Episode 116 — CASB: visibility and control for cloud usage and data flows

CASB appears in CloudNetX objectives because cloud adoption shifts data movement into SaaS and managed platforms where traditional perimeter controls may have limited visibility. This episode defines a CASB as a control layer that provides visibility into cloud application usage and applies policies to govern how users and devices interact with cloud services. The first paragraph focuses on the problem CASB addresses: organizations often have sanctioned cloud apps, unsanctioned shadow IT, and sensitive data that can be copied or shared outside approved channels. It explains CASB value in operational terms, including discovering cloud usage patterns, enforcing data handling rules, and integrating with identity so access decisions reflect user context rather than only network location. The episode frames CASB as a way to align cloud use with governance by making cloud activity observable and controllable without requiring every app to be managed the same way.