James Berthoty, founder of Latio.Tech, shares his expertise on cloud security tools. He clarifies the concept of CNAPP and discusses whether Kubernetes security is becoming the new standard. The chat dives into the distinction between runtime security and vulnerability management, emphasizing the need for clear approaches in cloud-native security. James also addresses the evolving challenges security engineers face in integrating security within development processes, alongside the pressing necessity for user-centric security tool consolidation.
The podcast emphasizes that securing containers is essential for cloud security as organizations increasingly adopt cloud-native architectures.
There is a growing concern over the complexity of CNAPP as all-in-one solutions fail to meet specific user needs effectively.
Deep dives
Cloud Security is Container Security
Cloud security is fundamentally centered around container security, which has often been misunderstood due to the complexities surrounding cloud infrastructure learning. The podcast underscores that as organizations increasingly adopt mid-market cloud-native architectures, the essence of cloud security boils down to effectively securing containers. While many tend to separate traditional cloud security concerns from container security, the reality is that a significant portion of enterprise application infrastructure relies on containerization. This aligned perception leads to a clearer understanding of security needs and priorities in cloud environments.
Challenges with CNAP and Acronyms
The discussion highlights dissatisfaction with how the Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAP) has been broadened to include various tools and services, leading to confusion among users and professionals in the field. The tendency towards consolidation has resulted in all-in-one solutions that fail to satisfy specific user needs, making it challenging for professionals to navigate this space effectively. The conversation stresses that while such consolidations are seen as beneficial by CISOs, they often lead to poor user experiences due to the overwhelming complexities involved. A more effective approach would be to categorize security solutions by their intended end users, ensuring each group receives the tailored tools they require without unnecessary compromises.
The Misunderstanding of SOC Responsibilities
The role of Security Operations Centers (SOC) in handling CVEs and misconfiguration alerts remains a contentious topic, as many SOC personnel struggle to prioritize security risks without sufficient context about the underlying technologies. This creates bottlenecks where misconfigurations are flagged, yet the SOC team lacks the technical understanding to assess and prioritize these alerts effectively. The conversation conveys that a shift in responsibilities is necessary, suggesting that SOCs should focus on actionable alerts rather than attempting to manage every aspect of vulnerability and misconfiguration. An ideal scenario involves direct correlation between security alerts and developers, enabling faster resolution and minimizing the burdens placed on SOC analysts.
Anticipating the Future of AI Security
AI security is positioned to broaden the conversation around application security, particularly as organizations implement AI-driven tools. The potential for AI to augment security measures relies heavily on establishing clear standards for data protection, including managing sensitive data as it intersects with AI applications. The podcast discusses how vendors are gearing up to tackle biases and vulnerabilities during the AI model development process, which is crucial for maintaining security integrity. As the field evolves, the integration of runtime application security with AI capabilities will likely become a focal point, necessitating deeper insights into how AI interacts with existing security frameworks.
In this episode of the Cloud Security Podcast, host Ashish Rajan speaks to James Berthoty, founder of Latio.Tech and an engineer-driven analyst, for a discussion on cloud security tools. In this episode James breaks down CNAPP and what it really means for engineers, if kubernetes secuity is the new baseline for cloud security and runtime security vs vulnerability management.