Why Lacework is a Leader in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for CNAPP

Cloud security is a highly competitive sector where point solution vendors often come and go. But cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs) that bring a holistic approach to solving customer outcomes will be a lasting force. In their attempts to offer CNAPP-level capabilities, some vendors acquire and integrate disparate point solutions into their products, but this strategy tends to complicate things further rather than simplifying them. At Lacework, we believe that true CNAPPs are built on a unified platform and effectively combine risk mitigation and threat management — and that’s exactly why we’re being recognized as a leading CNAPP solution. 

We’re incredibly excited to have been named a Leader in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP). This report provides an overview of the CNAPP solutions available in the market today, evaluating tools from different vendors to help organizations find the one that best aligns with their needs. It also breaks down the trends influencing the CNAPP market and reviews how well each solution protects cloud-based applications. Let’s explore some of the key highlights. 

Cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs): A quick breakdown

While cloud services make it possible for companies to develop and innovate faster, they also introduce shared security responsibilities, which can sometimes be confusing or overwhelming. In an effort to secure all corners of their clouds, customers and vendors often find themselves trying to stitch together point solutions. CNAPPs like Lacework were created to solve and simplify this problem. These tools make managing cloud security simpler and more efficient by giving organizations the power to address cloud risks from one place, rather than using an assortment of disparate solutions to identify cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, protect workloads, manage identities and permissions, etc. 

The report highlighted several capabilities CNAPPs should have: 

• Cover and provide visibility of the major cloud services (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, etc.) 
• Automate security tasks like finding and fixing vulnerabilities and threats
• Make life easier for both DevOps and security teams
• Ensure compliance with regulations and enforce best security practices
• Ensure that various security technologies can operate together at cloud scale 

In the short term, KuppingerCole expects CNAPPs to expand their coverage and increase their use of AI and machine learning. In the long term, companies should prepare for new cloud workload risks introduced by AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), and tools will be needed to help address those. At Lacework, we believe that one unified platform will be critical to do so successfully, and from our founding in 2015, we have pioneered the use of AI/ML for anomaly threat detection. More recently, in 2023, we introduced our GenAI tool Lacework AI Assist to further enhance our users’ ability to detect and rapidly remediate risks and threats.

Why Lacework? 

Lacework stands out in the report with strong positive (5 out of 5) ratings in all of the product capability categories: security, functionality, deployment, interoperability, and usability. We were named an Overall Leader in addition to a Product and Innovation Leader as well. 

• Overall Leader: As an overall leader, we stand alongside industry giants, demonstrating growth and innovation in the CNAPP market.
• Product Leader: Our position as a product leader means that we excel in providing comprehensive capabilities. 
• Innovation Leader: Anticipating future technical needs, we drive market changes with our cutting-edge products.

The Lacework platform was specifically recognized for many of our unique capabilities and innovations. A few highlights: 

• Privacy matters: With our “private by design” agentless workload scanning approach,  customer private data never leaves their accounts. 
• Patented AI-based anomaly detection: The platform uses patented AI-based anomaly detection and machine learning to deeply analyze your cloud data and detect unusual threat behaviors that are missed by simple risk-based posture tools. It also provides the context you need to investigate quickly. 
• Attack Path Analysis: Evaluates risks based on how exposed your cloud setup is.
• Simple setup: Easy to set up and use with our cloud-based service; optional agents for deeper insights.
• Unified security: Combines code and cloud security checks in one place. One dashboard for AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and OCI.
• Easy integration: Works well with various development tools and pipelines. popular security and incident management tools.
• DevOps-friendly: Monitors Kubernetes environments and logs for anomalies, controls Kubernetes access, and scans containers and registries; controls Kubernetes access.
• Identity monitoring: Watches for risky user and service access rights.

Learn more about leading CNAPPs

If you’re looking for a CNAPP solution that’s smart, unified, and ready for the future of cloud security, Lacework is your go-to. Our complete platform provides customers with a single place to manage security for different cloud services. By combining the latest in technology with our customer-first approach, Lacework is the CNAPP you need to protect your organization. 

Read the full report here.