Why Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Alone Can’t Stop Modern Attacks

The CSPM Security Gap

CSPM solutions are essential for identifying configuration drift and enforcing policy, yet they focus on what “should” be, not what’s actively happening. When attackers hijack identities, abuse permissions, or pivot between cloud and SaaS, you need continuous AI-driven threat detection to fill those visibility gaps. 

How Attackers Evade CSPM

1. Compromised Cloud Identities

CSPM flags misconfigurations, but it does not detect attackers using stolen credentials or abusing legitimate access.

2. Exploiting Excessive Permissions 

Threat actors leverage overly permissive roles to escalate privileges, bypassing CSPM policy checks.

3. Lateral movement across cloud & SaaS

CSPM monitors configurations but does not track attacker movement between cloud workloads and SaaS applications.

The Real-World Consequences of CSPM Visibility Gaps

In a Scattered Spider–style attack (as illustrated below), CSPM would enforce configuration checks—but attackers using stolen credentials, API-based pivots, and multi-service workflows blend into normal usage. Vectra AI’s continuous analytics would flag each stage of identity compromise and lateral movement.

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CSPM Secures Configurations— Vectra AI Secures What Comes Next

CSPM is vital for governance and posture, but it doesn’t monitor what happens after authentication. To catch credential theft, privilege escalation, and hybrid-cloud pivots in real time, you need AI-driven behavior monitoring across your entire environment. 

CSPM applies policy enforcement and configuration management, but:

• What if an attacker already has valid cloud credentials? CSPM does not monitor real-time account activity.
• What if the attack moves across multiple cloud services? CSPM lacks detection capabilities for cross-cloud and SaaS lateral movement.
• What if attackers escalate privileges inside the cloud? CSPM identifies misconfigurations but does not detect active privilege abuse.

How Vectra AI Fills the Gap

CSPM monitors cloud security posture, but it does not detect active threats or identity abuse. The Vectra AI Platform provides real-time detection of cloud and identity-based threats, stopping attackers before they escalate.

• 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 with CSPM & XDR – Complements CSPM 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 CSPM

CSPM enforces cloud security policies, while Vectra AI detects active threats beyond configuration checks. Here’s how they compare:

Vectra AI doesn’t replace CSPM, it enhances it by detecting cloud-native and identity-based threats that configuration monitoring misses.