CNAPP — Glossary

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform

An integrated security platform that combines cloud workload protection, cloud security posture management, infrastructure-as-code scanning, and runtime protection for cloud-native applications.

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What Is CNAPP?

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) is a unified approach to cloud security that brings together multiple capabilities that were previously separate point products:

  • CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management) — Misconfiguration detection
  • CWPP (Cloud Workload Protection Platform) — Runtime workload security
  • CIEM (Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management) — Identity and access risk
  • IaC Scanning — Pre-deployment security checks
  • Container/Kubernetes Security — Image scanning, runtime protection

Why CNAPP Emerged

Organizations moving to the cloud adopted separate tools for each security concern — one for misconfiguration scanning, another for workload runtime protection, another for container security. This created tool sprawl, visibility gaps, and alert overload. CNAPP consolidates these into a single platform with unified context.

Key CNAPP Capabilities

| Capability | Description | |---|---| | Agentless Scanning | Discover and assess cloud resources without deploying agents | | Graph-based Risk Analysis | Map relationships between misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and access paths to find toxic combinations | | Shift-left Security | Scan IaC templates and container images in CI/CD pipelines | | Runtime Protection | Monitor running workloads for threats and anomalies | | Compliance Mapping | Map findings to CIS, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and other frameworks | | Attack Path Analysis | Visualize how an attacker could chain vulnerabilities to reach critical assets |

Evaluating CNAPP Solutions

Key considerations:

  1. Cloud coverage — AWS, Azure, GCP, and multi-cloud support
  2. Agent vs. agentless — Agentless for visibility, agent-based for runtime protection
  3. Developer experience — CI/CD integration, IDE plugins, developer-friendly findings
  4. Risk prioritization — Context-aware scoring that considers exploitability, exposure, and business impact
  5. Consolidation value — How many existing tools it can replace

Leading CNAPP Vendors

The CNAPP market includes Wiz, Prisma Cloud (Palo Alto Networks), Orca Security, Check Point CloudGuard, Aqua Security, Lacework, Sysdig, and Trend Micro Cloud One.

Related Resources

Categories

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP)

Compare the best CNAPP alternatives to Wiz in 2026. Prisma Cloud, Aqua Security, Sysdig — CNAPP capabilities, deployment models, and pricing compared.

Cloud Workload Security Platforms

Compare the best cloud workload security alternatives to Wiz in 2026. Trend Micro Cloud One, Lacework, Sysdig — workload protection, runtime security, and pricing compared.

Agentless Cloud Security Platforms

Compare the best agentless cloud security alternatives to Wiz in 2026. Orca Security, Ermetic (Tenable), Check Point CloudGuard — features, scanning depth, and pricing compared.

Products

Wiz

Agentless cloud security platform with full-stack visibility and risk prioritization across multi-cloud environments

Prisma Cloud

Comprehensive CNAPP from Palo Alto Networks securing applications from code to cloud

Orca Security

Agentless cloud security platform using SideScanning technology for full-stack visibility

Check Point CloudGuard

Cloud security posture and network security platform backed by Check Point's threat prevention expertise

Aqua Security

Cloud-native security platform specializing in container, Kubernetes, and serverless protection

Lacework

Data-driven cloud security platform using behavioral analytics for automated threat detection

Sysdig

Cloud and container security platform built on open-source Falco for runtime threat detection

Trend Micro Cloud One

Multi-cloud security platform offering modular workload protection and posture management

Sources & References

  1. NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0[Government Standard]
  2. NIST Computer Security Resource Center[Government Standard]
  3. MITRE ATT&CK Framework[Industry Framework]
  4. OWASP Foundation[Industry Framework]
  5. CISA Cybersecurity Best Practices[Government Standard]
  6. SANS Institute Reading Room[Industry Research]
  7. Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)[Industry Framework]
  8. CIS Critical Security Controls[Industry Framework]
  9. Gartner Market Guide for CNAPP 2024[Analyst Report]
  10. Forrester Wave: Cloud Workload Security 2024[Analyst Report]
  11. IDC MarketScape: Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms 2024[Analyst Report]
  12. GigaOm Radar for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms[Analyst Report]
  13. Cloud Security Alliance: Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)[Industry Framework]
  14. CIS Benchmarks for AWS, Azure, and GCP[Industry Framework]
  15. Gartner Peer Insights: CNAPP[Peer Reviews]