What Is CWPP (Cloud Workload Protection Platform)?
What Is CWPP?
CWPP (Cloud Workload Protection Platform) is a security platform designed to protect workloads running in cloud environments. A workload can include virtual machines (VMs), containers, Kubernetes resources, serverless functions, application processes, and the data associated with them.
Rather than focusing on where a workload runs, CWPP focuses on what is running inside it. It examines the code, processes, configurations, permissions, and behaviors that could expose the workload to risk.
Traditional server security was built for relatively static environments. Cloud environments operate differently. Workloads are created and removed frequently, and they are often distributed across multiple cloud accounts, regions, and clusters. As environments grow, manually monitoring every workload becomes difficult. CWPP helps security teams understand vulnerabilities, configurations, permissions, and runtime activity in a single context.
Why Cloud Workload Security Matters
Cloud breaches rarely result from a single vulnerability alone. A workload may be exposed to the internet, contain long-lived credentials, and have excessive permissions connected to sensitive resources. An attacker can combine these weaknesses to move deeper into the environment. The combination often creates a greater risk than any individual issue.
Container images may contain vulnerable packages. Serverless functions can be difficult to monitor because they run for short periods of time. In Kubernetes environments, misconfigured permissions and network settings can expand potential attack paths.
Security teams need to look beyond whether a vulnerability exists. They also need to understand whether that vulnerability can be exploited in a running workload and what impact it could have if compromised.
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How CWPP Works
CWPP typically operates in three stages.
The first stage is workload discovery. The platform identifies cloud accounts, virtual machines, container images, Kubernetes resources, serverless functions, and other assets that require protection.
The second stage is risk analysis. CWPP evaluates vulnerabilities, insecure configurations, excessive permissions, exposed secrets, and other security issues. Simply generating a list of findings is not enough. Security teams need context about internet exposure, workload status, privilege levels, and access to sensitive data.
The final stage is runtime protection. Runtime refers to the period when a workload is actively executing. Attackers may attempt to run malicious processes, escalate privileges, escape containers, or deploy cryptominers during this phase. CWPP detects these activities and connects them to alerting, blocking, isolation, and investigation workflows.
Key Features
Workload Visibility
CWPP provides visibility into cloud workloads across environments. This goes beyond maintaining an asset inventory. Security teams need to understand which workloads are exposed externally, which images they were deployed from, what permissions they use, and what data they can access.
Vulnerability and Image Security
Container and VM images may contain vulnerable libraries, packages, or operating system components before deployment. CWPP scans both images and running workloads to identify vulnerabilities and help teams focus on the issues that pose the highest risk. Issues discovered during development can be fixed before deployment. Vulnerabilities found in production should be prioritized based on factors such as exposure, exploitability, and workload activity.
Runtime Threat Detection
Runtime protection is one of the core functions of CWPP. Activities such as fileless execution, suspicious process creation, privilege escalation, abnormal network connections, and container escape attempts are difficult to detect through pre-deployment scanning alone. Security teams need visibility into what is actually happening inside running workloads.
Host IPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System)
Host IPS helps prevent attacks that target servers and workloads. If an attacker attempts to exploit a known vulnerability or execute suspicious system calls, Host IPS can detect and block the activity. In environments where patches cannot be applied immediately, it can also reduce risk through virtual patching techniques. Because many cloud workloads are internet-facing, Host IPS often serves as an additional layer of defense.
Integrity Monitoring
Integrity monitoring tracks unexpected changes to critical files and system configurations. For example, an attacker may modify system files, alter configurations, or add malicious scripts after gaining access. CWPP continuously monitors these assets and alerts security teams when unauthorized changes occur. This capability is also commonly used to support compliance requirements that require file change tracking and auditing.
Application Control
Application Control governs which applications and processes can run within a workload. Security teams can allow only approved applications or restrict the execution of specific processes. This makes it more difficult for attackers to install unauthorized tools or execute malicious software after a compromise. For example, a web server may be configured to run only approved web service processes while blocking unapproved shells or administrative tools.
Anti-Malware
Anti-malware capabilities detect and block malicious software. They can identify known malware families such as ransomware, backdoors, cryptominers, and trojans, while also analyzing suspicious file behavior. Many modern solutions combine signature-based detection with behavioral analysis. In containerized environments, anti-malware tools can help detect malicious downloads, unauthorized process execution, and cryptocurrency mining activity.
Policy Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring
Organizations often need to apply security standards and regulatory requirements across cloud workloads. CWPP helps evaluate encryption settings, open ports, insecure configurations, and compliance violations. However, compliance alone does not guarantee security. A workload may meet compliance requirements and still be targeted by runtime attacks.
CWPP vs. CSPM vs. CNAPP
CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management) focuses on cloud configurations and infrastructure settings. It helps identify issues such as publicly exposed storage, overly permissive security groups, and misconfigured IAM policies. A simple way to view the distinction is that CSPM asks, “Is the cloud environment configured securely?” while CWPP asks, “Can this running workload be attacked or abused?”
CWPP focuses on the workloads themselves. Vulnerabilities, processes, container activity, and runtime threats are its primary concerns.
CNAPP (Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform) combines multiple cloud security capabilities, including CSPM, CWPP, CIEM (Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management), and code security, into a unified platform. CWPP is often considered one of the foundational components of a CNAPP strategy.
What to Look for When Evaluating a CWPP Solution
When evaluating a CWPP solution, security teams should focus on operational outcomes rather than feature names.
The first consideration is coverage. Determine whether the platform supports only virtual machines or also protects containers, Kubernetes environments, and serverless workloads.
The second consideration is runtime visibility. Security teams need to understand how effectively the solution can detect process activity, network behavior, and attack techniques within active workloads.
The final consideration is workflow integration. Findings should connect to ticketing systems, alerting workflows, policy exception processes, and deployment pipelines. Otherwise, alerts may accumulate while remediation actions are delayed.
The goal of CWPP is not to eliminate every risk at once. Its purpose is to help security teams identify the workloads that present the greatest risk and detect active threats before they lead to broader compromise.
FAQ
How Is CWPP Different from EDR?
EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) focuses primarily on endpoint and server activity. CWPP is designed specifically for cloud environments. It incorporates workload-specific context such as containers, Kubernetes, serverless functions, cloud permissions, and image vulnerabilities alongside runtime monitoring.
Does CWPP Require an Agent?
It depends on the product architecture. Agent-based approaches typically provide deeper runtime visibility and behavioral monitoring. Agentless approaches reduce deployment overhead and can quickly assess large environments. Many organizations choose a combination of both approaches based on the workloads they need to protect and the level of visibility they require.
Is CWPP Needed During Development?
Yes. Finding vulnerable images, packages, and configurations before deployment is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk. However, development-stage scanning alone is not sufficient. New threats, configuration changes, permission misuse, and runtime attacks can emerge after deployment. CWPP helps bridge the gap between pre-deployment security checks and runtime protection.
What We Do for CWPP
AhnLab CPP is a Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) that provides integrated protection for workloads operating across various forms of cloud infrastructure, including physical servers, virtual servers, cloud VMs, Kubernetes clusters, and serverless containers. AhnLab CPP delivers unified security management for cloud workloads through a single management system, covering host-level protection such as anti-malware, IDS/IPS, firewall, application control, and integrity monitoring, as well as the identification of running containers and image scanning.