Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) vs Cloud Governance
Cloud computing is transforming the way organizations conduct business. With its scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency, cloud computing is fast becoming the de-facto model for companies looking to create a competitive edge. However, with the advantages of cloud comes the added responsibility to ensure compliance, security, and risk management. Two important concepts have emerged to address these challenges - Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud Governance.
What is Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)?
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is a process of continuously monitoring cloud infrastructure for compliance with security policies and regulations. The idea behind CSPM is to identify security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, thus reducing the risk of data breaches and non-compliance fines. CSPM tools use AI/ML algorithms to analyze cloud infrastructures and detect risks, compliance violations, and misconfigurations.
What is Cloud Governance?
Cloud Governance refers to the set of policies, procedures, and practices that organizations use to ensure effective and efficient management of their cloud environments. Cloud Governance is designed to balance innovation and risk while optimizing cloud usage for business outcomes. Cloud Governance includes various elements such as cost management, service-level agreements, compliance management, security management, identity and access management, etc.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) vs Cloud Governance
While Cloud Security Posture Management and Cloud Governance sound similar, they address different aspects of cloud management. CSPM is focused on security; on the other hand, Cloud Governance is a comprehensive framework that can include various elements, including security.
CSPM tools operate at the infrastructure level and are primarily designed to ensure compliance with security policies and reduce the risk of data breaches. CSPM tools provide real-time monitoring, automated risk detection and mitigation, and generate actionable insights. CSPM tools are relatively new, and the market is growing at a rapid pace. According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the CSPM market is expected to grow from USD 4.0 billion in 2020 to USD 9.0 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.6% during the forecast period.
On the other hand, Cloud Governance is a holistic approach to cloud management, which includes several elements beyond security. Cloud Governance involves policy creation, compliance management, cost optimization, resource alignment, etc. Cloud Governance is focused on aligning cloud usage with business outcomes while balancing innovation and risk.
Conclusion
CSPM and Cloud Governance are two essential components of cloud management. CSPM is focused on security while Cloud Governance is a comprehensive framework that includes various elements of cloud management. CSPM tools are relatively new and growing at a rapid pace, while Cloud Governance is a well-established concept. The goal of CSPM is to detect security risks and mitigate them, while the goal of Cloud Governance is to balance innovation and risk while optimizing cloud usage for business outcomes.