Which security solution mediates access to cloud services for users across devices, helping enforce policies and visibility?

Which security solution mediates access to cloud services for users across devices, helping enforce policies and visibility?

• A. Cloud identity provider
• B. Cloud security gateway
• C. Cloud access security broker (CASB)
• D. Cloud access management

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is a security layer that sits between users and cloud applications, providing centralized policy enforcement and visibility across devices. The Cloud Access Security Broker is the best fit because it acts as the gatekeeper for cloud services, discovering what cloud apps are in use, and enforcing security controls such as access policies, conditional access, MFA, and device posture, while also offering data protection and audit trails across multiple SaaS apps and endpoints. Why this fits best: a Cloud Identity Provider handles authentication and user provisioning but doesn’t centrally enforce cross-service policies or provide broad visibility into cloud app usage. A Cloud Security Gateway focuses more on network traffic controls rather than comprehensive app-level policy enforcement and governance. Cloud access management isn’t a standard term for this broad mediating role. The CASB uniquely covers access, policy enforcement, data security, and visibility across cloud services and devices.

The main idea here is a security layer that sits between users and cloud applications, providing centralized policy enforcement and visibility across devices. The Cloud Access Security Broker is the best fit because it acts as the gatekeeper for cloud services, discovering what cloud apps are in use, and enforcing security controls such as access policies, conditional access, MFA, and device posture, while also offering data protection and audit trails across multiple SaaS apps and endpoints.

Why this fits best: a Cloud Identity Provider handles authentication and user provisioning but doesn’t centrally enforce cross-service policies or provide broad visibility into cloud app usage. A Cloud Security Gateway focuses more on network traffic controls rather than comprehensive app-level policy enforcement and governance. Cloud access management isn’t a standard term for this broad mediating role. The CASB uniquely covers access, policy enforcement, data security, and visibility across cloud services and devices.