data as being in the cloud edge. The issue? The cloud edge can be attacked more easily. There are simply more places to attack, and sensitive data might be stored in less secure spots. Companies should ensure security policies cover edge devices and networks. They should encrypt all data, and use the latest application security patches. Six steps to secure your cloud Now we know the biggest security risks, we can look at how to secure our cloud architecture against them. An important aspect of cloud security practices is managing access your cloud resources. Deciding who can access and what they can do can make a crucial difference to security. Identity and Access Management (IAM) security models can help with this. Companies can do this by controlling user access based on roles and responsibilities. Security requirements of IAM include: 1. Authentication Authentication is simply checking user identity when they access your data. At a superficial level, this means asking for a username and password. More advanced methods include multi-factor authentication for apps or user segmentation. Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide two or more types of proof. 2. Authorization Authorization means allowing access to resources based on user roles and permissions. This ensures that users can only use the data and services they need for their job. Limiting access reduces the risk of unauthorized users. Role-based access control (RBAC) is one way to do this in a cloud environment. This is where users are granted access based on their job roles. 3. Auditing Auditing involves monitoring and recording user activities in a cloud environment. This helps find possible security problems and keeps an access log. Organizations can identify unusual patterns or suspicious behavior by regularly reviewing access logs. 4. Encryption at rest and in transit Data at rest is data when it’s not being used, and data in transit is data being sent between devices or users. Encryption is a way to protect data from unauthorized access. This is done by converting it into a code that can only be read by someone with the right key to unlock it. When data is stored in the cloud, it’s important to encrypt it to protect it from prying eyes. Many cloud service providers have built-in encryption features for data at rest. For data in transit, encryption methods like SSL/TLS help prevent interception. This ensures that sensitive information remains secure as it moves across networks. 5. Network security and firewalls Good network security controls are essential for keeping a cloud environment safe. One of the key network security measures is using firewalls to control traffic. Firewalls are gatekeepers, blocking certain types of connections based on rules. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) are another important network security tool. IDPS tools watch network traffic for signs of bad activity, like hacking or malware. They then can automatically block or alert administrators about potential threats. This helps organizations respond quickly to security incidents and minimize damage. 6. Versioning and logging Versioning is tracking different versions of cloud resources, like apps and data. This allows companies to roll back to a previous version in case of a security incident or data breach. By maintaining a version history, organizations can identify and address security vulnerabilities. How a CSPM can help protect your cloud security A Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tool helpful to safeguard cloud security. These security tools monitor your cloud environment to find and fix potential problems. Selecting the right one is essential for maintaining the security of your cloud. A CSPM tool like Prevasio management service can help you and your cloud environment. It can provide alerts, notifying you of any concerns with security policies. This allows you to address problems quickly and efficiently. Here are some of the features that Prevasio offers: Agentless CSPM solution Secure multi-cloud environments within 3 minutes Coverage across multi-cloud, multi-accounts, cloud-native services, and cloud applications Prioritized risk list based on CIS benchmarks Uncover hidden backdoors in container environments Identify misconfigurations and security threats Dynamic behavior analysis for container security issues Static analysis for container vulnerabilities and malware All these allow you to fix information security issues quickly to avoid data loss. Investing in a reliable CSPM tool is a wise decision for any company that relies on cloud technology. Final Words As the cloud computing security landscape evolves, so must cloud security architects. All companies need to be proactive in addressing their data vulnerabilities. Advanced security tools such as Prevasio make protecting cloud environments easier. Having firm security policies avoids unnecessary financial and reputational risk. This combination of strict rules and effective tools is the best way to stay secure. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Cloud-native organizations need an efficient and automated way to identify the security risks across their cloud infrastructure. Sergei... Cloud Security CSPM essentials – what you need to know? Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 11/24/22 Published Cloud-native organizations need an efficient and automated way to identify the security risks across their cloud infrastructure. Sergei Shevchenko, Prevasio’s Co-Founder & CTO breaks down the essence of a CSPM and explains how CSPM platforms enable organizations to improve their cloud security posture and prevent future attacks on their cloud workloads and applications. In 2019, Gartner recommended that enterprise security and risk management leaders should invest in CSPM tools to “proactively and reactively identify and remediate these risks”. By “these”, Gartner meant the risks of successful cyberattacks and data breaches due to “misconfiguration, mismanagement, and mistakes” in the cloud. So how can you detect these intruders now and prevent them from entering your cloud environment in future? Cloud Security Posture Management is one highly effective way but is often misunderstood. Cloud Security: A real-world analogy There are many solid reasons for organizations to move to the cloud. Migrating from a legacy, on-premises infrastructure to a cloud-native infrastructure can lower IT costs and help make teams more agile. Moreover, cloud environments are more flexible and scalable than on-prem environments, which helps to enhance business resilience and prepares the organization for long-term opportunities and challenges. That said, if your production environment is in the cloud, it is also prone to misconfiguration errors, which opens the firm to all kinds of security threats and risks. Think of this environment as a building whose physical security is your chief concern. If there are gaps in this security, for example, a window that doesn’t close all the way or a lock that doesn’t work properly, you will try to fix them on priority in order to prevent unauthorized or malicious actors from accessing the building. But since this building is in the cloud, many older security mechanisms will not work for you. Thus, simply covering a hypothetical window or installing an additional hypothetical lock cannot guarantee that an intruder won’t ever enter your cloud environment. This intruder, who may be a competitor, enemy spy agency, hacktivist, or anyone with nefarious intentions, may try to access your business-critical services or sensitive data. They may also try to persist inside your environment for weeks or months in order to maintain access to your cloud systems or applications. Old-fashioned security measures cannot keep these bad guys out. They also cannot prevent malicious outsiders or worse, insiders from cryptojacking your cloud resources and causing performance problems in your production environment. What a CSPM is The main purpose of a CSPM is to help organizations minimize risk by providing cloud security automation, ensuring multi-cloud environments remain secure as they grow in scale and complexity. But, as organizations reach scale and add more complexity to their multi- cloud cloud environment, how can CSPMs help companies minimize such risks and better protect their cloud environments? Think of a CSPM as a building inspector who visits the building regularly (say, every day, or several times a day) to inspect its doors, windows, and locks. He may also identify weaknesses in these elements and produce a report detailing the gaps. The best, most experienced inspectors will also provide recommendations on how you can resolve these security issues in the fastest possible time. Similar to the role of a building inspector, CSPM provides organizations with the tools they need to secure your multi-cloud environment efficiently in a way that scales more readily than manual processes as your cloud deployments grow. Here are some CSPM key benefits: Efficient early detection: A CSPM tool allows you to automatically and continuously monitor your cloud environment. It will scan your cloud production environment to detect misconfiguration errors, raise alerts, and even predict where these errors may appear next. Responsive risk remediation: With a CSPM in your cloud security stack, you can also automatically remediate security risks and hidden threats, thus shortening remediation timelines and protecting your cloud environment from threat actors. Consistent compliance monitoring: CSPMs also support automated compliance monitoring, meaning they continuously review your environment for adherence to compliance policies. If they detect drift (non-compliance), appropriate corrective actions will be initiated automatically. What a CSPM is not Using the inspector analogy, it’s important to keep in mind that a CSPM can only act as an observer, not a doer. Thus, it will only assess the building’s security environment and call out its weakness. It won’t actually make any changes himself, say, by doing intrusive testing. Even so, a CSPM can help you prevent 80% of misconfiguration-related intrusions into your cloud environment. What about the remaining 20%? For this, you need a CSPM that offers something container scanning. Why you need an agentless CSPM across your multi-cloud environment If your network is spread over a multi-cloud environment, an agentless CSPM solution should be your optimal solution. Here are three main reasons in support of this claim: 1. Closing misconfiguration gaps: It is especially applicable if you’re looking to eliminate misconfigurations across all your cloud accounts, services, and assets. 2. Ensuring continuous compliance: It also detects compliance problems related to three important standards: HIPAA, PCI DSS, and CIS. All three are strict standards with very specific requirements for security and data privacy. In addition, it can detect compliance drift from the perspectives of all three standards, thus giving you the peace of mind that your multi-cloud environment remains consistently compliant. 3. Comprehensive container scanning: An agentless CSPM can scan container environments to uncover hidden backdoors. Through dynamic behavior analyses, it can detect new threats and supply chain attack risks in cloud containers. It also performs container security static analyses to detect vulnerabilities and malware, thus providing a deep cloud scan – that too in just a few minutes. Why Prevasio is your ultimate agentless CSPM solution Multipurpose: Prevasio combines the power of a traditional CSPM with regular vulnerability assessments and anti-malware scans for your cloud environment and containers. It also provides a prioritized risk list according to CIS benchmarks, so you can focus on the most critical risks and act quickly to adequately protect your most valuable cloud assets. User friendly: Prevasio’s CSPM is easy to use and easier still to set up. You can connect your AWS account to Prevasio in just 7 mouse clicks and 30 seconds. Then start scanning your cloud environment immediately to uncover misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, or malware. Built for scale: Prevasio’s CSPM is the only solution that can scan cloud containers and provide more comprehensive cloud security configuration management with vulnerability and malware scans. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

How To Reduce Attack Surface: 6 Proven Tactics Security-oriented organizations continuously identify, monitor, and manage... Cyber Attacks & Incident Response How To Reduce Attack Surface: 6 Proven Tactics Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/20/23 Published How To Reduce Attack Surface: 6 Proven Tactics Security-oriented organizations continuously identify, monitor, and manage internet-connected assets to protect them from emerging attack vectors and potential vulnerabilities. Security teams go through every element of the organization’s security posture – from firewalls and cloud-hosted assets to endpoint devices and entry points – looking for opportunities to reduce security risks. This process is called attack surface management. It provides a comprehensive view into the organization’s cybersecurity posture, with a neatly organized list of entry points, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses that hackers could exploit in a cyberattack scenario. Attack surface reduction is an important element of any organization’s overall cybersecurity strategy. Security leaders who understand the organization’s weaknesses can invest resources into filling the most critical gaps first and worrying about low-priority threats later. What assets make up your organization’s attack surface? Your organization’s attack surface is a detailed list of every entry point and vulnerability that an attacker could exploit to gain unauthorized access. The more entry points your network has, the larger its attack surface will be. Most security leaders divide their attention between two broad types of attack surfaces: The digital attack surface This includes all network equipment and business assets used to transfer, store, and communicate information. It is susceptible to phishing attempts , malware risks, ransomware attacks, and data breaches. Cybercriminals may infiltrate these kinds of assets by bypassing technical security controls, compromising unsecured apps or APIs, or guessing weak passwords. The physical attack surface This includes business assets that employees, partners, and customers interact with physically. These might include hardware equipment located inside data centers and USB access points. Even access control systems for office buildings and other non-cyber threats may be included. These assets can play a role in attacks that involve social engineering, insider threats, and other malicious actors who work in-person. Even though both of these attack surfaces are distinct, many of their security vulnerabilities and potential entry points overlap in real-life threat scenarios. For example, thieves might steal laptops from an unsecured retail location and leverage sensitive data on those devices to launch further attacks against the organization’s digital assets. Organizations that take steps to minimize their attack surface area can reduce the risks associated with this kind of threat. Known Assets, Unknown Assets, and Rogue Assets All physical and digital business assets fall into one of three categories: Known assets are apps, devices, and systems that the security team has authorized to connect to the organization’s network. These assets are included in risk assessments and they are protected by robust security measures, like network segmentation and strict permissions. Unknown assets include systems and web applications that the security team is not aware of. These are not authorized to access the network and may represent a serious security threat. Shadow IT applications may be part of this category, as well as employee-owned mobile devices storing sensitive data and unsecured IoT devices. Rogue assets connect to the network without authorization, but they are known to security teams. These may include unauthorized user accounts, misconfigured assets, and unpatched software. A major part of properly managing your organization’s attack surface involves the identification and remediation of these risks. Attack Vectors Explained: Minimize Risk by Following Potential Attack Paths When conducting attack surface analysis, security teams have to carefully assess the way threat actors might discover and compromise the organization’s assets while carrying out their attack. This requires the team to combine elements of vulnerability management with risk management , working through the cyberattack kill chain the way a hacker might. Some cybercriminals leverage technical vulnerabilities in operating systems and app integrations. Others prefer to exploit poor identity access management policies, or trick privileged employees into giving up their authentication credentials. Many cyberattacks involve multiple steps carried out by different teams of threat actors. For example, one hacker may specialize in gaining initial access to secured networks while another focuses on using different tools to escalate privileges. To successfully reduce your organization’s attack surface, you must follow potential attacks through these steps and discover what their business impact might be. This will provide you with the insight you need to manage newly discovered vulnerabilities and protect business assets from cyberattack. Some examples of common attack vectors include: API vulnerabilities. APIs allow organizations to automate the transfer of data, including scripts and code, between different systems. Many APIs run on third-party servers managed by vendors who host and manage the software for customers. These interfaces can introduce vulnerabilities that internal security teams aren’t aware of, reducing visibility into the organization’s attack surface. Unsecured software plugins. Plugins are optional add-ons that enhance existing apps by providing new features or functionalities. They are usually made by third-party developers who may require customers to send them data from internal systems. If this transfer is not secured, hackers may intercept it and use that information to attack the system. Unpatched software. Software developers continuously release security patches that address emerging threats and vulnerabilities. However, not all users implement these patches the moment they are released. This delay gives attackers a key opportunity to learn about the vulnerability (which is as easy as reading the patch changelog) and exploit it before the patch is installed. Misconfigured security tools. Authentication systems, firewalls, and other security tools must be properly configured in order to produce optimal security benefits. Attackers who discover misconfigurations can exploit those weaknesses to gain entry to the network. Insider threats. This is one of the most common attack vectors, yet it can be the hardest to detect. Any employee entrusted with sensitive data could accidentally send it to the wrong person, resulting in a data breach. Malicious insiders may take steps to cover their tracks, using their privileged permissions and knowledge of the organization to go unnoticed. 6 Tactics for Reducing Your Attack Surface 1. Implement Zero Trust The Zero Trust security model assumes that data breaches are inevitable and may even have already occurred. This adds new layers to the problems that attack surface management resolves, but it can dramatically improve overall resilience and preparedness. When you develop your security policies using the Zero Trust framework, you impose strong limits on what hackers can and cannot do after gaining initial access to your network. Zero Trust architecture blocks attackers from conducting lateral movement, escalating their privileges, and breaching critical data. For example, IoT devices are a common entry point into many networks because they don’t typically benefit from the same level of security that on-premises workstations receive. At the same time, many apps and systems are configured to automatically trust connections from internet-enabled sensors and peripheral devices. Under a Zero Trust framework, these connections would require additional authentication. The systems they connect to would also need to authenticate themselves before receiving data. Multi-factor authentication is another part of the Zero Trust framework that can dramatically improve operational security. Without this kind of authentication in place, most systems have to accept that anyone with the right username and password combination must be a legitimate user. In a compromised credential scenario, this is obviously not the case. Organizations that develop network infrastructure with Zero Trust principles in place are able to reduce the number of entry points their organization exposes to attackers and reduce the value of those entry points. If hackers do compromise parts of the network, they will be unable to quickly move between different segments of the network, and may be unable to stay unnoticed for long. 2. Remove Unnecessary Complexity Unknown assets are one of the main barriers to operational security excellence. Security teams can’t effectively protect systems, apps, and users they don’t have detailed information on. Any rogue or unknown assets the organization is responsible for are almost certainly attractive entry points for hackers. Arbitrarily complex systems can be very difficult to document and inventory properly . This is a particularly challenging problem for security leaders working for large enterprises that grow through acquisitions. Managing a large portfolio of acquired companies can be incredibly complex, especially when every individual company has its own security systems, tools, and policies to take into account. Security leaders generally don’t have the authority to consolidate complex systems on their own. However, you can reduce complexity and simplify security controls throughout the environment in several key ways: Reduce the organization’s dependence on legacy systems. End-of-life systems that no longer receive maintenance and support should be replaced with modern equivalents quickly. Group assets, users, and systems together. Security groups should be assigned on the basis of least privileged access, so that every user only has the minimum permissions necessary to achieve their tasks. Centralize access control management. Ad-hoc access control management quickly leads to unknown vulnerabilities and weaknesses popping up unannounced. Implement a robust identity access management system so you can create identity-based policies for managing user access. 3. Perform Continuous Vulnerability Monitoring Your organization’s attack surface is constantly changing. New threats are emerging, old ones are getting patched, and your IT environment is supporting new users and assets on a daily basis. Being able to continuously monitor these changes is one of the most important aspects of Zero Trust architecture . The tools you use to support attack surface management should also generate alerts when assets get exposed to known risks. They should allow you to confirm the remediation of detected risks, and provide ample information about the risks they uncover. Some of the things you can do to make this happen include: Investing in a continuous vulnerability monitoring solution. Vulnerability scans are useful for finding out where your organization stands at any given moment. Scheduling these scans to occur at regular intervals allows you to build a standardized process for vulnerability monitoring and remediation. Building a transparent network designed for visibility. Your network should not obscure important security details from you. Unfortunately, this is what many third-party security tools and services achieve. Make sure both you and your third-party security partners are invested in building observability into every aspect of your network. Prioritize security expenditure based on risk. Once you can observe the way users, data, and assets interact on the network, you can begin prioritizing security initiatives based on their business impact. This allows you to focus on high-risk tasks first. 4. Use Network Segmentation to Your Advantage Network segmentation is critical to the Zero Trust framework. When your organization’s different subnetworks are separated from one another with strictly protected boundaries, it’s much harder for attackers to travel laterally through the network. Limiting access between parts of the network helps streamline security processes while reducing risk. There are several ways you can segment your network. Most organizations already perform some degree of segmentation by encrypting highly classified data. Others enforce network segmentation principles when differentiating between production and live development environments. But in order for organizations to truly benefit from network segmentation, security leaders must carefully define boundaries between every segment and enforce authentication policies designed for each boundary. This requires in-depth knowledge of the business roles and functions of the users who access those segments, and the ability to configure security tools to inspect and enforce access control rules. For example, any firewall can block traffic between two network segments. A next-generation firewall can conduct identity-based inspection that allows traffic from authorized users through – even if they are using mobile devices the firewall has never seen before. 5. Implement a Strong Encryption Policy Encryption policies are an important element of many different compliance frameworks . HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and many other regulatory frameworks specify particular encryption policies that organizations must follow to be compliant. These standards are based on the latest research in cryptographic security and threat intelligence reports that outline hackers’ capabilities. Even if your organization is not actively seeking regulatory compliance, you should use these frameworks as a starting point for building your own encryption policy. Your organization’s risk profile is largely the same whether you seek regulatory certification or not – and accidentally deploying outdated encryption policies can introduce preventable vulnerabilities into an otherwise strong security posture. Your organization’s encryption policy should detail every type of data that should be encrypted and the cipher suite you’ll use to encrypt that data. This will necessarily include critical assets like customer financial data and employee payroll records, but it also includes relatively low-impact assets like public Wi-Fi connections at retail stores. In each case, you must implement a modern cipher suite that meets your organization’s security needs and replace legacy devices that do not support the latest encryption algorithms. This is particularly important in retail and office settings, where hardware routers, printers, and other devices may no longer support secure encryption. 6. Invest in Employee Training To truly build security resilience into any company culture, it’s critical to explain why these policies must be followed, and what kinds of threats they address. One of the best ways to administer standardized security compliance training is by leveraging a corporate learning platform across the organization, so that employees can actually internalize these security policies through scenario based training courses. It’s especially valuable in organizations suffering from consistent shadow IT usage. When employees understand the security vulnerabilities that shadow IT introduces into the environment, they’re far less likely to ignore security policies for the sake of convenience. Security simulations and awareness campaigns can have a significant impact on training initiatives. When employees know how to identify threat actors at work, they are much less likely to fall victim to them. However, actually achieving meaningful improvement may require devoting a great deal of time and energy into phishing simulation exercises over time – not everyone is going to get it right in the first month or two. These initiatives can also provide clear insight and data on how prepared your employees are overall. This data can make a valuable contribution to your attack surface reduction campaign. You may be able to pinpoint departments – or even individual users – who need additional resources and support to improve their resilience against phishing and social engineering attacks. Successfully managing this aspect of your risk assessment strategy will make it much harder for hackers to gain control of privileged administrative accounts. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? 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