What is a cloud security posture management (CSPM) tool designed to accomplish?

A cloud security posture management (CSPM) tool is specifically designed to identify and assess risks associated with configurations of cloud resources, enhancing the overall security posture of cloud environments. These tools enable organizations to continuously monitor their cloud configurations against best practices and compliance standards. By identifying misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in real-time, CSPM tools help organizations to rectify issues before they can be exploited by malicious entities, therefore improving data security and overall risk management.

The other options describe different tools or functions that are not the primary focus of CSPM. For instance, automating software deployment processes relates to continuous integration and deployment practices rather than security posture. Monitoring network traffic for security threats is typically the role of intrusion detection or network security tools, which focus on the detection of threats rather than configuration management. Managing user access and permissions is primarily handled by identity and access management tools, which focus on user credentials and access control rather than the overall security posture related to cloud resource configurations.