Why runtime security is the key to cloud protection

Cloud security teams are caught in an endless cycle. Every day, they sift through alerts, investigate misconfigurations, and analyze theoretical risks. Stymied by information-processing, their nemesis – hackers – don’t wait. Cyber criminals move fast, exploiting live environments while security teams remain buried in posture management and pre-deployment security checks.

The problem?

“Most cloud security strategies focus on what could go wrong, not what is going wrong right now,” said Bryan Kissinger, PhD, CISO and SVP of Security Solutions at Trace3. “Posture management tools (CSPM) highlight misconfigurations but don’t detect active threats. Shift-left security helps reduce vulnerabilities in development, but once workloads are running, security teams often lose visibility,”

Kissinger and his team at Trace3 are seeing trends of attackers exploiting identity constructs, moving laterally across cloud environments, and escalating privileges—without triggering traditional alerts.

Why traditional cloud security falls short

While incredibly valuable, posture management solutions focus on misconfigurations and potential impact analysis.

“Traditional CSPM solutions tell teams where there could be threats. Whether in code or in the cloud, there are too many potential indicators of risk to answer one simple question, ‘what do we need to fix today?’” Kissinger said.

Without runtime security, teams spend time investigating theoretical risks while real threats lurk undetected.

Why runtime security is a CNAPP essential

Runtime security shifts cloud defense from “what might happen” to “what’s happening now.” Instead of alerting teams about a possible misconfiguration that could be exploited, it detects initial access and actual exploitation attempts in real time.

Here’s why runtime security is critical:

• Real-time threat detection and runtime signals – Identifies active exploits as they happen, not after they’ve caused damage.    
• Lateral movement visibility – Detects attackers moving laterally through cloud environments.
• Identity and privilege abuse monitoring – Identifies misuse of cloud identities and permissions.
• Correlation of risks and live attacks – Prevents alert fatigue by connecting threats to meaningful attack paths.

Security isn’t just about hardening an environment; it’s about defending it while running.

How Wiz delivers runtime security

Wiz bridges the prevention-to-response gap with Wiz Defend, its Cloud Detection and Response (CDR/ADR) solution. Unlike traditional cloud posture management tools or runtime security tools built for securing endpoints, Wiz Defend:

• Detects cloud threats agentlessly in real-time across cloud, workload, Kubernetes, identity, and sensitive data layers, not just misconfigurations, reducing alert noise and prioritizing threats that represent a real risk.    
• Removes alert noise with vulnerabilities validated in runtime via an optional, lightweight eBPF sensor, in addition to unlocking real-time blocking, threat-hunting, and runtime forensic capabilities.
• Uses the Wiz Graph to correlate posture, identity, sensitive data, and developer activity with cloud & SaaS telemetry, threat intelligence, and runtime signals, giving teams a single source of truth for investigations and alert triage.                          
• Provides cloud-native response playbooks and one-click containment actions, so teams aren’t just alerted—they know how to respond and prevent potential incidents fast.

By integrating runtime security into the CNAPP framework, Wiz ensures that security teams aren’t just managing posture—they’re actively detecting, preventing, and stopping threats.

From posture to protection: Escaping the alert fatigue rabbit hole

“Security teams are tired of chasing theoretical risks. Without runtime protection, they’ll continue triaging the endless stream of alerts, low-priority misconfigurations, and disconnected findings,” Kissinger said.

A true CNAPP strategy isn’t just about prevention—it’s about continuous protection.

• See beyond static misconfigurations—detect live threats.
• Stop chasing alerts—correlate risk to real attack paths.
• Escape the noise—focus on what actually matters and address problems holistically.

It’s time to stop hunting for problems and start securing what’s live. Wiz delivers cloud detection and response as part of its unified CNAPP, helping security teams protect their cloud environments and applications in real time.

Want to see how Wiz Defend keeps runtime threats in check? Book a demo today. Or click here to speak with a Cloud Security expert and find out how Wiz can help.