Attack Surface Management (ASM) platforms focus on continuous discovery and monitoring of all internet-facing assets, both internal and external, to identify attack vectors, vulnerabilities, and exposures that could be exploited by threat actors.

Cloud-hosted refers to the deployment of traditional on-premises software on cloud-based servers. This approach allows organizations to run their applications in the cloud without re-architecting them for cloud-native environments.

A Host-Based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) is installed directly on an endpoint device (such as a server or workstation) and monitors local system activity, including processes, file access, and system calls, to detect and prevent malicious behavior.

Containers encapsulate applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable units that can run consistently across multiple environments. This abstraction supports cloud-native development by enabling microservices architectures, rapid deployment, and scaling within orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Containers accelerate cloud migration by decoupling applications from infrastructure, facilitating automation, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) workflows. Palo Alto Networks addresses container security by integrating runtime protection, vulnerability scanning, and compliance enforcement within its Prisma Cloud platform, ensuring safe adoption of cloud-native tools and methodologies.

An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a long-term, targeted cyberattack where data exfiltration is often the primary objective. Attackers maintain a covert presence in the network to steal sensitive information over time.

A User Entity Behavior Analysis (UEBA) tool performs active monitoring by continuously analyzing the behavior of users and entities to detect anomalies that may indicate insider threats, compromised accounts, or malicious activity. It uses machine learning and analytics to identify unusual patterns in real time.

Signature-based systems struggle with polymorphic or obfuscated malware, which changes its code to avoid detection. Signature-based detection relies on static databases of known threat signatures, limiting its ability to identify new or unknown threats.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools monitor, record, and analyze endpoint activity to detect suspicious behavior, investigate incidents, and respond to threats on user devices such as laptops and desktops.

Authorization is the component of the AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) framework that regulates user access and permissions to resources after identity has been verified. It determines what actions or resources a user is allowed to access.

SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) differs from SIEM by adding automated incident response and workflow orchestration to the detection and alerting capabilities found in SIEM. This enables faster and more efficient handling of security incidents.