Netskope

Overview

Netskope offers a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platform designed to converge networking and security functions into a unified cloud-native architecture. The platform aims to provide secure access to web, cloud, and private applications, while protecting sensitive data from exfiltration and maintaining compliance with regulatory standards. Developed for distributed workforces and complex hybrid cloud environments, Netskope's architecture is built on the Netskope Security Cloud, which includes a global network of data centers known as NewEdge.

The core components of the Netskope SASE platform include Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Data Loss Prevention (DLP). These components work together to provide real-time policy enforcement, threat protection, and data security across various access points. For instance, the SWG module inspects web traffic for malicious content and enforces internet usage policies, while the CASB module provides visibility and control over sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud applications to prevent data loss and compliance violations. Netskope's ZTNA capabilities enable organizations to grant granular, context-aware access to private applications without exposing the corporate network.

The platform is suitable for enterprises seeking to consolidate their security stack, improve performance for remote users, and ensure consistent security policies across their entire digital estate. Its capabilities in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) help identify and remediate misconfigurations in cloud infrastructure, contributing to a stronger overall security posture. Netskope supports various deployment models, including agent-based and agentless, to accommodate different user and application access scenarios. The vendor's approach aligns with the SASE framework, which Gartner introduced to describe the convergence of security and network services into a single, cloud-delivered offering Gartner's explanation of SASE.

Netskope's focus on data protection is evident through its unified DLP engine, which can inspect data in transit, at rest, and in use across cloud applications, private applications, and endpoints. This unified approach simplifies policy management and reduces the operational overhead associated with managing multiple point solutions. The platform also includes advanced threat protection features, such as sandboxing and machine learning-driven anomaly detection, to identify and block sophisticated cyber threats.

Key features

• Secure Web Gateway (SWG): Provides real-time threat protection and policy enforcement for web traffic, including URL filtering, content inspection, and malware scanning.
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): Offers visibility into cloud application usage, identifies shadow IT, enforces data policies, and protects against data loss for sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud services.
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Delivers granular, identity-aware access to private applications without requiring a VPN, based on the principle of least privilege.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): A unified engine that scans for sensitive data across web, cloud, and private applications, enforcing policies to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration.
• Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM): Detects and remediates misconfigurations and compliance violations in public cloud infrastructure and SaaS applications.
• Advanced Threat Protection: Includes capabilities like sandboxing, anti-malware, and machine learning-based detection to protect against zero-day threats and sophisticated attacks.
• Security Service Edge (SSE) Platform: Converges various security functions into a single, cloud-native architecture for consistent policy enforcement and streamlined operations.
• NewEdge Global Network: A private security cloud infrastructure designed for low-latency traffic inspection and policy enforcement close to the user.

Pricing

Netskope provides custom enterprise pricing. Specific pricing details are not publicly disclosed and are typically negotiated based on the customer's specific requirements, including the number of users, desired features, and deployment scope. For detailed pricing inquiries, direct consultation with Netskope sales is required.

Common integrations

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: Integrates with SIEM solutions like Splunk and IBM QRadar to forward security events and alerts for centralized logging, correlation, and analysis. Netskope provides API documentation for event and alert retrieval Netskope API Documentation.
• Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) Platforms: Connects with SOAR platforms to automate incident response workflows, leveraging Netskope's alert and policy management APIs Netskope API Reference.
• Identity Providers (IdP): Supports integration with SAML-based identity providers such as Okta, Azure AD, and Ping Identity for user authentication and single sign-on (SSO).
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solutions: Collaborates with EDR platforms to enhance endpoint visibility and response capabilities, enabling coordinated threat detection and remediation.
• Cloud Providers: Integrates with public cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud for CSPM to monitor configurations and enforce security policies.
• IT Service Management (ITSM) Tools: Can integrate with ITSM platforms like ServiceNow to automate ticket creation and incident management based on Netskope alerts ServiceNow Community on Netskope Integration.
• Network Infrastructure: Works with various network devices and infrastructure components to steer traffic to the Netskope Security Cloud for inspection.

Alternatives

• Zscaler: Offers a cloud-native SASE platform providing secure web gateway, cloud access security broker, and zero trust network access services.
• Palo Alto Networks: Provides a comprehensive cybersecurity portfolio, including SASE solutions through its Prisma Access and Cloud offerings.
• Fortinet: Delivers SASE capabilities as part of its FortiSASE offering, integrating networking and security for distributed environments.
• Cisco: Offers SASE solutions through Cisco Secure Access, combining networking, security, and unified management.
• Forcepoint: Provides a SASE platform with strong data-first security capabilities, including DLP and web security.

Getting started

Integrating with Netskope typically involves configuring API access keys and then making requests to its various API endpoints. The example below demonstrates a basic Python script to retrieve security events using the Netskope Events API. This requires an API key generated from the Netskope platform.

import requests
import json

# Replace with your actual Netskope tenant URL and API key
NETSKOPE_TENANT_URL = "https://<your_tenant_name>.goskope.com"
API_KEY = "YOUR_NETSKOPE_API_KEY"

# API endpoint for retrieving events
EVENTS_API_ENDPOINT = f"{NETSKOPE_TENANT_URL}/api/v2/events/data"

headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "Netskope-Api-Token": API_KEY
}

# Define query parameters (e.g., last hour of events)
# See Netskope API documentation for available filters and parameters
# https://docs.netskope.com/en/netskope-api/events-api.html
query_params = {
    "from": "-1h",
    "to": "now",
    "limit": 10, # Retrieve up to 10 events
    "eventtype": "page" # Example: filter for web page events
}

try:
    response = requests.get(EVENTS_API_ENDPOINT, headers=headers, params=query_params)
    response.raise_for_status() # Raise an HTTPError for bad responses (4xx or 5xx)

    events = response.json()
    if events and events.get("data"):
        print(f"Successfully retrieved {len(events['data'])} events:")
        for event in events["data"]:
            print(json.dumps(event, indent=2))
    else:
        print("No events found or unexpected response format.")

except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as http_err:
    print(f"HTTP error occurred: {http_err} - {response.text}")
except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError as conn_err:
    print(f"Connection error occurred: {conn_err}")
except requests.exceptions.Timeout as timeout_err:
    print(f"Timeout error occurred: {timeout_err}")
except requests.exceptions.RequestException as req_err:
    print(f"An unexpected error occurred: {req_err}")
except json.JSONDecodeError:
    print(f"Failed to decode JSON from response: {response.text}")

Before running this code, ensure you have Python installed and the requests library. You will need to replace <your_tenant_name> and YOUR_NETSKOPE_API_KEY with your specific Netskope tenant URL and a valid API token obtained from your Netskope console under Settings > Tools > API. Refer to the Netskope developer documentation for detailed API specifications, authentication methods, and endpoint definitions.