Microsoft has acquired CloudKnox Security, an identity and access management (IAM) start-up that caters to the sensibilities of the modern cloud computing environment.
“Since IT modernization often spans multiple clouds, cloud security and identity are top of mind for most of our customers. Modern identity security needs to protect all users and resources consistently across multicloud and hybrid cloud environments,” wrote Joy Chik, corporate vice president of Microsoft Identity in a blog post announcing the acquisition.
Chik reasons that the acquisition will enable Microsoft to give organizations better visibility into privileged access, fine-tune permissions, and enforce least-privilege principles consistently across their realm.
The CloudKnox acquisition closely follows the takeover of RiskIQ, another security vendor in July 2021, further beefing up Microsoft’s security portfolio, which reports claim has generated revenues of over $10 billion in the last year, translating into a year-on-year growth of 40%.
Cloud security
Microsoft said the the acquisition was motivated by the increasing number of businesses adopting a multi-cloud and hybrid-cloud approach.
However, Chik argues that while this new approach has its benefits, it also comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to managing privileged access across the cloud computing environment.
She says that while traditional IAM tools work well for on-premises environments, they aren’t suitable for the prevalent cloud computing environment.
“As the corporate network perimeter disappears, it’s crucial to establish a strong cloud identity foundation, so you can enforce least privileged access to protect business-critical systems while improving business agility,” reasons Chik.
According to CNBC, CloudKnox’s software works with Microsoft Azure, as well as the Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Via CNBC
