What is the role of the inline-CASB application control profile in application traffic management?

The inline-CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) application control profile plays a significant role in application traffic management by focusing on managing application categories for enforcement. This function is essential in the context of ensuring that organizations can maintain control over how their users interact with various cloud applications and services.

By categorizing applications, the inline-CASB can apply specific policies to enforce security measures, compliance requirements, and acceptable use policies. It allows administrators to identify and regulate access to various types of applications based on their risk profiles and business significance. For instance, an organization may want to enforce stricter controls on high-risk applications like file sharing services while allowing more lenient access to productivity applications that are deemed essential for users’ workflows.

This management of application categories not only enhances security but also helps optimize the use of resources by ensuring that users have access to the applications they need while mitigating the risks associated with less secure or non-compliant applications.

While creating secure tunnels for application traffic, prioritizing bandwidth for specific applications, or restricting access to non-productive applications are valid activities in application traffic management, they do not encompass the primary role of the inline-CASB application control profile, which is fundamentally about the categorization and enforcement of application policies.