Unified Cloud Security: A Look at Independent CNAPP Platforms

As the cloud enters daily life and business, cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs) are becoming an essential element of online security. These solutions help teams build, deploy, and run applications in cloud environments, while ensuring effective collaboration between developers and security teams. However, vendor lock-in concerns have led many to seek independent CNAPP solutions. 

What Is an Independent CNAPP? 

An independent CNAPP offers unified security, combining several security tools typically isolated from one another into a single solution. Where traditional cloud security approaches—such as those integrated into a cloud provider’s service—may leave gaps and inefficiencies between siloed tools, independent CNAPPs attempt to provide control over the entire infrastructure with a single secure solution. 

According to Gartner, “By 2029, 60% of enterprises that do not deploy a unified CNAPP solution within their cloud architecture will lack extensive visibility into the cloud attack surface and consequently fail to achieve their desired zero-trust goals.” 

The Value of Neutrality 

Neutrality is key for avoiding point solutions and vendor lock-in, alleviating dependence on a single cloud provider’s service. An independent CNAPP means flexibility across the cloud, while those managed by cloud providers tend to focus on acquisition and consolidation. By its nature, an independent CNAPP must work to maintain the customer’s focus and actively pursue innovation to stay ahead. 

Replatforming is another point of concern for cloud provider-managed CNAPPs, since any acquired solutions may have to undergo this process depending on how their infrastructure was originally built. An independent CNAPP enables the customer to choose the solution that best fits their existing infrastructure, and these tools are often developed with interoperability already in mind. 

Top Independent CNAPPs of 2025 

When choosing an independent CNAPP platform, it is important to choose a solution that best benefits the individual or business who will depend on it. The following are some of the top independent CNAPPs of 2025: 

• Orca Cloud Security Platform: Orca promises 100% coverage of a cloud estate, with numerous deployment options and a wide variety of integrations. The CNAPP offers unified security across the full application lifestyle, holistic risk detection and remediation, attack path analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven security capabilities. 

• Cortex Cloud: Cortex positions itself as the future of real-time cloud security, integrating AI and automation to detect, reduce, and prevent attacks and other risks. It offers effective unified security and a simplified user experience. 

• CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security: CrowdStrike Falcon aims to stop breaches from code to cloud, providing visibility across applications. Supported with AI technology, this CNAPP offers a wide range of protections for preventing attacks. 

• Lacework FortiCNAPP: Fortinet’s Lacework protection platform focuses on simplifying and strengthening cloud security by addressing the most critical risks. It promises to rapidly detect and mitigate zero-day threats. 

Questions to Ask a CNAPP Provider 

When choosing between the leading independent CNAPP platforms, or any provider one might evaluate, there are a few key questions to answer. First, does it support all major clouds equally? Second, can you retain control over your data? Third, are they using two-way integrations and open standards that support different functional teams? Fourth, is the platform unified from the standpoints of data and functionality? A company that can answer these four questions satisfactorily may just be providing the right solution.