Advantages of CASB: Optimal grip and control over safe SaaS usage

Advantages of CASB: Optimal grip and control over safe SaaS usage

The increasing adoption of SaaS applications and multi-cloud environments within many organizations has brought new risks with it.  

The Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) ensures that organizations strengthen their security position by managing the risk of SaaS applications.

This blog is about the CASB solution as part of the SASE SD-WAN from Cato Networks.

What is Cato’s CASB and what are the advantages for you?

Cato’s CASB is an integral service that can be enabled for Cato customers with just the push of a button. It ensures that IT departments within organizations get an optimal grip and control on the safe use of SaaS applications. For example, the use of unapproved applications (‘Shadow IT’) is made fully transparent since Cato’s CASB monitors these types of (potentially unwanted) SaaS applications via a Shadow IT dashboard.

Another advantage is that the application risk assessment is evaluated using Cato’s unique Application Credibility Engine (ACE). The ACE collects information about the purpose, publisher, security, and compliance of the respective application. Risks related to access are limited, due the risk score the ACE calculates. It determines the most appropriate access policies, enforced in line in real time.

What are the advantages of CASB versus stand-alone CASB solutions?

CASB is necessary to prevent cloud risks. We have written down four advantages for you that clarify our preference for Cato’s CASB.

They deal with time, effort, real-time detail and global insight into the use of ‘as a Service cloud service:

Advantage 1: Lightning-fast onboarding

We already mentioned that Cato’s CASB is an integral service that can be enabled for Cato Networks customers with just the push of a button. That’s exactly where the difference lies. A stand-alone CASB project is time-consuming. Often a learning period of a few months is required, while in the meantime the organization is still at risk: Complete mapping of the network, project planning, and implementation of .PAC files (Proxy Auto-Config Files, used by various web browsers to select a suitable proxy server), covering all risks, etc. is human labor.

What does quick and easy mean at Cato Networks CASB? No time or learning period is required. Also, planning, network changes, implementations or configurations are not required with Cato’s CASB.

Advantage 2: Very detailed rules in inline mode

Cato’s CASB allows very detailed rules in inline mode, i.e. the traffic from one internet port to another. The granularity, the degree to which detailed data is available, is usually low with stand-alone CASB. It usually requires the use of APIs in out-of-band mode, which means that real-time prevention is not possible.

Advantage 3: A wider inspection context

With a stand-alone CASB solution, there is usually only internal insights. That is not the case with Cato’s CASB. That’s because it’s a standard part of the SASE SD-WAN service, providing rich visibility into remote network and network security functions. In this way, broader inspections can be carried out and secure SaaS use can be enforced.

Advantage 4: Greater application coverage

It is not for nothing that Cato Networks is mentioned as a game changer on this peer Insights from Gartner. Full coverage of SaaS, IaaS and WAN use cases is provided, whereas with stand-alone CASB, this is often limited to IaaS capabilities. Cato’s CASB is therefore the most secure ring around all cloud applications used within organizations.

Cato Networks: The advantages of CASB at a glance

Stand-alone CASB

Onboarding: Long and complicated
‍A CASB project requires network mapping and planning to ensure all use cases are covered. The deployment process requires the deployment of PAC files and agents. On average, a learning period of up to 2 months is needed before the solution becomes effective.

Inspection context breadth: Partial
‍A stand-alone CASB solution will typically be limited to its own internal insight.

Application coverage: Limited
‍Typically supports SaaS only with limited IaaS capability.

Inline enforcement granularity: Low
‍Typically low in in-line mode. Higher granularity enforcement usually requires using APIs in out-of-band mode, which means no real-time prevention is possible.

Cato Networks CASB

Onboarding: Fast and simple
‍No planning, network changes, deployments, or configurations are needed to enable Cato’s CASB. Once enabled it becomes immediately functional with no additional learning period needed.

Inspection context breadth: Complete
‍Being part of a full SASE service, Cato’s CASB has a rich insight from other network and network security features when defining and enforcing SaaS usage.

Application coverage: Wide
‍Full coverage of SaaS, IaaS, and WAN use cases.

Inline enforcement granularity: High
‍Cato’s CASB enables highly granular rules in inline mode.

Can we help you better protect your business against SaaS and other cloud risks?

Definitely! Not only by gaining insight and control over ‘Shadow IT’ applications, but also by continuously increasing your network security.

We would be happy to discuss this important topic with you without obligation.

‍

Contact us if you are interested and book a FREE consult.