Definitive Guide To CASB - HPE Ebook PDF

Definitive Guide
TM
to
Cloud Access
Security Brokers
Visibility, Security, and Compliance for
Applications and Data in the Cloud
Jon Friedman Compliments of:

Mark Bouchard, CISSP
FOREWORD BY:
Assaf Rappaport, CEO and
Co-Founder of Adallom
About Adallom
Founded in 2012 by cyber defense veterans, Adallom is a 2014

Gartner Cool Vendor. Adallom’s cloud access security broker
delivers visibility, governance and protection for cloud applications.
Its innovative platform is simple to deploy, seamless to users, and
is available as a SaaS-based or on-premises solution. Powered
by SmartEngine™ advanced heuristics and backed by an elite
cybersecurity research team, Adallom makes it easy to protect data
in the cloud.
For more information, visit www.adallom.com or follow @adallom.
About HPE SECURITY — Data Security
HPE SECURITY — Data Security drives leadership in data-centric

security and encryption solutions. With over 80 patents and
51 years of expertise we protect the world’s largest brands and
neutralize breach impact by securing sensitive data at rest, in
use and in motion. Our solutions provide advanced encryption,
tokenization and key management that protect sensitive
data across enterprise applications, data processing IT, cloud,
payments ecosystems, mission critical transactions, storage, and
big data platforms. HPE SECURITY - Data Security solves one of
the industry’s biggest challenges: simplifying the protection of
sensitive data in even the most complex use cases.
For more information, visit www. hpe.com/go/DataSecurity and

www.voltage.com
Definitive Guide
TM
to
Cloud Access
Security Brokers
Jon Friedman
Mark Bouchard, CISSP
Foreword by Assaf Rappaport
Definitive Guide™ to Cloud Access Security Brokers
Published by:
CyberEdge Group, LLC
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Table of Contents
Foreword................................................................................................................ v
Introduction......................................................................................................... vii
Chapters at a Glance........................................................................................ vii
Helpful Icons................................................................................................... viii
Chapter 1: How Cloud Applications Change the Game for Security................ 1

The Cloud Application Tsunami........................................................................ 2
Shared Responsibility: Why You Can’t Outsource Security.............................. 2
Security Challenges for Cloud Applications...................................................... 4
Lost visibility....................................................................................... 4
Unmanaged and non-compliant devices............................................ 4
Hidden data, over-sharing, and rogue admins................................... 5
Chapter 2: Understanding Cloud Access Security Brokers.............................. 7

What is a Cloud Access Security Broker?.......................................................... 7
How CASBs Strengthen Security....................................................................... 9
Visibility............................................................................................... 9
Threat protection............................................................................... 10
Access control.....................................................................................11
Compliance and data protection........................................................ 11
Extending the Reach of Existing Security Tools..............................................12
Phased Implementation....................................................................................12
Chapter 3: Visibility........................................................................................... 13
Data, Sources, and Output................................................................................13
Data about activities...........................................................................13
Sources and output.............................................................................15
Visibility at Work..............................................................................................15
Discovery of unsanctioned applications............................................15
Users, abusers, and imposters...........................................................17
Oversharing........................................................................................17
Zombies and super admins............................................................... 18
Chapter 4: Threat Protection............................................................................ 19

How CASBs Generate Alerts.............................................................................19
Risky actions and policy violations...................................................20
Suspicious actions and security incidents ........................................21
High-impact actions...........................................................................21
Anomalous behaviors........................................................................ 22
Dynamic Analysis of Files (Sandboxing)......................................................... 22
Enforcement Actions....................................................................................... 23
Supporting Incident Response and Forensics................................................. 23
Cyber Threat Intelligence................................................................................24
Chapter 5: Access Control, Data Protection, and Compliance...........................25

Not Your Father’s Access Control.................................................................... 26
Endpoint assessment and cloud NAC............................................... 26
Data Protection, Cloud Style............................................................................ 27
Cloud DLP......................................................................................... 27
Encryption and IRM..........................................................................28
Data sharing controls........................................................................28
iv | Definitive Guide to Cloud Access Security Brokers
Compliance.......................................................................................................29
Audit trails and attestation............................................................... 29
DLP, eDiscovery, and IRM................................................................ 29
Encryption.........................................................................................30
Chapter 6: Implementing a Cloud Access Security Broker............................ 31

Interfacing with Cloud Applications.................................................................31
Deployment Mode Options.............................................................................. 32
API mode........................................................................................... 33
Proxy mode........................................................................................ 33
Hybrid mode...................................................................................... 34
Integrating with Existing Security Solutions.................................................. 34
Directories and SSO solutions.......................................................... 34
Data loss prevention.......................................................................... 35
Cloud NAC......................................................................................... 35
Sandboxing........................................................................................ 35
Encryption and IRM.......................................................................... 35
SIEM..................................................................................................36
Phased Implementation................................................................................... 36
Chapter 7: Selecting the Right Cloud Access Security Broker...................... 37

Breadth of Application Coverage..................................................................... 37
Depth of Security Controls...............................................................................38
Heuristics for Threat Protection......................................................................38
Deployment Modes..........................................................................................39
Integration with Security Solutions................................................................. 39
Cyber Intelligence for Cloud Applications......................................................40
Final Thought: Security Catches Up to the Cloud...........................................40
Foreword
T here is a commercial that always seems to come on when

I sit down to watch one of my favorite TV shows. A guy
on the screen says “the hardest part about going to the gym is
going to the gym.” That seems silly, but he has a point. People
hesitate to purchase a gym membership because they are
afraid they will never be able to get to the gym to take advan-
tage of it. (The pitchman is of course pushing a home workout
solution that eliminates that problem.)
It’s the same issue with cloud security. Just like the com-
mercial, the hardest part about moving to cloud applications
is that people are not confident they can get results without
struggling forever with the trials, tribulations and complexity
of security. I hear from customers all the time who are over-
whelmed with options and don’t know where to start.
Just like any new technology, cloud security can get in the way
of customers realizing the benefits of software-as-a-service.
The promises of cost savings and user productivity are hid-
den behind nebulous layers of unknown security risk. IT
departments and CISOs have quickly realized that the security
perimeters they’ve built up over the years are no longer rele-
vant. They’re not sure what to do next. This uncertainty either
paralyzes them or causes them to make a very uncomfortable
leap of faith into the unknown cloud.
At Adallom, we set out to make it easy to secure your data in
the cloud. We focus on flexible deployments, comprehensive
controls, and proven threat protection. Our goal is to solve
“the hardest part about securing the cloud” so that customers
can get to what they really want: using cloud applications and
taking advantage of their benefits.
We’ve built a cloud access security broker (CASB) solution
that helps you take that first step of discovering what’s being
used across your organization so you can move to identifying,
sanctioning and securing the right cloud applications for your
business. We give you tools for visibility into cloud activities,
for control over access to apps, for protection over data, and
vi | Definitive Guide to Cloud Access Security Brokers
for threat prevention. We even help you leverage your existing

security infrastructure by extending it to the cloud.
As you start out on your journey to secure your cloud applica-
tions it’s important to understand the full extent of features
that can be delivered by CASBs. As with many security solu-
tions, there are many capabilities, benefits and deployment
options. We’ve sponsored this guide to provide you with a
better understanding of CASBs.
And of course, when you’re ready to embrace cloud applica-
tions, we’re here to help.
Assaf Rappaport
CEO and Co-Founder
Adallom
Introduction
W e hope you will find this Definitive Guide to Cloud

Access Security Brokers alarming, reassuring, and
informative.
Alarming, because we highlight the many challenges

enterprises face with cloud applications: lost visibility,
unmanaged devices, users who share too many files, and
attackers who find your weakest links.
Reassuring, because we describe how cloud access security

brokers (CASBs) strengthen security in more ways than
the name implies. Certainly they help you control access to
cloud applications. But they also provide visibility into how
people and devices interact with applications and data. They
improve threat protection by alerting you to risky behaviors,
policy violations, and deviations from normal usage of cloud
applications. They help you enforce compliance with industry
regulations. They can even remove vulnerabilities and stop
threats in their tracks.
Informative, because we review issues related to selecting

and implementing a CASB, including deployment modes
(API, proxy, and hybrid), and integration with other security
technologies. Also, we describe how to extend into the cloud
your existing policies for access control, data loss prevention
(DLP), compliance, and encryption.
After you read this guide we think you will agree that no
enterprise can afford to move to cloud applications without a
CASB.
Chapters at a Glance
Chapter 1, “How Cloud Applications Change the Game
for Security,” examines the challenges facing security teams
when enterprises move to cloud applications.
Chapter 2, “Understanding Cloud Access Security

Brokers,” presents an overview of CASBs and how they
provide value in four areas of cybersecurity.
viii | Definitive Guide to Cloud Access Security Brokers
Chapter 3, “Visibility,” outlines the types of data that can be

monitored by a CASB and the insights that can be derived from
that data.
Chapter 4, “Threat Protection,” explores how a CASB

can generate alerts for security teams and how heuristics can
identify threats invisible to other security technologies.
Chapter 5, “Access Control, Data Protection, and

Compliance,” describes adaptive access control and explains
how DLP, encryption, and compliance policies can be enforced
for cloud applications.
Chapter 6, “Implementing a Cloud Access Security

Broker,” reviews integration with other security solutions as
well as architecture issues that affect the benefits a CASB can
provide.
Chapter 7, “Selecting the Right Cloud Access Security

Broker,” enumerates criteria for choosing the CASB that best
fits your organization.
Helpful Icons
TIP
Tips provide practical advice that you can apply in your own
organization.
DON’T FORGET
When you see this icon, take note as the related content
contains key information that you won’t want to forget.
CAUTION
Proceed with caution because if you don’t it may prove costly
to you and your organization.
TECH TALK
Content associated with this icon is more technical in nature
and is intended for IT practitioners.
ON THE WEB
Want to learn more? Follow the corresponding URL to
discover additional content available on the Web.
Chapter 1
How Cloud Applications

Change the Game
for Security
In this chapter
Learn why cloud application providers address only some of
your cybersecurity issues
Review security challenges facing cloud application customers
“Student: Dr. Einstein, aren’t these the same questions

as last year’s [physics] final exam?
Einstein: Yes, but this year the answers are different.”
T he questions in cybersecurity haven’t changed: Can you

detect malicious activities, protect critical information
assets, and enforce security and compliance policies?
But you need new answers. In the emerging world of cloud-
based applications and software-as-a-service (SaaS), you face
challenges like applications you don’t manage, mobile devices
you don’t control, and end users who happily share files with
“anyone with the link.”
To set the stage for our discussion of cloud access security
brokers (CASBs), this chapter outlines the distinctive cyber-
security issues that must be addressed by enterprises using
cloud-based software like Office 365, Google Apps, Salesforce,
Box, and Dropbox, as well as internally developed applications
hosted in private clouds.
2 | Definitive Guide to Cloud Access Security Brokers
The Cloud Application Tsunami

It is clear that enterprises of all sizes are moving rapidly to
take advantage of cloud-based applications, platforms, and
services. According to industry analyst firm IDC:
;; Worldwide spending on SaaS enterprise applica-

tions is growing by 18% a year and will reach
almost $51 billion in 2018.
;; The overall market for cloud-based solutions and
platforms will grow from about $57 billion in 2014
to $127.5 billion in 2018.
The trend is being driven by enterprises seeking to reduce

costs, improve productivity and collaboration, offload server
and software management, increase application availability,
and scale by adding services and users on demand. By increas-
ing business agility, cloud applications can also increase com-
petitiveness and help enterprises bring products and services
to market faster.
ON THE WEB For background on the adoption of cloud computing, obtain
The Cloud Grows Up by connecting to: http://www.
oxfordeconomics.com/cloudgrowsup, and Preparing for the
next-generation cloud by connecting to: http://www.
economistinsights.com/technology-innovation/analysis/
preparing-next-generation-cloud-lessons-learned-and-
insights-shared.
Shared Responsibility: Why

You Can’t Outsource Security
Unfortunately, you can’t outsource cybersecurity by going to
the cloud. Cloud application vendors are committed to pro-
tecting the integrity of their applications and infrastructure.
However, they can’t control your employees, and they don’t
know enough about your users or your business to detect
abnormal behaviors or to apply your policies for security and
regulatory compliance.
Chapter 1: How Cloud Applications Change the Game for Security | 3
Your enterprise is still responsible for:
;; Protecting user credentials and access to cloud

applications
;; Deciding what information is sensitive, and enforc-
ing policies for accessing and sharing it
;; Monitoring events and behaviors to detect mali-
cious activities
;; Documenting compliance with regulations and
industry standards
TIP Review the license agreements of your SaaS vendors. How do

they define their responsibilities and yours? Here is an exam-
ple from the Google Apps terms of service: “Customer will use
commercially reasonable efforts to prevent unauthorized use
of the Services and to terminate any unauthorized use.
Customer will promptly notify Google of any unauthorized use
of or access to the Services…”
Now let’s look at the issues that make your part of the security
equation so difficult.
Who watches grandma’s necklace?

You want to celebrate the college Moreover, it isn’t the bank’s job
graduation of your favorite niece to monitor your niece’s behavior
by giving her the use of your late and determine if she is acting
grandmother’s heirloom emerald responsibly. The bank can’t stop
necklace. You prudently rent a safe her from taking the emeralds to
deposit box at the nearest bank parties every weekend or leaving
and give her the key. them in an unlocked drawer in the
apartment she shares with three
The bank will ensure that nobody
roommates.
steals the necklace by tunneling
into the vault or by forcing their In short, whether the vault is
way in with a gun. in the bank or in the cloud,
y o u s h a re re s p o n s i b i l i t y fo r
But you are out of luck if someone
security, especially aspects such
obtains the key and passes herself
a s s afe g u a rd i n g c re d e nt i a l s ,
off as your niece. Nor is the bank
protecting assets in motion and at
responsible if your niece leaves the
rest, and monitoring behavior.
necklace in her car and a criminal
steals it.
Security Challenges for

Cloud Applications
Most of today’s cybersecurity processes and tools were
developed when applications ran in local datacenters, when
endpoint devices were owned and managed by the enterprise,
and when administrators could control how files were stored,
accessed, and shared. With cloud applications, we can’t
assume any of those conditions still hold.
Lost visibility
When applications reside in corporate datacenters, enter-
prises can monitor all events and actions related to access and
activity.
But for applications hosted in the cloud, enterprises have only
as much visibility as the cloud application vendors are willing
to provide. In addition, every cloud application vendor has
its own mechanisms for authentication and access control, its
own activity monitoring capabilities, its own alerting system,
and its own audit trails.
As a result:
;; Security organizations often are unable to detect

policy violations or indicators of potential attacks.
;; Even when attacks are detected, it is difficult and
time-consuming to pull together and correlate
threat indicators and security data from multiple
applications.
Unmanaged and non-

compliant devices
When a laptop or mobile device is owned and managed by the
enterprise, administrators can ensure that it meets security
requirements such as a patched operating system, secure
browsers, and up-to-date antivirus files. They can usually limit
the installation of non-approved software, and enforce the use
of secure virtual private network (VPN) connections by remote
users.
Chapter 1: How Cloud Applications Change the Game for Security | 5
In a world of BYOD (bring your own device), users who supply

their own laptops, tablets, and smartphones feel entitled to
treat them as personal devices. They often:
;; Ignore patches and security updates
;; Install whatever apps catch their fancy, no matter

how sketchy the source
;; Share the devices with friends and family members
;; Connect to cloud applications through unsecure

WiFi hotspots and public networks
The consequences include:
;; Continual violations of corporate policies, such as

those that prohibit the download of files containing
sensitive information, or require downloaded files
to be encrypted
;; Increased risk of data leakage from compromised
endpoints
;; More opportunities for attackers to compromise
endpoints and capture credentials there
;; Mobile employees connecting to cloud applications
directly through public networks, bypassing moni-
toring and security controls
DON’T FORGET You may need to update your corporate and compliance poli-
cies to reflect cloud computing conditions. Educate your users
on those policies and the harm they can cause by violating
them.
Hidden data, over-sharing,

and rogue admins
In conventional client-server applications, most data is stored in
one or two places within the application, and administrators can
control access. But in our current world of global collaboration:
;; A single application might have separate reposi-

tories for office documents, structured data, video
files, chat sessions, social media feeds, design
documents, and software files.
;; Users storing files in cloud applications and collab-

oration services like Box and Dropbox share sensi-
tive data with people outside the organization,
and give permission to share data with “connected
apps” in the application vendor’s ecosystem.
;; To help manage cloud applications like Salesforce

and Google Apps, departments designate “adminis-
trators” who make bad security choices.
Not only is it much harder to monitor access to data, but

information sharing decisions that were once made by IT staff
have now been ceded to users and untrained administrators.
These conditions give cybercriminals and hackers an incred-
ibly rich set of targets for compromise.
ON THE WEB For quantified descriptions of risks related to cloud
applications and data sharing, connect to Adallom’s Cloud
Usage Risk Report: https://learn.adallom.com/Adallom-
Cloud-Usage-Risk-Report.html, and the Cloud Security
Alliance’s Cloud Usage: Risks and Opportunities Report:
https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/download/cloud-usage-risks-and-
opportunities-survey-report/.
The weakest links

Attackers trying to steal your 2. Compromise a home computer.
organization’s information assets will An attacker can find the identities
find your cloud application vendors of yo u r em p l oye e s on s oc i a l
a hard target. It is easier for them to: media, break into computers at
their homes (some of which will
1. Launch a phishing attack to capture
be poorly defended), and try a
credentials. According to the Verizon
“landmine” attack. That means
2015 Data Breach Investigation
planting malware on the PCs
Report, 23 percent of recipients
that steal data when employees
open phishing messages and 11
log into their cloud applications.
percent open attachments. The
(See New Zeus Variant Found
attacker can use phishing to acquire
Targeting Salesforce.com Accounts
user credentials to access your cloud
at: http://www.securityweek.com/
services. (See Amazon EC2 control
new-zeus-variant-found-targeting-
panel hack submarines hosting
salesforcecom-accounts .) The
provider at: http://searchsecurity.
attacker also might find on the PCs
techtarget.com/news/2240222992/
sensitive files that were downloaded
Amazon-EC2-control-panel-hack-
against policy.
submarines-hosting-provider.)
Chapter 2
Understanding Cloud
Access Security Brokers
In this chapter
Examine a conceptual view of a cloud access security broker
Understand four categories of security where CASBs provide
value
"Necessity is the mother of invention.”

― Plato
A new class of product has emerged to address the chal-

lenges faced by enterprises moving to cloud applications.
The analyst firm Gartner has named these solutions cloud
access security brokers (CASBs). In this chapter we provide
a high-level conceptual view of CASBs, and discuss how they
extend existing cybersecurity concepts to cloud application
environments.
What is a Cloud Access

Security Broker?
We define a cloud access security broker as:
A platform that provides visibility into cloud applications,
monitors application access and usage across multiple cloud-
based applications, and enforces policies for access control,
data protection, and compliance.
Figure 2-1: Conceptual view of a cloud access security broker
One of the primary functions of a CASB, as illustrated in

Figure 2-1, is to monitor the access of all users, from all man-
aged and unmanaged devices, to all cloud applications. The
CASB collects data related to:
;; Cloud-based applications
;; Users accessing the applications
;; Devices used to access the applications
;; Files and data being created and stored in the

applications
;; Activities related to accessing applications and
files (such as logins and session duration), related
to working with applications and files, and related
to managing permissions for access and sharing
Chapter 2: Understanding Cloud Access Security Brokers | 9
But a CASB is much more than a passive monitoring tool. It

can correlate and analyze the data it collects in order to:
;; Identify vulnerabilities and risks
;; Detect anomalous behaviors indicating attacks
;; Demonstrate compliance with policies and

regulations
A CASB can strengthen threat protection and incident

response by generating alerts when it detects risks, policy
violations, and anomalous behaviors.
Finally, a CASB can be a platform for enforcing corporate and
regulatory policies in order to:
;; Control access to applications and files
;; Control when and how files and data are shared
and downloaded
TECH TALK Figure 2-1 is a conceptual view of a CASB, but not an architec-
tural representation. CASBs can capture data from firewall
and device logs, through application APIs, and with a proxy
that scans network traffic. It is important to understand the
strengths and limitations of these methods before making
deployment and vendor selection decisions. We will discuss
architectures and deployment modes in Chapter 6.
How CASBs Strengthen Security

The capabilities of CASBs can be grouped into four categories:
visibility, threat protection, access control, and compliance.
We provide a brief overview here, and will examine the cat-
egories in depth in Chapters 3, 4, and 5.
Visibility
CASBs can provide very detailed data on which cloud-based
applications are used in the enterprise, who is accessing them,
and how they are being accessed (from what devices, when,
and where). They can also show what files are being stored,
who owns them, and how they are being accessed and shared
inside and outside the enterprise. This data can be correlated
and analyzed to help enterprises monitor user behaviors,

assess risks, manage policies, and improve security practices.
TIP Think of CASBs as a way to restore much of the visibility lost
when application activity and data are moved from the data-
center to the cloud. A CASB can identify heavily used applica-
tions and files, track trends, and identify risks such as inactive
user accounts (“zombies”) and confidential data shared with
external users. It can also “discover” cloud applications
brought into the workplace by business departments without
the knowledge and support of IT.
Threat protection
Today, most IT organizations concede that attackers will
be able to capture user credentials through spear phishing
attacks and social engineering techniques. It is therefore
critical to monitor application access and usage and detect
anomalous behaviors and indicators of attacks as soon as
possible. Yet these areas are exactly where cloud application
vendors provide the least help. That is not surprising: how is a
cloud application vendor supposed to know what is normal for
your organization and your users?
Threat protection is one area where CASBs provide services
unavailable from any other source. A CASB can observe the
activities of a user across multiple cloud applications and mul-
tiple devices, and use that data to create baselines of normal
behavior. The CASB can then generate alerts when it detects
deviations from those baselines.
The large volumes of data about applications, users, devices,
files, and activities that CASBs collect can also be extremely
valuable to incident response (IR), forensics, and risk man-
agement teams trying to reconstruct advanced, multi-stage
attacks and determine the attackers’ tactics, techniques and
procedures (TTPs).
TIP Some CASBs can be integrated with security information and
event management (SIEM) solutions. With that integration,
alerts generated by the CASB, together with related informa-
tion and “context,” are available in real time to your security
operations center (SOC) and IR teams.
Chapter 2: Understanding Cloud Access Security Brokers | 11
Access control
In the old days, access control was based on a relatively simple
question: Is this person entitled to access the corporate net-
work and the applications on it?
In a cloud computing world, the enterprise may want to base
access decisions on a more nuanced set of conditions: What
resources are safe to expose to this person (or more accu-
rately, to this set of user credentials), when requested from
this device, in this location, over this network connection?
Through “adaptive access control,” a CASB makes it feasible to
create multi-factor, granular access rules and to enforce them
consistently across a range of cloud applications.
Compliance and data protection

CASBs provide audit trails so organizations can demonstrate
that application activities, access, and file sharing comply with
corporate policies and industry standards.
They can also be used to enforce compliance requirements
and protect data using technologies such as:
;; Data loss prevention (DLP), to identify and block

the download and sharing of files containing
sensitive information like intellectual property and
personally identifiable information (PII)
;; Encryption, to ensure that files are encoded before
they are uploaded to or downloaded from the cloud
;; Information rights management (IRM), to prevent
sensitive content in documents from being copied,
printed, or otherwise distributed
A CASB can help apply sophisticated data protection rules,

for example, enforcing the encryption of files downloaded
to unmanaged devices, or blocking the sharing of files with
devices that log on from dubious geographical regions.
Extending the Reach of

Existing Security Tools
Deploying a CASB does not mean adding a new layer of tech-
nology that duplicates your current security solutions. Rather,
it can extend your existing security tools and policies into the
cloud. For example, some CASBs can:
;; Manage access to cloud applications based on

information contained in enterprise directories
about users, user groups, and roles
;; Extend existing DLP and encryption solutions
to protect files being downloaded from cloud
applications
;; Share data with SIEM systems about application
access, policy violations, and security incidents
outside the corporate network
Phased Implementation
CASB capabilities can be implemented in stages so that:
;; Monitoring of cloud application activities can be

started literally in minutes.
;; Detection of behavioral anomalies and security
violations can also be enabled out of the box.
;; Access control policies can be gradually customized
to support specific use cases.
;; Advanced controls can be put in place over time
to enforce compliance policies and automate data
protection.
This phased approach allows enterprises to realize major

benefits immediately. They can achieve early wins and avoid
the risks inherent in monolithic “big bang” implementations,
and later deploy advanced features as they are needed.
Chapter 3
Visibility
In this chapter
Understand the types of activities that can be monitored by a
cloud access security broker
Learn about the insights that can be gained and how they can
improve security
"You can observe a lot just by watching.”

― Yogi Berra
W e have said that one of the main functions of a cloud

access security broker is to monitor access and usage
across multiple cloud-based applications. But when a CASB is
monitoring, exactly what data does it collect, and how can that
information be used? What insights can you expect to gain
from visibility into user activities?
Data, Sources, and Output

Figure 3-1 shows some of the data collected by a CASB, where
it comes from, and how it can be used.
Data about activities

When Jon asks to log into Salesforce.com, or Mark tries to
download a file from Box, we generate a lot of data related to
the requestor, the “object” of the request, and the requested
action. This data can be captured by a CASB.
Figure 3-1: Data collected by a cloud access security broker
Information about the requestor might include not only

the user (Jon, Mark), but also the user’s role (analyst, vice
president of research), the device (Jon’s laptop, Mark’s smart-
phone), and the IP address and location where the request
was made.
The request will relate to an object or entity, in most cases an
application, directory, file, or field of data.
The request will involve an action that the user wants to carry
out. This might be to:
;; Log into or log out of an application
;; Access a directory or file
;; Create, modify, or delete a directory, file, or data

field
;; Upload or download a file
;; Share a directory or file with other users
;; Perform an administrative action, such as changing

access permissions for a directory or file
;; Perform a transaction in an application
Chapter 3: Visibility | 15
Sources and output

The primary sources of data for a CASB are:
;; Network devices such as firewalls, next-generation

firewalls (NGFWs), secure web gateways (SWGs),
and proxies, which provide information on what
cloud applications users are accessing
;; Cloud applications, which record data on users,
requested actions, and the results of requests (e.g.,
Did the login request succeed or fail? Was the file
edited? Were the file permissions changed?)
;; A CASB proxy, which directly monitors applica-
tion access and activities (CASB proxies will be
discussed in Chapter 6)
A CASB can produce output in many forms, including:
;; Dashboards, which highlight key issues and trends
;; Logs and audit trails, which provide detailed infor-

mation for compliance audits, incident response,
forensics, and risk management
;; Standard and custom reports
;; Databases used for queries and advanced analytics
TIP Dashboards are a good place to start when you are learning
about a CASB. The dashboard will give you a quick read on the
current status of all cloud applications being monitored and
protected.
Visibility at Work
Let’s look at some of the insights we can find in this data.
Discovery of unsanctioned
applications
A CASB can provide visibility into cloud applications that are
unsanctioned by the IT organization. These applications can
pose major security risks because they lack security features,
or simply because they are unmonitored.
The IT organization can use a CASB to rein in “shadow IT”

applications using a three-step process:
1. Discover unsanctioned cloud applications, including

applications being used, the number of users, and the
amount of usage
2. Categorize the applications into those that should be
banned (because they create significant risks), those
that can be ignored (because they are rarely used or
pose no risk), and those that should be sanctioned and
supported by the IT organization
3. Protect the sanctioned cloud applications by monitor-
ing them and enforcing policies with the CASB
TIP Some CASBs provide extensive information on the security
features and weaknesses of popular cloud applications. This
information can be used to show business managers why their
unsanctioned applications are a bad idea, and to help enter-
prises select more secure cloud application vendors.
TECH TALK A CASB can also discover "connected" third-party applications
accessing data in sanctioned cloud applications. For example,
a group of Google Apps users might grant an unsanctioned
third-party application permission to access their Gmail
accounts and the files they store in Google Drive. A CASB
could identify the application, the users employing it, and the
permissions they granted. If the access created significant
risks, the CASB could block the unsanctioned application from
accessing data in Google Apps.
When information hides in applications

A CASB can also discover information and in Knowledgebase articles.
and files stored in unexpected That same information might also
corners of cloud applications. be distributed on Community
Cloud, or shared with apps on
Do you manage customer
Salesforce AppExchange (https://
relationships with Salesforce?
appexchange.salesforce.com/).
Sensitive company and customer
A CASB can provide visibility into
information is probably stored in
where the information is hiding and
customer records and attachments
how it is being shared.
in the CRM system, in Chatter files,
Chapter 3: Visibility | 17
Users, abusers, and imposters

A CASB can provide detailed information about usage trends
for cloud applications, including which applications are being
used, who is accessing each application, and how rapidly cloud
application usage is growing. This data can help you under-
stand user needs and plan for future requirements.
In addition, a CASB can identify users who indulge in risky
practices. Bad behaviors include downloading files with sensi-
tive data to unmanaged devices (such as home PCs), sharing
sensitive files publicly, and authenticating directly to cloud
applications without going through corporate single sign-on
(SSO) tools. Warning and educating these users can curb their
risky behaviors.
A CASB can also detect evidence of attackers using stolen
credentials. Such evidence might include excessively large
downloads, abnormally large numbers of requests in short
periods, access requests from new devices or new locations,
and repeated attempts to violate corporate policies. In Chapter
4 we will discuss how CASBs can use sophisticated analysis to
pinpoint abnormal behaviors, but many types of attacks can
be identified based solely on routine monitoring and standard
dashboards.
TIP You can reduce risk by monitoring the online activities of criti-
cal individuals (such as CXOs, vice presidents, and adminis-
trators) and key departments (like finance, legal, engineering,
and IT). These are the most common targets of spear phishing
attacks. By keeping a close watch for indicators that top-level
credentials have been stolen, you will be able to detect and
stop advanced attacks sooner.
Oversharing
Information sharing is immensely complicated in today’s
cloud application world. Users can store and share files in:
;; Business applications (Salesforce, Ariba)
;; Productivity applications (Office 365, Google Apps)
;; Cloud drives and collaboration applications (Box,

Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive)
Users often make bad decisions when they set sharing permis-
sions for files and directories. A user might invite groups to
access a directory without knowing who is a member. Another
might select “anyone with the link” as a permission for file
access (Figure 3-2), then email that link to colleagues. The
user might expect the colleagues to keep the link confidential,
but nothing prevents them from forwarding the link to every-
one they know.
Figure 3-2: Users can share files without knowing the implications.
A CASB can monitor:
;; Which files are being stored in applications and on

cloud drives
;; What sharing permissions have been granted for
every directory and file
;; Which files have been accessed or downloaded by
external (as well as internal) collaborators
Zombies and super admins

CASBs can identify “zombie” admins (privileged users who
have been inactive for several months) and unnecessary super
admins (users of applications like Salesforce and Google apps
who have been granted administrative rights but never per-
form administrative tasks). Eliminating or downgrading these
accounts reduces the potential for damage if users’ credentials
are stolen or accounts are misused.
CAUTION Cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and
Microsoft Azure present a special use case for a CASB.
Accessing the consoles for these services is equivalent to tak-
ing control of the administrative console in a corporate data-
center. Enterprises need to make sure attackers don’t alter
machine configurations, remove instances, delete backups, or
take other steps that interfere with applications running on
the cloud platform.
Chapter 4
Threat Protection
In this chapter
See how a CASB can generate alerts for security teams
Understand how heuristics can help identify threats
Learn how cyber threat intelligence can strengthen a CASB
“There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats; For I am

armed so strong in honesty/That they pass by me as the
idle wind.”
― William Shakespeare
C loud access security brokers can play an important role in

today’s biggest security sport: detecting cyberthreats in
their early stages, before they do serious damage.
How CASBs Generate Alerts

Not only can CASBs provide visibility into risky and suspicious
behaviors, they can generate alerts to security operations
center (SOC) and incident response (IR) teams. They can call
attention to risky actions and policy violations, and also detect
anomalous behaviors.
As illustrated in Figure 4-1, a CASB can build a complete pro-
file of how users and applications interact, then use machine-
learning heuristics and behavioral analysis to create baselines
of normal behavior. When deviations from these baselines
occur, the CASB can generate alerts.
Figure 4-1: Heuristics use profiles of normal activities to detect

anomalous behaviors
TECH TALK Heuristics are techniques for reaching approximate solutions

to problems very quickly. Heuristic methods include rules of
thumb, stereotyping, and profiling. Heuristics allow a CASB to
establish norms for every user, application, and organization,
and to quickly pinpoint behaviors that might represent the
activities of threat actors. False positives are minimized
because the norms are based on behaviors observed in real-
world production environments. Accuracy improves over time
as new data helps the system “learn.”
We will now explore some of the ways that CASBs can gener-
ate alerts.
Risky actions and policy violations

A CASB can generate alerts when users create unnecessary
risks or violate policies, such as:
;; Sharing sensitive files publicly
;; Downloading large numbers of files

Chapter 4: Threat Protection | 21
;; Attempting to access cloud applications directly,

without going through corporate single sign-on
(SSO) or identity and access management (IAM)
solutions
;; Attempting to download sensitive files to unman-
aged devices such as home computers or non-
compliant personal smartphones
Suspicious actions and

security incidents
CASBs can alert security teams to evidence that an attack is in
progress. Alerts might be generated based on:
;; Access requests with the same user credentials com-

ing from two different countries at the same time
;; Access requests from blacklisted IP addresses
(such as requests from anonymizing proxy services
or from IP addresses belonging to competitors)
;; Access requests from accounts that have been inac-
tive for extended periods (“zombie” accounts)
Integration between a CASB and your security information

and event management (SIEM) system can allow you to cor-
relate suspicious activities in the cloud with suspicious events
in the datacenter.
High-impact actions
You may decide that some actions have such great impact
or potential for damage that someone on the security team
should receive an alert every time they occur.
These actions might include:
;; Creation of new privileged administrators and

“super users” who have access to applications and
data stores with sensitive information
;; Configuration changes to key applications or to
the administrative console of AWS, Azure, or other
cloud platforms
;; Any action by the CEO or CFO
TIP Conduct a brainstorming session to enumerate the policy vio-

lations, risky and suspicious actions, and high-impact actions
that should be monitored by a CASB. Enlist not only security
analysts, but also database and application administrators,
compliance officers, and business managers. You will uncover
new ways of identifying threats and speeding up response and
remediation.
Anomalous behaviors
A CASB can detect deviations from normal behaviors, as illus-
trated in Figure 4.1. These anomalies can take several forms:
;; Rare events, such as a request to perform an

administrative action from a user who has seldom
or never performed an administrative action
;; Unlikely events, such as a request to log into an
application from a country from which nobody has
ever accessed the application
;; Deviations from profiles, such as an unusual num-
ber of failed login attempts in a short period
Dynamic Analysis of
Files (Sandboxing)
A CASB can extend to the cloud the use of another key
technology for threat protection: dynamic analysis of files, or
“sandboxing.” Sandboxing detects malware by executing files
in an isolated “virtual sandbox” environment, then observing
the behavior of the file and detecting suspicious or malicious
actions.
TIP A CASB can work with a sandboxing product to test both files-
at-rest in cloud applications and files-in-motion being
uploaded and downloaded. If the test detects malware, the
CASB can send an alert to the security team, and send an anal-
ysis report of the malware to the SOC and IR teams.
Chapter 4: Threat Protection | 23
Enforcement Actions
CASBs can take a number of enforcement actions to immedi-
ately eliminate vulnerabilities and block dangerous activities.
These include:
;; Blocking all requests from a suspicious user to log

into applications
;; Requiring two-step authentication to log into a
specific application
;; Changing permissions so a file cannot be shared
publicly, or the contents of a directory cannot be
downloaded
;; Requiring a user to register his or her device
Supporting Incident
Response and Forensics
Today most enterprises assume they will be compromised by
advanced attacks. They rely on IR and forensics teams to spot
indicators of compromise (IOCs), correlate them with other
indicators, reconstruct attack steps, clean up damage, and
improve security controls to prevent repeat incidents.
CASBs can play an important role in these activities. For
example, if the IR team detects a suspicious download from a
cloud application, the CASB can answer questions such as:
;; What user account requested the download, from

what device, and from which location?
;; What other applications, directories, and files has
this user account accessed recently?
;; What other files has this user account downloaded
and shared?
;; Has this user account made any administrative
changes to cloud applications to hide suspicious
actions?
Answering these questions can help IR and forensics teams

obtain a more detailed picture of attacks and move more
quickly to stop them.
Cyber Threat Intelligence

Some CASB providers have their own cyber threat intel-
ligence centers. Security experts in these centers look for new
application vulnerabilities, scan the web for information about
new threats to cloud applications, analyze the techniques
of attackers, and identify indicators of probes and ongoing
attacks. This intelligence is integrated into the decision rules
and heuristics of the CASBs, and also shared with their clients’
security teams.
Intelligence vs. the SEA

The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) • Install a piece of malware on
uses phishing , malware, web the user’s device
defacement, and denial of service
One victim brought information
attacks to intimidate enemies of
about the attack to Adallom,
the Syrian regime.
its CASB provider. The security
In a 2015 phishing attack, the SEA researchers at Adallom Labs were
sent out emails containing a link able to reconstruct the steps of the
to what appeared to be a YouTube attack, assess its potential impact,
sign-in form on a web site. Users and supply the customer with
who completed the form ended up mitigation techniques. They also
sending their Google credentials to provided other Adallom customers
the attackers, who used them to: with guidance on how to thwart
the attack.
• R e s e t t h e u s e r ’s G o o g l e
password You can find more detail about the
SEA attack and Adallom’s analysis
• Automatically forward copies
at: https://www.adallom.com/
of all email delivered to the
blog/phishing-in-the-sea/.
user
Chapter 5
Access Control, Data

Protection, and Compliance
In this chapter
Learn about adaptive access control
See how DLP, NAC, encryption, and IRM can be enforced for
cloud applications
Review how CASBs support compliance
“Distrust and caution are the parents of security.”

― Benjamin Franklin
C loud access security brokers not only monitor access

to cloud applications, they also provide a central point
for controlling access, preventing sensitive information
from being downloaded to insecure devices, and enforcing
encryption.
In effect, a CASB can extend data loss prevention (DLP),
network access control (NAC), and other security technologies
to cloud environments. They can also ensure enforcement of
data sharing and compliance policies.
CAUTION Some of the capabilities described in this chapter require a
CASB deployed in proxy mode. Others involve integration with
third-party products. These caveats are important, but to
avoid cluttering our narrative we will hold off discussing them
until Chapter 6.
Not Your Father’s Access Control

Once upon a time, access control was simple: users on an
access control list could log onto applications. But that para-
digm provides no protection when cybercriminals manage to
obtain legitimate user credentials by using phishing, keystroke
loggers, or man-in-the-middle attacks.
How can a CASB minimize potential damage from an attacker
with stolen credentials? By applying adaptive access control;
that is, by restricting access based on real-time conditions.
The CASB can factor in not only the permissions granted to
the (purported) user, but also context such as whether the
request is coming from:
;; An unmanaged device (not very trustworthy)
;; A user in an inappropriate role or department (a

sales intern doesn’t need to access engineering
designs)
;; An unlikely location (we have no employees in
Romania right now)
Adaptive access control can provide granular control of user

actions. For instance, a CASB could stop users from perform-
ing administrative actions, or permit read-only access to files
but no editing or downloading.
TIP One of the first things you should look at in a CASB is its access
control capabilities. How granular are they? Can you enforce a
blacklist (e.g., block access for requests coming from a specific
country or range of IP addresses)? Does it offer “device pin-
ning” (allowing administrative actions to be performed only by
specific users on specific managed devices)? In what other ways
can it help you reduce risk without blocking legitimate users?
Endpoint assessment and cloud NAC

As we discussed in Chapter 1, cybercriminals know that
it is much easier to compromise a poorly protected home
computer or personal mobile device than to attack a cloud
application directly. A CASB, working in conjunction with an
endpoint assessment solution, can identify at-risk devices and
block their access to cloud applications.
Chapter 5: Access Control, Data Protection, and Compliance | 27
PCs and mobile devices can be checked for factors such as:
;; Malware infections
;; Old, vulnerable operating systems, browsers,

and apps
;; Outdated or missing antivirus software
;; The absence of required data protection technolo-

gies such as disk encryption
The CASB can function as a cloud NAC solution, preventing

at-risk devices from accessing cloud applications, or restrict-
ing them to specific functions.
TIP A CASB can also use endpoint assessment data as attributes
for access control decisions, and to prevent users from down-
loading files and data to vulnerable devices.
Data Protection, Cloud Style

Data protection includes preventing sensitive data from
leaving the cloud, ensuring that data downloaded to endpoint
devices is properly secured, and implementing data sharing
controls for files with sensitive content
Cloud DLP
DLP technology is designed to keep sensitive information on
trustworthy systems. A DLP solution searches files, emails,
and messages for key words, expressions, patterns of charac-
ters (xxx-xx-xxxx), and other clues indicating the presences of
sensitive data such as credit card and Social Security numbers,
personally identifiable information (PII), protected health
information (PHI), intellectual property, and corporate legal
and financial information. It can prevent files and messages
containing such data from being downloaded or distributed
outside the corporate network.
DON’T FORGET A CASB should give you the option of extending to cloud
applications DLP rules you have already defined for your on-
premises data stores. You shouldn’t be forced to re-create and
manage separate DLP policies for cloud and on-premises
environments.
Encryption and IRM

One of the most important capabilities of a CASB is enforcing
your encryption policies. Options include:
;; Forcing the encryption of files uploaded from user

devices to cloud applications
;; Forcing the encryption of all files downloaded from
cloud applications to devices that are unmanaged,
are in unusual locations, or have other risk factors
;; Forcing the encryption of all files with sensitive
information downloaded from cloud applications
;; Preventing the download of files to devices that do
not have encryption software installed
A CASB, working in conjunction with an information rights

management (IRM) solution, can provide even more granular
control of sensitive information. This control might include:
;; Requiring encryption based on file type (e.g., xls or

exe), file name (e.g., the name includes “finance” or
“confidential”), file owner, and other factors
;; Allowing files to be read, but preventing users
from printing or exporting the contents, or copying
selections to clipboards
;; Setting retention limits, for example, allowing a
file downloaded to an unmanaged device to be
accessed for only 30 minutes
Data sharing controls

A CASB can ensure that files with sensitive information are
shared appropriately. For example, if DLP detects sensitive
files being shared publicly on the Web, the CASB can imple-
ment controls such as changing permissions on files or remov-
ing editor privileges. It can also transfer ownership of files
when users leave the organization.
Granular access control, DLP, NAC, encryption, and IRM not only
reduce the risk of data leakage from unmanaged and poorly pro-
tected devices, they also have major implications for compliance.
Chapter 5: Access Control, Data Protection, and Compliance | 29
Compliance
Many government regulations and industry standards
require access audit trails, access controls, and encryption of
protected data. You can find these capabilities in most cloud
applications, but trying to implement them separately and
document compliance across multiple applications can be a
nightmare. Here we look briefly at some of the ways a CASB
can simplify compliance.
Audit trails and attestation

A CASB can provide a complete audit trail of how cloud
applications are being accessed and how data within those
applications is being accessed and shared. The audit trail can
document your enforcement of access policies and attest to
the effectiveness of your controls. The CASB can dramatically
reduce the time and effort required to collect and correlate
compliance data across multiple cloud applications.
CAUTION CASBs also provide a record of policy violations: people
accessing data they shouldn’t, sensitive files shared outside
the enterprise, information downloaded to unsecure devices.
Don’t be dismayed if the numbers are high at first. Instead, be
prepared to focus on the biggest issues, make improvements,
and use the CASB to document progress.
DLP, eDiscovery, and IRM

Many regulations and standards include requirements
to identify and control sensitive information such as PII,
PHI, and credit card and Social Security numbers. A CASB
with DLP capabilities can ensure that these mandates are
addressed consistently across all cloud applications.
In addition, DLP features can help the corporate legal depart-
ment “discover” documents related to litigation and regulation
that are hiding in obscure corners of cloud applications (see
the When information hides in applications box in Chapter
3). DLP and IRM can also help ensure compliance with data
protection and document retention policies.
Encryption
Several of the most important regulations and standards
have very strong requirements for encrypting data in the
cloud, on endpoint devices, and in transit between the two. In
addition, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) and several US state breach notification laws
provide that if enterprises can prove that data on lost or stolen
devices was encrypted, they do not need to notify customers
or employees of the breach. This safe harbor clause can save
millions of dollars in breach notification costs and avoid
humiliating publicity. A CASB can ensure that file encryption
policies are followed consistently, and quickly produce data
that demonstrates compliance.
Sample compliance requirements

H I PA A § 1 6 4 . 3 1 2 Te c h n i c a l or use electronic protected health
Safeguards information.
(a)(1) Standard: Access control. PCI DSS 3.1
Implement technical policies
3.4 Render [primary account
and procedures for electronic
number] unreadable anywhere
information systems that maintain
it is stored...by using any of the
e l e c t ro n i c p ro t e c t e d h e a l t h
fo l l o w i n g a p p r o a c h e s : O n e -
information to allow access only
way h a s h e s b a s e d o n st ro n g
to those persons or software
c r y p t o g ra p hy. . .Tr u n c a t i o n . . .
programs that have been granted
Index tokens and pads...Strong
access rights...
cryptography...
(iv) Encryption and decryption
7.2 Establish an access control
(Addressable). Implement a
system for systems components
mechanism to encrypt and decrypt
that restricts access based on a
e l e c t ro n i c p ro t e c t e d h e a l t h
user’s need to know, and is set
information...
to “deny all” unless specifically
(b) Standard: Audit controls. allowed.
Implement hardware, software,
10.1 Implement audit trails to link
and/or procedural mechanisms
all access to system components to
that record and examine activity in
each individual user.
information systems that contain
Chapter 6
Implementing a Cloud
Access Security Broker
In this chapter
Examine how a cloud access security broker can interface with
cloud applications and existing security solutions
Understand the basics of API and proxy mode deployments,
and review a phased approach to implementation
“God is in the details.” ― Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

“The Devil is in the details.” ― Various
S ome of the features and benefits we have been discuss-

ing depend on how a CASB is deployed, and how it is
integrated with other security solutions. Now we review some
of those important implementation details.
Interfacing with Cloud Applications

We mentioned in Chapter 3 that one important source of
data for CASBs is the applications themselves. Some CASBs
interface with cloud applications through application pro-
gramming interfaces (APIs). Through an API, a CASB can
obtain information about an application’s users, files stored in
the application, permissions and sharing settings of those files,
and activities such as logins and logouts, modifications, dele-
tions, uploads and downloads of files, administrative actions,
and transactions.
CASBs differ in how many cloud applications they can access

via APIs. However, lesser-known SaaS applications and inter-
nally developed applications can be submitted to the CASB
vendor for integration with their solution.
TIP When you evaluate a CASB, consider both the breadth of its
application coverage and how fast the vendor turns around
requests to integrate new applications.
TIP Some CASBs have catalogs detailing the security controls and
compliance certifications of cloud applications. This informa-
tion can help you assess the risks of unsanctioned cloud appli-
cations and have fact-based discussions with business units
about whether specific applications are really enterprise
ready. The same information can also help you decide which
cloud applications to sanction and support and, if a replace-
ment is needed, help you select a more secure alternative.
Deployment Mode Options

There are two deployment mode options for CASBs to monitor
sanctioned applications: API mode and proxy mode (Figure
6-1).
Figure 6-1: CASBs can be deployed in API mode and proxy mode
Chapter 6: Implementing a Cloud Access Security Broker | 33
API mode
A CASB deployed in API mode is “out of band”; users com-
municate directly with cloud applications, and the CASB
obtains data from the applications through their APIs. This
approach provides very detailed visibility into data at rest and
user activities, including logins and logouts, file uploads and
downloads, information sharing, and administrative actions.
CASBs deployed in API mode can also perform administrative
tasks and enforce governance policies. For example, if a user
violates policies by publicly sharing files containing sensitive
information, administrators can use the CASB to change the
access permissions on the files, or to take file ownership away
from the offending user.
A major advantage of API mode is speed: a CASB can be
implemented literally in minutes because no changes to net-
works, endpoint devices, or applications are needed.
Proxy mode
A CASB deployed in proxy mode is “inline”; network traffic
between users and cloud applications flows through the CASB
proxy. This is achieved in one of two ways:
;; In a forward proxy, traffic is routed to the CASB

proxy by network devices (for office users) or by
agents on each endpoint (for external users).
;; In a reverse proxy, cloud applications are config-
ured to guide traffic through the CASB proxy.
Proxy mode allows CASBs to implement very granular access

controls.
Proxy mode also gives the CASB visibility into data in motion
and allows it to enforce policies in real time. For example,
the CASB can ensure that files being uploaded are encrypted,
and can block the download of sensitive files to noncompliant
devices. It can also generate alerts in real time, allowing secu-
rity teams to react immediately to security incidents, policy
violations, and anomalous behaviors.
However, proxy mode takes longer to implement. To route traffic

to the CASB proxy, changes need to be made to network devices
and endpoints (for forward proxy), or to applications (for reverse
proxy). Also, some implementations of forward proxies require
the installation of software agents on endpoint devices, which
may be impossible with unmanaged devices. Further, some
reverse proxies can break application functionality.
Hybrid mode
Some CASBs offer a hybrid mode that combines API mode
and proxy mode. This allows the CASB to support a wide
range of use cases with visibility, policy enforcement, and
ways to deal with unmanaged devices.
ON THE WEB We have only touched on a few of the key issues related to
CASB deployment modes. Gartner has a useful report that
goes into more depth. To purchase a copy of Select the Right
CASB Deployment for Your SaaS Security Strategy, connect
to: https://www.gartner.com/doc/3004618/
select-right-casb-deployment-saas.
Integrating with Existing

Security Solutions
Some of the features we have discussed require integration
with existing security products. Not all CASBs offer the same
integrations, so you should understand the options.
Directories and SSO solutions

Most CASBs integrate with enterprise directories, single sign-
on (SSO) products, and other identity and access management
(IAM) solutions. These integrations give the CASB access
to additional information about users, such as their roles,
departments, and business units. They can also help CASBs
enforce corporate policies, such as:
;; Requiring users to authenticate to cloud applica-

tions through an SSO solution, not directly over the
web
;; Blocking access to cloud applications as
soon as a user changes roles or is terminated
(deprovisioning)
Chapter 6: Implementing a Cloud Access Security Broker | 35
Data loss prevention

Cloud DLP features allow a CASB to detect sensitive informa-
tion in files and prevent those files from being downloaded to
unmanaged devices, or from being downloaded at all. Some
CASBs integrate with DLP products to leverage existing DLP
policies and file classifications, allowing a single set of DLP pol-
icies to be enforced across cloud and on-premises datacenters.
Cloud NAC
A CASB can work with third-party cloud network access control
(NAC) solutions. Endpoints that are unmanaged or non-com-
pliant with corporate standards can be blocked from accessing
cloud applications, or can be given restricted access and limited
ability to download or share files.
Sandboxing
A CASB can work with a sandboxing product to test files in
motion and files residing in cloud applications for malware.
Encryption and IRM

Integrating a CASB with encryption and information rights
management (IRM) solutions can ensure that:
;; Files uploaded to cloud applications are encrypted
;; Files downloaded to unmanaged and other

untrusted endpoints are encrypted
;; Sensitive content cannot be printed, exported,
copied, or retained for long on endpoints
TECH TALK Experts debate the relative merits of encrypting all data, or
encrypting data at the field level or file level. For CASBs, file-
level encryption tends to be the best option. Encrypting and
decrypting all data creates excessive processing overhead.
Encrypting data at the field level often breaks application func-
tionality. For example, using a third-party solution to encrypt
Salesforce fields can interfere with searching, as well as dis-
rupting integration with other applications such as Marketo.
SIEM
All alerts generated by a CASB, together with related informa-
tion (the context for the alert), can be pushed to security
information and event management (SIEM) solutions. That
allows the security operations center (SOC) and incident
response (IR) teams to see CASB-created alerts immediately,
correlate them with on-premises activities, prioritize them
alongside other alerts, and respond to them using established
workflows. It also gives them instant access to the contextual
information collected by the CASB.
Phased Implementation
A CASB can be implemented in phases. A phased approach
allows the enterprise to begin receiving a return on their
investment immediately (usually on the first day) and evolve
over time toward a comprehensive set of capabilities. Table
6-1 describes one possible sequence.
Table 6-1: Example of a phased implementation

Chapter 7
Selecting the Right Cloud

Access Security Broker
In this chapter
Review six areas you can use to compare CASBs.
Learn questions that you should ask vendors.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

― Peter Drucker
C loud access security brokers are a relatively new technol-

ogy. Products differ widely in capabilities. In this chapter
we highlight factors you should use to compare CASBs and
select the one that best fits your organization.
Breadth of Application Coverage

Every cloud application is different, so some work is required
to fully integrate a CASB with each new one. You should look
at a CASB vendor’s catalog of applications to:
;; Determine if your current and planned cloud appli-

cations are on the list
;; Assess the odds that the next application you want
to monitor will be included
;; Understand the vendor’s process for supporting
new applications
TIP Discuss your special application-related requirements with the

CASB vendor. For example, if you are going to put internally
developed applications in a private cloud, find out the ven-
dor’s practices for integrating your homegrown applications
with their CASB.
Depth of Security Controls

How granular are the security controls in the CASB? Factors
to consider include:
;; Adaptive access control: can the CASB make access

decisions based on multiple criteria, including users,
devices, user roles, IP addresses, and locations?
;; Can compliance policies be enforced based on cri-
teria like confidential information in files and the
status of the endpoint accessing the application?
;; Are data sharing controls available to ensure files
and documents are being shared with external par-
ties appropriately?
;; Can alerts be generated based on a wide range of
security incidents and policy violations?
Heuristics for Threat Protection

One of the highest priorities for security teams today is
identifying advanced targeted threats before they can damage
the enterprise. CASBs contribute to this effort by detecting
anomalous behaviors and clues about cybercriminals probing
and manipulating cloud applications. Ask CASB vendors about
their heuristics engine and alerting capabilities. For example:
;; How many variables are used to define normal usage?
;; Can anomalies be detected at various levels, such

as the entire company, groups within the company,
and individual users?
;; Can alerts be customized per user or per group

(e.g., based on behaviors outside of the norm for
the CEO, or for the finance department)?
;; How does the vendor fine-tune heuristics and
continue to improve the heuristics engine?
Chapter 7: Selecting the Right Cloud Access Security Broker | 39
Deployment Modes
As we discussed in Chapter 6, there are trade-offs between
deployment modes. Most importantly:
;; API mode can be implemented quickly, requires no

changes to infrastructure, and can enforce gover-
nance policies for data at rest, but it has limited abil-
ity to enforce security policies for data in motion.
;; Forward proxy mode puts the CASB “inline” for

access control and real-time policy enforcement,
but it requires configuration changes on network
equipment and mobile devices.
;; Reverse proxy mode provides access control and
real-time policy enforcement, and works with
unmanaged devices, but can affect application
functionality if it is not implemented properly by
the CASB vendor.
Some organizations may find a CASB with one deployment

mode that meets their needs. However, most enterprises are
better served by a CASB that offers a hybrid architecture com-
bining API mode with at least one of the proxy modes.
Integration with Security Solutions

Throughout this guide we have described how CASBs can be
integrated with existing security solutions. However, CASBs
differ widely in the type and number of integrations they offer.
You should look for integrations that:
;; Add to the access control capabilities of the CASB

(e.g., determine if endpoints are managed and in
compliance with policies)
;; Protect documents throughout their lifecycle (e.g.
use encryption and information rights management)
;; Extend existing security policies and procedures to
the cloud (e.g., enforce current DLP and compli-
ance rules with the CASB)
;; Provide existing security tools with insights into
activities in the cloud (e.g., share log data and
alerts with corporate SIEM systems)
Cyber Intelligence for

Cloud Applications
Today’s cybercriminals, hacktivists, and state-sponsored hack-
ers are constantly devising new techniques to attack cloud
applications and cloud application users. To keep up, a CASB
vendor must monitor the web for new attackers, determine
their tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs), and devise
new detection methods to counter those threats.
Ask vendors about their intelligence center or research lab:
how is it staffed, and how do its experts work with product
developers to build intelligence into the CASB?
TIP Talk to reference customers. Has the CASB vendor been a
good partner, an extension of the customer’s security opera-
tions center? Does their intelligence center look for anomalous
behaviors in the customer’s environment, and accept queries
about cloud application threats? Does the vendor provide
regular assessments and recommendations on how to update
policies and strengthen data protection?
Final Thought: Security

Catches Up to the Cloud
There is no question that cloud-based applications multiply
the challenges faced by enterprise security teams. They lose
visibility into the applications, and lose control over devices
and user behaviors. They risk fragmenting their security solu-
tions into separate cloud- and premises-based silos.
Most enterprises are very close to a cross-over point where
security will fall hopelessly behind current threats -- unless
they find a way to extend visibility, threat protection, and
policy enforcement to cloud applications.
Cloud access security brokers are an innovative response to
these challenges. We hope you have found this guide an infor-
mative introduction to the topic, and will explore how a CASB
can be used in your environment.
Cloud applications reduce costs and improve productivity.
But how do you monitor and protect your data in a cloud environment?
How do you deal with lost visibility, unmanaged devices, and careless
users? This guide explains how cloud access security brokers (CASBs)
extend security to cloud applications, providing visibility, threat protection,
access control, and compliance. See why you can’t afford to move to cloud
applications without a CASB.
• Cloud access security brokers — learn key characteristics and benefits

of cloud access security brokers (CASBs)
• Visibility — review the types of data monitored by CASBs and the
insights you can obtain from that data
• Threat protection — discover why CASBs can identify threats invisible
to other security technologies
• Access control and compliance — examine how CASBs employ
“adaptive access control” and enforce security policies
• Implementation — explore deployment modes and a phased approach
to implementing a CASB
• Selection — find out how to choose the CASB that best fits your
organization
About the Authors

Jon Friedman has more than 20 years of experience in industry
analysis and marketing at software and IT services companies.
He has explained the technologies of more than 40 high-tech
companies. Jon has a BA from Yale and an MBA from Harvard. Not for resale
Mark Bouchard is a cybersecurity veteran with nearly 20 years

of IT experience. A former industry analyst, Mark is also a proud
veteran of the U.S. Navy.

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Definitive Guide

Jon Friedman Compliments of:

Founded in 2012 by cyber defense veterans, Adallom is a 2014

For more information, visit www.adallom.com or follow @adallom.

About HPE SECURITY — Data Security

HPE SECURITY — Data Security drives leadership in data-centric

For more information, visit www. hpe.com/go/DataSecurity and

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR

For general information on CyberEdge Group research and marketing consulting

Chapter 1: How Cloud Applications Change the Game for Security................ 1

Chapter 2: Understanding Cloud Access Security Brokers.............................. 7

Chapter 4: Threat Protection............................................................................ 19

Chapter 5: Access Control, Data Protection, and Compliance...........................25

Chapter 6: Implementing a Cloud Access Security Broker............................ 31

Chapter 7: Selecting the Right Cloud Access Security Broker...................... 37

T here is a commercial that always seems to come on when

for threat prevention. We even help you leverage your existing

W e hope you will find this Definitive Guide to Cloud

Alarming, because we highlight the many challenges

Reassuring, because we describe how cloud access security

Informative, because we review issues related to selecting

Chapter 2, “Understanding Cloud Access Security

Chapter 3, “Visibility,” outlines the types of data that can be

Chapter 4, “Threat Protection,” explores how a CASB

Chapter 5, “Access Control, Data Protection, and

Chapter 6, “Implementing a Cloud Access Security

Chapter 7, “Selecting the Right Cloud Access Security

How Cloud Applications

“Student: Dr. Einstein, aren’t these the same questions

T he questions in cybersecurity haven’t changed: Can you

The Cloud Application Tsunami

;; Worldwide spending on SaaS enterprise applica-

The trend is being driven by enterprises seeking to reduce

Shared Responsibility: Why

Your enterprise is still responsible for:

;; Protecting user credentials and access to cloud

TIP Review the license agreements of your SaaS vendors. How do

Who watches grandma’s necklace?

Security Challenges for

;; Security organizations often are unable to detect

Unmanaged and non-

In a world of BYOD (bring your own device), users who supply

;; Ignore patches and security updates

;; Install whatever apps catch their fancy, no matter

;; Connect to cloud applications through unsecure

The consequences include:

;; Continual violations of corporate policies, such as

Hidden data, over-sharing,

;; A single application might have separate reposi-

;; Users storing files in cloud applications and collab-

;; To help manage cloud applications like Salesforce

Not only is it much harder to monitor access to data, but

The weakest links

"Necessity is the mother of invention.”

A new class of product has emerged to address the chal-

What is a Cloud Access

Figure 2-1: Conceptual view of a cloud access security broker

One of the primary functions of a CASB, as illustrated in

;; Cloud-based applications