Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) is a cybersecurity solution that sits between users and cloud service providers to enforce security policies and protect sensitive data. It provides visibility into cloud application usage, helps ensure compliance, and defends against threats through capabilities such as data loss prevention (DLP), access control, encryption, and activity monitoring. CASBs help organizations adopt cloud services while maintaining oversight of data and user behavior.

However, CASBs have limitations. They typically rely on API integrations or proxy-based controls, which can create visibility gaps, especially for unmanaged devices, encrypted traffic, or unsanctioned (“Shadow IT”) applications. Real-time threat prevention may be limited depending on deployment mode, and performance can be impacted by proxy routing. Additionally, CASBs are primarily focused on cloud services and may not provide comprehensive protection for data across endpoints, networks, or hybrid environments without integration with other security tools.

Anti Data Exfiltration (ADX) solutions can address key limitations of CASB technologies by focusing on preventing unauthorized data movement directly at the endpoint, rather than relying solely on cloud application visibility and control. While CASBs are effective at governing sanctioned SaaS usage, they can struggle with shadow IT, unmanaged devices, and data in motion outside of integrated cloud services. ADX operates independently of APIs or proxies, enabling broader protection across all applications, channels, and network conditions—including encrypted traffic. As a result, ADX can complement CASB deployments by extending data protection beyond the cloud layer, providing more comprehensive coverage against data exfiltration across an organization’s entire digital environment.