Gain visibility and control over SaaS application usage with CASB solutions that enforce security policies and detect threats.
Orion IT Service Team
April 10, 2026
Most organizations use dozens of cloud and SaaS applications—Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Slack, Zoom, Box, Dropbox, and more. But most IT teams don't have visibility into how these applications are being used or what data is being accessed and shared. Employees use cloud apps to bypass corporate security controls. Sensitive data moves to personal cloud storage. Malicious outsiders get access to compromised accounts. Without visibility and control, cloud applications become security vulnerabilities.
Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) sit between your users and cloud applications to provide visibility, control, and threat detection. They monitor application usage, enforce security policies, and detect suspicious behavior.
CASB solutions offer four key capabilities. First, visibility into cloud application usage—which apps are being used, who's using them, and what they're doing. Second, data protection through monitoring and controlling data access, detecting sensitive data being shared externally, and blocking unauthorized transfers. Third, threat detection that identifies compromised accounts, unusual access patterns, and malicious behavior. Fourth, compliance—enforcing security policies and maintaining audit trails for regulatory requirements.
These capabilities work together to close visibility and control gaps created by SaaS application usage that traditional security tools can't see.
Organizations use CASB to prevent data leakage by monitoring data transfers to personal cloud storage, blocking unauthorized sharing, and ensuring compliance with data residency requirements. They use CASB to manage shadow IT—discovering unauthorized cloud applications, understanding their usage, and controlling access. They use CASB to enforce MFA and conditional access policies across cloud applications that don't natively support these controls, ensuring strong authentication regardless of the SaaS app.
CASB also helps detect compromised accounts by identifying unusual access patterns, impossible travel scenarios, and suspicious activity. And organizations use CASB to maintain compliance by generating audit trails, documenting access controls, and proving policy enforcement for auditors and regulators.
CASB can be implemented as a cloud service, on-premises appliance, or agent-based solution. Cloud service CASB works for SaaS applications and provides easy deployment but may have higher latency. On-premises CASB provides more control and lower latency but requires infrastructure. Agent-based CASB provides endpoint protection but requires installation on each device.
Implementation requires careful planning to identify which cloud applications to monitor, what policies to enforce, and how to integrate with existing security tools. Organizations should start with high-risk applications and sensitive data categories, then expand coverage over time.
CASB is a key component of zero trust security architecture, which assumes no application or user is inherently trustworthy. CASB provides the visibility and control needed to enforce zero trust policies in cloud environments—verifying user identity, checking device security, and validating access rights before allowing access to applications and data.
Key Takeaway
Cloud Access Security Brokers provide visibility and control over SaaS applications, detect threats, enforce policies, and protect sensitive data—essential for securing modern cloud-based business operations.
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