Uptycs: Your Swiss Army Knife for CNAPP Solutions

Product Overview and Value Proposition

As more organizations move to a cloud-first or hybrid deployment model, the protection of cloud-native applications is of the utmost importance. The Midnight Blizzard attack on Microsoft in 2024 exemplified the risks of insufficient cybersecurity: Attackers exploited the absence of multifactor authentication (MFA) in a nonproduction environment, ultimately compromising the production environment. This incident underscores the critical need for robust security solutions. Here, Uptycs is offering an innovative and comprehensive cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP), expanding on the usual offering by focusing on delivering a wide spectrum of features in one product that covers the entire lifecycle in depth and in one centralized platform. This tech note explores how Uptycs tackles the typically complex challenges of cloud security, providing both deep visibility and automation to safeguard cloud environments.

Target Audience

A CNAPP is the brains for cloud vulnerability management and exposure management. Typical vulnerability management has no context to know, for example, whether there is an app gateway in front of an application. A CNAPP will go beyond simple vulnerability management to offer exposure management with context from your environment, as well as remediation steps based on its findings.

A CNAPP also offers active protection in real-time, scanning for things like exposure and changes and providing alerts during runtime. It can also bring in data from third-party risk tools to provide supply chain risk visibility. As a category, CNAPP seeks to provide a holistic view of cloud application security posture.

The typical Uptycs customer is anyone with considerable cloud workloads – i.e. multicloud environments where the view of the attack surface is so complex that it requires tooling to simplify and make it manageable.

When you move your workloads into the cloud – and especially a multicloud environment – your attack surface is extraordinarily dependent on the third parties you work with and your supply chain. This is a fundamental difference from more traditional on-prem deployments where everything is within your control.

By aggregating data from all of your cloud sources with sufficient context, you can separate real risks from potential risks and understand how to best prioritize remediations for the best real-world risk reduction.

Core Features

Uptycs’ channel-focused go-to-market strategy is key in expanding its reach to both existing and prospective customers. Uptycs leverages alliances with various channel partners, like ATG and GuidePoint, to ensure its solutions are available to a broader audience. This approach is not just about distribution; it's about building relationships that foster trust and provide tailored solutions for different industry needs. Uptycs' focus on channel partnerships demonstrates a value placed on collaboration in the sales relationship, which is a valid concern for a customer who wants to ensure ongoing availability and support once the agreements are signed.

Source: Uptycs, Analyst Briefing Deck, 2024

Uptycs' Cybersecurity Offering and Value Proposition

Uptycs positions itself as a robust provider of cloud security solutions, with a suite that includes endpoint protection, vulnerability management, and detection and response capabilities. Here's a breakdown of what Uptycs brings to the table:

• Cloud Security Solutions: With the shift toward cloud environments, especially for AI workloads, Uptycs offers specialized security solutions designed to protect these dynamic spaces. Its focus on cloud security is timely, addressing the growing need for protection as organizations transition from traditional, on-premises setups to cloud-based operations.
• Endpoint Protection: Uptycs doesn't stop at cloud security; it extends its protection to endpoints, ensuring that devices accessing cloud resources are secure. This is critical in today's hybrid work environments where endpoint security is as vital as cloud security.
• Vulnerability Management: One of the strengths of Uptycs is its ability to help customers manage vulnerabilities effectively. This is achieved through continuous monitoring and assessment, providing actionable insights to mitigate risks.
• Detection and Response: Uptycs' detection and response capabilities are designed to identify and react to security incidents promptly, reducing the window of vulnerability and enhancing incident response times.
• Targeted Customer Base: Serving high-profile customers in the fintech and high-tech sectors like PayPal and Plaid, Uptycs has proven capable of handling the sensitive and critical security needs of these industries.

The value proposition of Uptycs is clear: to address the expanding complexity and attack surface in cloud environments, particularly those made worse by misconfigurations and unnecessary dependencies introduced by developers and ML engineers. This comprehensive approach ensures that security is not just an afterthought but an integral part of the development and operational lifecycle.

Source: Uptycs, Analyst Briefing Deck, 2024

Intersection of Attack Surface Management and CNAPP

Uptycs integrates attack surface management (ASM) with its CNAPP offering, providing a unified approach to security across different environments. Key aspects include:

• Unified Risk Management: By offering visibility and protection across cloud, containerized, on-premises Linux servers, and endpoints, Uptycs provides a holistic view of risk, enabling better management and prioritization.
• Deep Visibility: Uptycs’ extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) sensor offers visibility into Linux workloads, which is crucial for identifying vulnerabilities, malware, and other threats with precision. Uptycs does this without kernel refactoring concerns.
• Shift-Left Security: Uptycs has embraced the shift-left security paradigm, integrating security early in the development cycle. This includes securing container images and cloud control planes, addressing issues before they make it into production environments.
• Zero Trust Architecture: Emphasizing zero trust, Uptycs helps in implementing architectures that assume breach, thereby reducing the attack surface by limiting trust and enhancing security through continuous verification.

This integration ensures that security is woven into the fabric of application development and deployment, from inception to runtime, providing a robust defense against modern threats.

Source: Uptycs, Analyst Briefing Deck, 2024

The future seems to point toward either a convergence of CNAPP and ASM products or deep partnerships between them. Sudarsan Kannan, Head of Product – Cloud Security at Uptycs, suggests that understanding cloud security risks requires a deep dive into what's running in the environment, which inherently involves some form of cyber asset management. The industry is already witnessing this trend with companies like Jupiter One and Axonius partnering with CNAPP providers, indicating a synergy that could redefine cloud security approaches.

What Sets Uptycs Apart

Uptycs differentiates itself through several key areas:

• Deep Visibility: Uptycs’ use of an eBPF sensor that operates at the kernel level provides telemetry signals that competing products above the kernel level do not have access to. It allows system upgrades without fear that they will break the application or system. With some other sensors, upgrading the kernel will break sensor functionality, and you will have to wait for vendor updates. This level of depth in telemetry, visibility, and stability allows for a comprehensive understanding of potential threats.
• Unified Risk Management: The ability to manage risks across diverse environments under one platform simplifies security operations, enhancing response times and reducing complexity.
• Shift-Left Security: By integrating security early in the development process, Uptycs helps catch and fix issues before they become exploitable in production.
• Detection and Response: The combination of risk management with effective remediation tools allows security teams to focus on what matters most, reducing the noise and providing clarity on root causes.
• Prevention and Hardening: Uptycs goes beyond detection by offering capabilities to prevent vulnerable or compromised builds from reaching production, with sophisticated exception management when necessary.

Uptycs does not displace but complements static application security testing (SAST) solutions. While it provides insights into code commits and integrates with CI/CD pipelines, Uptycs partners with SAST providers like Checkmarx to enhance security by allowing bidirectional data sharing, where runtime threats can be correlated with code-level issues, offering a more comprehensive security posture.

Harnessing AI

Uptycs leverages AI in several strategic areas:

• Forensic Capabilities: AI enhances forensic incident response, using natural language processing (NLP) to streamline data analysis and speed up root cause identification.
• Risk Prioritization: By blending signals from hybrid cloud environments, AI helps prioritize risks and focus efforts where they're needed most, thereby improving operational efficiency.
• Detection and Response: AI aids in combining risk management with remediation, providing insights that help in proactive threat management.

Support for Various Assets and Deployment Models

Uptycs supports a wide array of assets, workloads, and deployment models:

• Assets: From Linux hosts to AIX workloads, Uptycs covers a broad spectrum, ensuring no asset is left unsecured.
• Workloads: Whether it's cloud, container, or on-premises, Uptycs has solutions tailored to each workload.
• Deployment Models: Uptycs’ flexibility to operate in cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments makes it a versatile choice for organizations with diverse IT landscapes. This is not a cloud-only solution.

Uptycs offers both on-premises and SaaS deployments. During an internet outage, sensors will continue to operate, ensuring data collection does not halt, and syncing data once connectivity resumes.

Addressing IoT and Noninstallable Assets

For IoT devices or assets without an install surface, Uptycs employs network-based asset discovery:

• Asset Discovery: Uptycs identifies all network-connected devices, including IoT devices, ensuring comprehensive visibility.
• Unmanaged Assets: Uptycs flags assets that cannot be scanned directly, allowing for further action like sensor installation, if feasible.

The discovery process in Uptycs involves scanning for assets, auditing them for risks, and presenting the top security issues, ensuring a proactive security stance. It can even identify outdated packages or libraries, providing visibility into software composition to ensure updates are timely.

Remediation Capabilities

Uptycs excels in remediation with:

• Guided Remediations: Step-by-step remediation for misconfigurations enhances the ease of fixing issues.
• Real-Time Compliance: Immediate enforcement of compliance policies through the Uptycs Protect version of the sensor ensures continuous adherence.

Vulnerability Management

Uptycs keeps ahead in vulnerability management through a dedicated research team, prioritization based on runtime context, and detailed vulnerability insights. Its exception mechanism features a streamlined review process, where users like developers could be allowed to seek exceptions interactively. This process is managed by role-based access control (RBAC), ensuring that all exception approvals remain compliant with established security policies.

Competitors

Uptycs competes with notable players like Wiz and Orca in cloud security, Sysdig and Aqua in container security, and Prisma across various security domains.

Our Take

Uptycs, a CNAPP vendor, has established itself as a key player in cloud security through its dev-to-runtime approach and strategic partnerships. Its sales strategy heavily relies on a channel go-to-market model, collaborating with partners like ATG and GuidePoint to extend its reach.

• eBPF Sensor: Uptycs differentiates itself with deep visibility into Linux workloads via eBPF technology, unified risk management across various environments, and early integration of security in the development process, known as shift-left security. This approach of unifying environments and providing intel through eBPF will simplify and enhance the user’s ability to prevent, identify, and resolve misconfigurations and vulnerabilities, which is crucial as organizations move toward cloud and AI workloads.
• Partnering: In addition to its robust cybersecurity offerings, Uptycs complements existing security tools like SAST by partnering with providers like Checkmarx, ensuring a comprehensive security approach. The platform supports a wide range of assets, workloads, and deployment models, from cloud to on-premises, enhancing its versatility. Uptycs also employs AI to improve forensic analysis, risk prioritization, and incident response, making security operations more efficient.
• Challenging Competitors With Big Brand Recognition: Despite strong competition from companies like Wiz, Orca, Sysdig, Aqua, and Prisma, Uptycs stands out for its integrated approach to cloud-native security, offering features that cover everything from vulnerability management to real-time compliance enforcement, making it a versatile and forward-thinking choice for modern IT environments. Just because they don’t have the same brand recognition does not mean they aren’t as good.

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