What is a cloud access security broker (CASB)?

By 2020, 60 percent of large enterprises will use a cloud access security broker. According to Gartner, a cloud access security broker (CASB) is an on-premises or cloud-based security policy enforcement point that is placed between cloud service consumers and cloud service providers to combine and interject enterprise security policies as cloud-based resources are accessed. Organizations are increasingly turning to CASB vendors to address cloud service risks, enforce security policies, and comply with regulations, even when cloud services are beyond their perimeter and out of their direct control. If you intend to use CASB to increase your confidence about your organization’s cloud service usage, consider taking a granular approach to policy enforcement and data protection. In other words, consider using a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer for your cloud security.