What role does a cloud access security broker (CASB) serve in cloud environments?

A cloud access security broker (CASB) plays a crucial role in cloud environments by mediating access to cloud services. This function involves acting as a gatekeeper, ensuring that organizations can securely connect to cloud applications while maintaining compliance with their security policies and regulatory requirements.

CASBs facilitate the enforcement of security policies and provide visibility and control over the use of cloud services across an organization. They can help manage access based on user identity, context of the access request, and the type of data being accessed, effectively bridging the gap between users and cloud applications. Through this mediation process, CASBs can also provide additional features like data loss prevention, threat protection, and visibility into user activity, making them integral to secure cloud service utilization.

While other options, such as providing a physical firewall or encrypting data at rest, represent important cybersecurity practices, they do not encompass the primary function of a CASB in the cloud environment. Additionally, while user account management is essential for overall access security, it is one aspect of what CASBs may help manage during the mediation of access to cloud services.