As cloud computing continues to command the IT industry, companies experience the challenge of effectively securing their cloud infrastructures. Traditional security methods usually depend on positioning software agents in the cloud environment, which may introduce performance overhead and complexities. This is where agentless cloud security comes in. It's a security approach that runs without the need to install dedicated software agents in the cloud environment.
Agentless cloud security is becoming increasingly popular among modern organizations due to the multiple rewards it offers. Discussed below are six benefits of agentless cloud security.
Reduced security risk
While agent and agentless security solutions are all valid cloud security approaches, determining which one to select isn't easy because each has pros and cons. However, comparing agent vs agentless security can help you decide which one to opt for. In agent-based cloud security, cybercriminals often target security agents as a possible entry point into the environment.
With agentless security, there isn't a software agent to be targeted, contracting the attack surface and lowering an attack's overall risk. The quick and simple features of agentless security make it a suitable option when conducting scans to alleviate risks while complying with security standards and regulations.
Better resource efficiency and performance
Agentless cloud security operates at the API or virtual machine monitor (hypervisor) level, enabling centralized control and management across several instances. This solution avoids the performance impact and resource consumption associated with operating agent-based security on individual machines, delivering better resource utilization and performance in the cloud environment.
Low administrative costs
Agent-based security solutions need maintenance to ensure they don't become misconfigured or outdated. These administrative tasks are burdensome as they must be replicated across all the resources the security agents use. Agentless security has lower operation costs because they're easy to manage, and no agent deployments are required at endpoints. Additionally, this security solution has minimal resource requirements. Agentless cloud security systems can readily and easily be installed on workloads because of their portability.
Since it reduces management overheads, this solution significantly benefits organizations managing countless virtual computers. Agentless security also avoids the need to buy, deploy, and manage software agents, lowering infrastructure requirements, license costs, and administrative overheads. This leads to cost savings for companies.
Simplified operations and management
Agentless security solutions lower the complexity linked with managing several agents across various cloud infrastructures. It offers an integrated view of the security outlook, smoothens security operations, and simplifies policy implementation. This enables security teams to pay more attention to strategic ambitions instead of the operational difficulties of managing individual security agents.
High scalability
Scaling agent-based security isn't easy as the company grows and the networks become more complex. It'll be highly costly and resource-intensive for companies to incorporate and manage security agents for new offices and devices.
Agentless security is highly scalable, making it a to-go option for many modern organizations because it can adapt seamlessly as cloud infrastructure scales up and down without requiring manual agent reconfigurations or installations. This scalability ascertains that security measures stay efficient and functional as cloud environments evolve.
Better compliance and auditing capabilities
Agentless security offers centralized tracking and auditing abilities, letting organizations illustrate compliance with internal security policies and industry regulations. They offer the necessary reporting and visibility tools to detect vulnerabilities and evaluate security posture while effectively responding to audits.
Endnote
Agentless cloud security is vital for businesses in the modern digital scenery. Familiarize yourself with the benefits of agentless cloud security to determine if it's worth considering.
