An Analyst’s Guide to Cloud-Native Vulnerability Management: Where to Start and How to Scale

Cloud-native workloads introduce a unique set of challenges that complicate traditional approaches to vulnerability management. Learn how to address these challenges and scale cloud-native VM in your org.

As enterprises continue their migration to cloud-native architectures, the need for advanced vulnerability management (VM) strategies tailored specifically for cloud has intensified. The complexities inherent in cloud-native workloads – including microservices, containers and serverless functions – render traditional VM approaches ineffective. This blog outlines the strategic necessity for cloud-native VM, the challenges specific to these environments, and pragmatic guidance for initiating and scaling a robust VM strategy.

Why do we need cloud-native vulnerability management? Why now?

The ongoing shift to cloud-native architectures compels us to evolve our VM practices. Traditional monolithic applications no longer dominate technology stacks, with distributed microservices and dynamic, scalable environments becoming the new standard. This change brings new threats that require sophisticated, continuous and context-aware security processes and tools.

These are the key drivers for cloud-native VM:

• Dynamic and abstracted workloads: The transient nature of cloud-native components, which are often spun up and down in minutes, necessitates a shift from periodic scanning to real-time monitoring and mitigation.
• Expanded attack surface: The exponential increase in microservices and APIs significantly expands the potential attack surface, requiring more granular and continuous vulnerability assessments.
• CI/CD acceleration: The accelerated pace of deployment in CI/CD pipelines demands equally rapid and automated security processes, ensuring vulnerabilities are addressed before they reach production.
• Shared responsibility in cloud security: Cloud providers and customers share the responsibility for security in cloud environments, requiring organizations to first precisely identify their duties, then execute comprehensive VM strategies that complement provider offerings.

Navigating the challenges of the cloud

As stated earlier, the attack surface exponentially expands in the cloud. Let’s dive into the specific of a few highly vulnerable cloud domains. 

1. Container vulnerabilities: Containers share software components, which can propagate vulnerabilities across multiple instances if not adequately managed.
2. Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) risks: Misconfigurations in IaC can lead to control-plane vulnerabilities, accelerating the need for secure coding practices and IaC auditing.
3. Multi-cloud and hybrid complexity: Managing vulnerabilities across diverse cloud environments with different security controls and best practices introduces additional layers of complexity further driving the need for a unified VM strategy.
4. Transient workloads: The ephemeral nature of cloud-native resources demands continuous, automated security monitoring rather than reliance on periodic scanning.

Initiating and scaling cloud-native vulnerability management

Security and risk management leaders or professionals embarking on a cloud-native vulnerability management strategy should:

1. Start with comprehensive visibility:
   • Asset discovery and inventory: You can’t secure what you can’t see. Start by ensuring you have a comprehensive inventory of all assets across hybrid, multi-cloud environments, from development to production, including containers, virtual machines, serverless functions and APIs.
   • Continuous security monitoring: Adopt agentless tools that enable continuous monitoring and assessment of your cloud-native assets, providing real-time insights into potential vulnerabilities.
2. Integrate security early in the development lifecycle:
   • Security in CI/CD pipelines: Embed security controls into CI/CD workflows to detect and address vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle, reducing risk before deployment.
   • Automated pre-deployment testing: Deploy automated testing tools to identify vulnerabilities in code, container images and IaC templates before they are elevated to production.
3. Adopt cloud-native security tools:
   • Container and Kubernetes security: Use security platforms designed for container environments that offer features such as real-time scanning, image verification and runtime protection.
   • Cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPP): Implement CNAPP tools to continuously monitor cloud configurations, prioritize risks and ensure compliance across multi-cloud environments.
4. Scale through automation and cross-platform standardization:
   • Automated vulnerability remediation: Quickly remediate identified vulnerabilities, minimizing the window of exposure and enhancing overall security posture by automating remediation workflows where appropriate for your risk appetite.
   • Standard policies across cloud platforms: Use exposure management techniques and policy-as-code (PaC) to maintain consistent security policies and enforcement across multi-cloud and hybrid environments, ensuring scalability and consistency
   • Risk-based Prioritization: Use technologies such as attack path management and toxic combinations to prioritize vulnerabilities based on their risk to critical assets, focusing on high-impact threats.

Your cloud-native vulnerability management action plan:

Conclusion

Cloud-native VM is not just an operational necessity; it is a strategic imperative for organizations seeking to secure their cloud deployments in an increasingly complex threat landscape. By understanding the unique challenges of cloud-native environments and adopting a methodical, scalable approach, organizations can build a resilient VM program that supports their cloud ambitions. Continuous evolution, driven by automation, DevSecOps integration and iterative improvements will be essential in maintaining a robust security posture in the cloud.

For more information on vulnerability management in the cloud watch the webinar “A Cyber Pro's Guide to Cloud-Native Vulnerability Management: Start, Scale, and Secure with Confidence” and check out the data sheet, “Cloud Workload Protection (CWP): Vulnerability Management built for multi-cloud environments.”