Astra Security is making cloud vulnerability scanning smarter and effortless. They’re pushing the envelope with a validation-first approach that focuses on verification and impact, as opposed to mere visibility. This transition is a direct response to the growing complexity with which cloud environments have evolved. Security teams can’t keep up with massive alert fatigue under these circumstances. According to a survey by the Enterprise Strategy Group, “61% of teams said their tools generate more noise than insights.” Astra Security’s new advanced platform will help you get past this noise and get the insights necessary to make your cloud security applications highly effective.
The company runs more than 400 cloud-specific configuration checks and more than 3,000 automated vulnerability tests. These tests align with recognized standards such as the OWASP Top 10 and the SANS 25, ensuring that Astra Security adheres to industry best practices. Astra Security has reviewed thousands of continuous penetration tests. This research has uncovered important trends in cloud vulnerabilities and armed organizations with a birds-eye view of the threats they’re up against.
Understanding Cloud Vulnerabilities
Astra Security’s detailed breakdown indicates that around 78% of top cloud threats are the result of configuration mistakes. These mistakes may look like overly permissive IAM roles, storage buckets exposed to the internet, or network policies that don’t match your intended access. These avoidable configuration errors can open up dangerous attack vectors, illustrating the importance of proactive security practice.
Permissive IAM roles, for example, give users or apps more permissions than required, raising the chance of privilege escalation or unauthorized access. Unprotected storage buckets often result in leaks of sensitive information, and as such are treasure troves to cybercriminals. In addition, poorly aligned network security policies can make openings that attackers can take advantage of to get access to systems. Astra Security’s findings underscore the importance of not only identifying these errors but implementing proactive measures to address them.
The Validation-First Approach
Astra Security’s validation process is focused on active attack-path analysis, which is fundamentally different from traditional static rule-based methods. This dynamic approach allows security professionals to understand the real-world implications of vulnerabilities rather than relying solely on theoretical models. By focusing on potential attack paths, security teams can better assess which vulnerabilities are exploitable and prioritize their remediation efforts accordingly.
Our validation-first strategy has been well received by security leaders eager to embrace an effective approach. Many of these organizations are overwhelmed with alerts, sometimes receiving thousands per month, with little to no evidence as to which alerts actually pose threats. Astra Security’s platform makes this process more efficient by assisting your teams in differentiating between noise and actionable insights.
“73% of incidents involving public cloud assets were attributed to misconfigurations,” – Verizon.
This chilling statistic drives home the need for robust cloud security practices. Most importantly, it solidifies Astra Security’s winning approach to avoid and fix these vulnerabilities.
The Future of Cloud Security
With organizations moving to the cloud at a record pace, the need for better security solutions is more crucial than ever. Retaining Astra Security’s validation-first approach will provide a solid position toward leading players in the field of cloud vulnerability scanning. The company’s approach increases the likelihood of finding the alerts that can be exploited. It also enables organizations to plan the order of their security efforts accordingly.
Astra Security goes beyond automated vulnerability tests with deep configuration checks and manual pen test like checks. With added visibility, teams can be empowered to take intentional and impactful action to defend against known risks. As more security leaders adopt this approach, the landscape of cloud security is likely to evolve toward a more proactive and effective model.
