Cost-Effective Cloud Security for the Modern Enterprise: Part 1

The acceleration of cloud adoption has been mirrored by the rise of bring your own device (BYOD). In recent months, these have both enabled the accelerated rise of the remote workforce. When it comes to securing these modern phenomena, enterprises must remain cautious of disjointed solutions, as a disconnected approach to security may hinder a firm’s ability to adapt swiftly in a highly remote and dynamic business environment.

Moreover, the time and money associated with IT personnel managing disjointed, disparate security tools could be more effectively used elsewhere. Below are the key components of Bitglass’ product suite that provide comprehensive protections and, through consolidated ease of management, save time and money.

Cloud Access Security Broker

Bitglass’ multi-mode CASB provides visibility, control, and zero-day protection as users access managed cloud applications. Forward proxy secures managed devices, agentless reverse proxy secures any device (including personal devices), and API integrations secure data at rest. The solution blocks known and unknown data leakage risks and malware, and grants complete governance over how and where organizational data is accessed. Bitglass’ comprehensive solution provides real-time security on any application and any device around the world. 

Data Loss Prevention

By implementing granular data loss prevention (DLP), organizations gain the ability to provide varied levels of data access in order to prevent leakage. Control over data is accomplished through policies that are defined based on access method, device, location, user group, and more. Access to organizational data can be distributed in a risk-appropriate fashion, utilizing remediation measures such as encryption, DRM, quarantine, redaction, watermark/tracking, and more. From a single dashboard, these policies can be configured so that they are enforced consistently across a firm’s entire cloud footprint; this saves time (and therefore money) as it circumvents the need for configuring inconsistent policies in apps, one at a time, via their native functionality (which typically lacks needed, granular functionality). 

Advanced Threat Protection

Advanced threat protection (ATP) prevents infections from known and zero-day malware at upload, at download, and for data-at-rest. Bitglass ATP (powered by CrowdStrike and Cylance) is entirely cloud based. This agentless approach saves time as no software installations are required and deployments are rapid. Like with DLP, organizations can utilize Bitglass’ single dashboard for configuring universal ATP policies that are enforced across the cloud footprint. 

Identity & Access Management

By utilizing Bitglass’ single sign-on (SSO), employees no longer need to memorize multiple passwords for the plethora of applications required to complete their tasks. Login policies for all applications can be configured from a single pane of glass. Additionally, by implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and step-up MFA to confirm users’ identities and remediate suspicious logins, organizations can directly manage access to sensitive information, which drastically decreases the chance of data leakage. MFA options include passwords, SMS tokens, and hardware tokens. As Bitglass provides this functionality natively, it can eliminate the need for a separate IdP; however, our solutions do integrate with other IdPs you may already be using, as well. 

SmartEdge Secure Web Gateway

Bitglass’ offers the world’s only on-device SWG, an architecture which streamlines performance and ensures business continuity. Its SmartEdge SWG helps enterprises mitigate threats by filtering threatening content directly on users’ devices–blocking access to malware sites and botnets without the need for costly hardware appliances, VPNs, or cloud proxies. Additionally, operational efficiency is enhanced by filtering unproductive content like gambling and streaming sites. IT personnel can configure policies to control the use of unapproved applications and coach users’ to sanctioned alternatives. Bitglass also prevents sensitive information from being uploaded to the web in order to prevent data leakage. By preventing breaches in a proactive fashion, organizations are able to save significant sums of money that would otherwise be used for legal fees, compliance penalties, and reclaiming their reputational footing. 

Agentless Zero Trust Network Access

The need for remote, cloud-first work has grown exponentially due to global events in recent months. As such, enterprises have had to grant their workforce remote access to internal applications housed within the corporate perimeter. By utilizing Bitglass’ agentless zero trust network access (ZTNA), organizations can circumvent performance bottlenecks that are common with traditional solutions, such as virtual private networks (VPNs), which aren’t designed for rapid scaling or handling surge loads. Deployed in the cloud, Bitglass’ agentless solution is highly scalable, and grants access to specific on-prem applications rather than to the entirety of the network (a far more secure approach to ZTNA). Along with Bitglass’ CASB and SWG, ZTNA policies are configured from a single dashboard. 

Managing disjointed security solutions results in time-wasting bottlenecks that hinder company-wide efficiency and ultimately affect the bottom line. Organizations should aim to deploy a comprehensive platform that encompasses all of the key components listed above in a highly manageable platform. Click the button below to learn how you can secure your remote workforce with a sound and cost-effective security solution.