Microsoft Named Leader in Cloud Native Application Protection Platforms

Microsoft has been named a Leader in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Cloud Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP), reflecting its shift towards unifying cloud and AI security into one operational view of risk.

The report highlights the increasing complexity of modern IT estates, which now span multiple clouds and on-premises systems. With architectures built on containers, Kubernetes, serverless functions, microservices, APIs, and AI-powered workloads, organizations face a growing challenge in identifying individual risks and determining how misconfigurations, identities, and data exposures combine to create real attack paths.

KuppingerCole evaluates providers based on product strength, innovation, and market presence. Microsoft's Defender for Cloud stands out as it extends cloud security beyond infrastructure protection and into a unified security platform for cloud, data, identity, AI, and security operations.