Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) refers to a security solution designed to provide unified visibility and control for physical machines, virtual machines (VMs), containers, and serverless workloads across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Unlike CSPM, which focuses on the configuration of the cloud infrastructure itself, CWPP is agent-centric and focuses on the security of the application and the compute resources (the "workload") running on top of that infrastructure. As organizations embrace granular architectures like microservices and Kubernetes, the traditional network perimeter dissolves, making the workload itself the new security perimeter. CWPP ensures that these workloads remain secure throughout their lifecycle, from development to runtime, regardless of where they are deployed.

To secure cloud applications effectively, a CWPP solution addresses the following core functions:

• Vulnerability Management: Scanning operating systems, container images, and applications for known vulnerabilities (CVEs) during the build pipeline and continuously in production.
• Runtime Protection: Monitoring active workloads for suspicious behavior, malware, and zero-day attacks, often using behavioral analysis to detect anomalies such as unauthorized process spawning or unexpected network connections.
• Network Segmentation (Micro-segmentation): Enforcing granular firewall policies at the workload level to prevent lateral movement of attackers between containers or services within the same cloud environment.
• System Integrity Assurance: Ensuring that critical system files and configurations have not been tampered with, often through File Integrity Monitoring (FIM).

Implementing CWPP is essential for a comprehensive "defense-in-depth" strategy. By integrating security directly into the workload, organizations can maintain protection even as applications move dynamically between different cloud providers and on-premise data centers, ensuring consistency in security policy and compliance.