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The cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) market continues to evolve rapidly as organizations look to secure increasingly complex cloud environments. In the recently published IDC MarketScape: Worldwide CNAPP 2025 Vendor Assessment, Microsoft has been recognized as a Leader. We believe this recognition reaffirms Microsoft’s commitment to delivering comprehensive, AI-powered, and integrated security solutions for multicloud environments.

IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier’s position within a given market. The Capabilities score measures supplier product, go-to-market and business execution in the short-term. The Strategy score measures alignment of supplier strategies with customer requirements in a 3-5-year timeframe. Supplier market share is represented by the size of the icons.

Why Microsoft was recognized

The IDC MarketScape noted the following strengths for Microsoft:

• “Defender for Cloud provides visibility into cloud attacks across the entire environment, from enterprise endpoints and exposed identities to on-premises secrets. This holistic approach examines attack vectors inside and outside the cloud. Prebreach posture graphs are integrated with live incidents, offering exposure risk assessment through blast radius analysis.”
  
  


• “Microsoft Defender for Cloud was also recognized for providing detailed threat analytics, combining information from various sources to create comprehensive attack paths, helping understand the severity of alerts in context, and making it easier to prioritize and respond to threats. Additional commentary addressed Security Explorer and automatic detection of sensitive data without additional configuration, enhancing the security posture by providing valuable insights and automating critical security tasks.”
  
  


• “Customers also highlighted the strong partnership with Microsoft, which includes dedicated support and consulting, ensuring quick resolution of issues and access to experts for optimal product use.”

Key Advice for CNAPP Buyers

As cloud security needs grow, selecting the right CNAPP solution means looking beyond vendor consolidation. Here are some of the key areas the IDC MarketScape advises buyers to prioritize:

• “Integration and enrichment of existing security data: Choose a CNAPP vendor that can easily integrate with your current deployments. The value lies in how the solution enriches your existing security data, providing deeper insights and more comprehensive protection.”
  
  


• “Comprehensive capabilities: Look for a solution that offers robust monitoring and reporting on cloud security posture, runtime, and application security. The goal is to select a platform based on its aggregate capabilities rather than merely reducing the vendor footprint.”
  
  


• “Ease of setup and support: Note that many vendors provide extensive support and make the initial setup straightforward with minimal technical effort required. However, the real value comes from planning and strategizing with stakeholders to ensure that the implementation aligns with your organizational goals.”

In conclusion

Defender for Cloud’s comprehensive approach blends proactive risk management, real-time monitoring, and integrated threat protection. This makes it a strong CNAPP solution for organizations seeking to future-proof their cloud security investments.

For buyers navigating this dynamic market, aligning platform capabilities with operational needs, compliance demands, and long-term cloud strategies is essential. Microsoft’s CNAPP strategy, backed by a powerful ecosystem and customer-centric support model, offers a compelling path forward.

Learn more

Download the report excerpt here. 

Visit our solution webpage to learn more about Microsoft’s CNAPP solution.