Cloud Security
Why Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) Alone Can’t Stop Modern Attacks
Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) enforce workload security and compliance, but attackers with valid credentials or insider privileges can still move undetected. Vectra AI works alongside your CNAPP investment, adding real-time AI-driven detection of identity-based and cloud-native threats across SaaS, IaaS, and hybrid environments.
The CNAPP Security Gap
CNAPP solutions are essential for enforcing security best practices and compliance, yet they rely on posture checks rather than live threat detection. When attackers hijack cloud credentials, exploit misconfigurations, or pivot across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, you need continuous AI-driven visibility that extends beyond policy enforcement.
How Attackers Evade CNAPP
1. Compromised Cloud Identities
CNAPP enforces policies but does not detect stolen credentials, privilege abuse, or identity-based attacks.
2. Exploiting misconfigurations
Attackers take advantage of excessive permissions or weak cloud settings that CNAPP flags but does not stop in real time
3. Lateral movement across cloud & SaaS
CNAPP secures cloud workloads, but it lacks visibility into cross-platform attacker movement.
The Real-World Consequences of CNAPP Visibility Gaps
In a Scattered Spider–style attack (as illustrated below), CNAPP would enforce security posture—but attackers using stolen credentials, encrypted API calls, and multi-cloud pivots blend into normal usage. Vectra AI’s continuous analytics would flag each stage of identity theft and lateral movement.
CNAPP Secures Workloads—Vectra AI Secures What Comes Next
CNAPP is vital for governance and posture, but it doesn’t monitor what happens after a user is authenticated. To catch compromised accounts, privilege escalation, and cross-service attacks in real time, you need AI-driven behavior monitoring across your full cloud and identity landscape.
CNAPP applies security controls and compliance checks, but:
- What if an attacker already has valid cloud credentials? CNAPP trusts authenticated users.
- What if the attack moves beyond a single cloud provider? CNAPP lacks deep detection across hybrid, multi-cloud, and SaaS environments.
- What if attackers escalate privileges inside the cloud? CNAPP may flag misconfigurations, but it does not detect identity abuse in real time.
How Vectra AI Fills the Gap
CNAPP governs posture, but Vectra AI uncovers genuine attacker behavior—tracking stolen-credential use, insider misuse, and hybrid-cloud pivots with high fidelity and low false positives.
- Detects Identity & Privilege Abuse: AI-driven monitoring uncovers cloud account takeovers and privilege escalation attempts.
- Stops Cloud-Based Lateral Movement: Tracks attacker activity across cloud and SaaS environments, even when credentials appear legitimate.
- Works alongside CNAPP: Complements CNAPP by providing real-time threat detection beyond compliance and policy enforcement.
With Vectra AI, you can stop attackers who exploit cloud identities—before they cause real damage.
How Vectra AI Complements CNAPP
CNAPP enforces cloud security policies, while Vectra AI detects active threats beyond configuration checks. Here’s how they compare:
Vectra AI doesn’t replace CNAPP, it enhances it by detecting cloud-native and identity-based threats that policy enforcement alone can miss.