THE STATE OF CLOUD-NATIVE SECURITY '24

We begin our exploration of the 2024 state of cloud-native security with a look back at the events and influences of 2023, each of which factors into our current postures, the challenges we confront, and the strategies we’ve chosen to achieve our desired outcomes. 

While agile development, open-source software, and cloud-native technologies gained momentum in 2023, attacks targeting the application layer have become an established trend. The  cloud-native ecosystem grappled with a surge in supply chain attacks, highlighting the prevalence of vulnerabilities in  open-source software and third-party libraries. Real-world data analyzed by our Unit 42 team enhanced this picture, identifying the cloud as the dominant attack surface, with 80% of medium,  high, and critical exposures found in  cloud-hosted assets.

For some time, we’ve prioritized application and infrastructure security.  But we mustn’t forget that third,  all-important ball in the air. With the global datasphere reaching 120 zettabytes in 2023, securing sensitive data remains mission critical. The challenges of monitoring and controlling sensitive information, however, have escalated.