Cloud security · Comparison
CSPM vs CASB: infrastructure vs access
They protect different edges of “the cloud.” CSPM secures how your cloud infrastructure is configured — your AWS, Azure, and GCP resources. CASB secures how your people use cloud and SaaS apps — the traffic and data flowing between users and services like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and thousands of others. One watches your config; the other watches usage.
What is Cloud Security Posture Management?
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) inspects the configuration and compliance of your cloud infrastructure (IaaS/PaaS) — IAM, storage, networking, encryption — and flags misconfigurations and drift, agentlessly, across accounts.
CSPM's world is the resources you build and run in the cloud. It doesn't see what SaaS apps your employees sign up for or what data they upload to them.
What is Cloud Access Security Broker?
A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) sits between users and cloud/SaaS applications to give you visibility and control: discovering shadow IT, enforcing access policies, applying data loss prevention, and detecting threats in how apps are used.
CASB's world is usage and data movement — who is accessing which app, from where, and what data is leaving. It governs the user-to-SaaS relationship, not your cloud infrastructure config.
Side by side
CSPM vs CASB, compared
| CSPM | CASB | |
|---|---|---|
| Secures | Cloud infrastructure configuration (IaaS/PaaS) | User access to cloud & SaaS apps |
| Core question | Is my cloud configured securely? | How are people using cloud apps, and is data safe? |
| Shadow IT discovery | No | Yes — a primary use |
| Data loss prevention | Indirect (via config) | Yes — inline DLP for SaaS |
| Deployment | Agentless, API to cloud providers | API and/or inline proxy to apps |
| Compliance | Infrastructure config evidence | Data-handling & usage controls |
| Belongs to | Cloud security posture | SSE / secure access stack |
Decision guide
When to choose each
Choose CSPM when
- ▸Your risk is cloud misconfiguration across AWS/Azure/GCP.
- ▸You need infrastructure compliance evidence (CIS, PCI, HIPAA).
- ▸You're securing what your teams build in the cloud.
Choose CASB when
- ▸Your risk is data leaving to sanctioned or unsanctioned SaaS.
- ▸You need shadow-IT discovery and SaaS DLP.
- ▸You're governing how employees access cloud apps.
CSPM and CASB cover different halves of cloud risk and pair naturally. CSPM keeps your infrastructure configured correctly; CASB keeps app usage and data movement in check. CASB is also part of the broader Security Service Edge (SSE), alongside a secure web gateway and ZTNA — while CSPM sits with CWPP and CIEM on the cloud-native (CNAPP) side.
Not sure which you need?
intSignal secures both sides — cloud posture and SaaS access — as managed cloud and secure-access services, so config risk and data risk are covered together.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between CSPM and CASB?
CSPM secures your cloud infrastructure configuration (IaaS/PaaS) — misconfigurations, drift, compliance. CASB secures how users access cloud and SaaS apps — shadow IT, DLP, and threat protection on the traffic between people and apps. CSPM watches your config; CASB watches usage.
Do I need both CSPM and CASB?
Usually, if you both build in the cloud and rely on SaaS. CSPM addresses infrastructure misconfiguration; CASB addresses data leaving to cloud apps and shadow IT. They cover different risks, so most organizations need both.
Is CASB part of SSE?
Yes. CASB is one of the pillars of Security Service Edge (SSE), together with a secure web gateway (SWG) and zero-trust network access (ZTNA). CSPM, by contrast, belongs to the cloud-native protection (CNAPP) family.
Does CSPM do data loss prevention?
Only indirectly, by flagging risky configurations (like a public bucket). Inline DLP for SaaS usage — catching sensitive data being uploaded or shared — is a CASB capability, not CSPM.