This article is more than 1 year old

Securing the cloud while Windows burns: Microsoft pops CloudKnox in trolley

At least Redmond is taking some security seriously

Microsoft has snapped up cloud security outfit CloudKnox while researchers continue to poke holes in its down-to-earth Windows operating system.

The acquisition comes a week after the purse strings were loosened for RiskIQ and amid ongoing woes around a succession of vulnerabilities in its flagship OS. Still, at least the company is taking cloud security seriously.

CloudKnox is all about cloud infrastructure entitlement and permissions management, and the protection of resources from permission exploitation. Vaguely ironic, considering the recent snafu over Windows file permissions.

The company also lists AWS, VMware, and Google Cloud as partners, as well as Microsoft's Azure. And it hooks up with on-premises systems such as Active Directory.

Microsoft's intention looks to be to fold the acaquired tech into its existing security line-up with an eye to enforcing policies over a multi-cloud environment. Microsoft also highlighted the benefits the extra permission visibility would give its Azure Active Directory customers.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, although California-based CloudKnox, which began its "journey" in February 2017, according to CEO Balaji Parimi, has had a number of cash injections over the years, with funding supplied by investors including Wipro Ventures.

The purchase is interesting since AWS has featured large in CloudKnox's plans. As recently as May, CloudKnox was bragging about joining the AWS Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Accelerate Program and its "multi-dimensional integration with AWS."

Still, as "multicloud" is very much the word of the hour, a platform that straddles cloud platforms is no bad thing.

Now if only Microsoft could put some of that cloudy effort into fixing Windows' security. That would be grand. ®

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like