CNAPP Companies: Navigating the Cloud-Native Security Landscape

As organizations increasingly rely on cloud-native architectures, CNAPP has surfaced as the umbrella term for an integrated approach to cloud security. CNAPP, short for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform, is designed to unite security controls that span the entire software lifecycle—from development to runtime—across multi-cloud environments. Rather than stitching together disparate tools, security teams now look for CNAPP platforms that combine cloud security posture management (CSPM), cloud workload protection (CWPP), identity and access management protection (CIEM), and IaC (infrastructure as code) security. This shift is reshaping how we approach risk, compliance, and incident response in the cloud.

What CNAPP actually covers

At its core, CNAPP aims to solve fragmentation by offering a single source of truth for cloud risk. The typical CNAPP stack includes:

• CSPM to continuously monitor cloud configurations and compliance posture across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.
• CWPP to protect cloud workloads, containers, serverless functions, and runtime environments against threats.
• CIEM to analyze and manage identities and entitlements across cloud ecosystems, reducing privilege abuse.
• IaC security to scan infrastructure code before deployment, catching misconfigurations early in the development cycle.
• Runtime protection and threat detection to identify and respond to real-time attacks in cloud-native apps.

When these components work together, CNAPP helps reduce blind spots, accelerates remediation, and supports better governance. For organizations juggling multiple cloud accounts and a spectrum of development teams, CNAPP offers a consolidated view of risk, policy, and enforcement across environments.

Leading CNAPP providers and what they offer

Several players have established themselves in the CNAPP market by delivering comprehensive platforms that blend CSPM, CWPP, and CIEM capabilities with IaC and runtime protection. Here are some widely recognized CNAPP vendors and the strengths they bring to the table:

Palo Alto Networks — Prisma Cloud

Prisma Cloud is one of the most mature CNAPP offerings, built to span multi-cloud accounts, containers, serverless, and data security. It provides robust CSPM coverage, deep CWPP protection for hosts and workloads, and strong CIEM capabilities. The platform also includes IaC scanning and compliance management, all accessible through an integrated dashboard. Organizations typically choose Prisma Cloud for its breadth, strong policy templates, and enterprise-grade support for large, complex environments.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Defender for Cloud (formerly Azure Security Center) integrates with Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem and extends security posture management across hybrid and multi-cloud deployments. It emphasizes native integration with Azure-native services, but it also offers CSPM-like features for non-Azure environments. For teams already invested in Microsoft 365, Azure, and the broader Microsoft security stack, Defender for Cloud provides a cohesive, familiar experience with built-in compliance assessments and threat protection.

Lacework

Lacework positions itself as a cloud security platform that naturally blends CSPM, CWPP, and workload insights. Its strength lies in data-driven risk detection, runtime protection, and automated policy enforcement. Lacework is often favored by organizations seeking strong anomaly detection across cloud workloads and Kubernetes environments, along with clear, actionable remediation guidance.

Wiz

Wiz is known for its agentless approach to visibility and its fast time-to-value in discovering misconfigurations, drift, and workload risks. As a CNAPP platform, Wiz emphasizes broad coverage across cloud accounts, containers, and serverless functions, with a focus on simplifying security operations and reducing the number of tools needed to secure cloud environments.

Check Point — CloudGuard

CloudGuard offers CNAPP capabilities that span posture management, workload protection, and identity-related controls, along with threat intelligence integration. Check Point emphasizes threat prevention and compliance, making it attractive for organizations that require mature policy enforcement and a strong focus on governance and data protection across multi-cloud setups.

Fortinet — FortiCWP and Cloud Security Suite

Fortinet’s CNAPP landscape combines FortiCWP (Cloud Workload Protection) with broader Fortinet security services. The platform emphasizes high performance, integrated zero-trust networking, and consistent policy management across on-premises and cloud environments. For enterprises already using Fortinet’s firewall and SD-WAN ecosystems, FortiCWP can offer a cohesive security posture with familiar tooling.

How to evaluate CNAPP platforms

Choosing a CNAPP platform is a strategic decision that goes beyond feature lists. Consider these criteria when evaluating CNAPP vendors:

• Scope and depth: Ensure the platform covers CSPM, CWPP, and CIEM in a tightly integrated way, with effective IaC scanning and runtime protection.
• Cloud and Kubernetes coverage: Verify support for your public clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP) and your container orchestration strategy, including Kubernetes and serverless environments.
• Policy governance and compliance: Look for robust policy templates, customizable controls, and easy-to-use remediation guidance aligned with your regulatory requirements.
• Runtime detection and response: Assess the platform’s capabilities for real-time threat detection, telemetry, and automated or semi-automated response workflows.
• Integrations: Check compatibility with your SIEM, SOAR, ticketing, and CI/CD pipelines to support a smooth security operations workflow.
• Usability and scalability: Consider the ease of deployment, the quality of dashboards, and the ability to scale across dozens or hundreds of cloud accounts.
• Cost and total cost of ownership: Evaluate licensing models, data ingestion costs, and whether the platform reduces the need for multiple separate tools.

Practical use cases for CNAPP

CNAPP platforms shine in several common scenarios:

• Multi-cloud posture management: Continuously assess configurations, detect drift, and remediate misconfigurations across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
• Container and serverless security: Protect container runtimes, image registries, and serverless functions from exploits, with vulnerability scanning and anomaly detection.
• IaC security in DevOps: Integrate scanning into CI/CD pipelines to block risky configurations before deployment and deliver developer-friendly remediation feedback.
• Identity-centric risk: Monitor privileged access, entitlements, and risky identities to minimize blast radius in cloud environments.
• Compliance and audit readiness: Automate evidence gathering, policy enforcement, and reporting to satisfy standards such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, and industry-specific regulations.

Implementation considerations and best practices

To maximize value from CNAPP investments, organizations should approach adoption thoughtfully:

1. Start with a baseline: Define your critical workloads, data classifications, and compliance needs to guide policy creation.
2. Adopt a phased rollout: Begin with CSPM and IaC security in development, then extend to CWPP and CIEM in production environments.
3. Align security with development velocity: Provide developers with clear remediation guidance and automations that do not slow delivery cycles.
4. Integrate with existing tooling: Ensure seamless data exchange with your SIEM/SOAR and ticketing systems to improve mean time to containment (MTTC).
5. Measure outcomes: Track improvements in mean time to detect (MTTD), mean time to respond (MTTR), and policy compliance rates to demonstrate value.

Future directions in CNAPP

The CNAPP landscape is evolving as cloud-native architectures become more complex. Expect deeper integration with identity security, more advanced runtime protections, and enhanced visibility across ephemeral resources like functions and microservices. Vendors are likely to invest in AI-assisted remediation—understood as guidance rather than automated decisions—to help security teams act quickly while maintaining guardrails. For organizations planning a cloud modernization roadmap, staying aligned with a robust CNAPP strategy will be essential to maintaining secure, compliant, and resilient cloud-native applications.

Conclusion: making CNAPP work for your organization

CNAPP represents a shift toward unified, platform-level security for cloud-native environments. By consolidating CSPM, CWPP, CIEM, and IaC security under a single umbrella, organizations gain better visibility, faster remediation, and stronger governance across multi-cloud deployments. The right CNAPP vendor should fit your cloud footprint, integrate with your development and operations workflows, and deliver measurable improvements in security posture and efficiency. As Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms mature, the teams that adopt them thoughtfully — pairing people, processes, and technology — will be best positioned to balance innovation with risk management in the cloud.