Customers

Backpack Networks Uses Aqua to Scale Security Across Cloud Native Stack

When rapid company growth prompted a need for protection that scaled and covered the full cloud native stack, Backpack Networks chose Aqua Security’s CNAPP.

Company Name
Backpack Networks
Organization Size
50+ Employees
Industry
Software Development
Services
Data sourcing for commercial buildings
HQ
Miami, Florida
Founded
2021

Challenge

  • Improving security posture
  • Scaling security efforts
  • Integrating security across the SDLC
  • Attaining SOC 2 Type II Compliance

Requirements

  • KSPM
  • CSPM
  • CWPP

Solution

  • Aqua CNAPP
Technology Stack
    Google Cloud
    Google Kubernetes Engine
    Github
    Terraform

Customer Overview

Backpack is the first company to affordably make the individualized data of a building and how it operates available in one unified, cloud-based system of record. Its platform ingests, digitizes, and organizes building data-streamlining operations and enabling the innovations that power buildings. 

A fast-growing startup, it is deployed in 18 markets with leading owner/operators of commercial real estate, as well as other adjacent industries, including insurance brokers and parking operators. It covers over 200 buildings and over 1 trillion data points. 

The Challenge: Rapid Growth Demands Security that Scales

Backpack Networks is an innovative startup that connects onsite operational building tech and cloud-based data to be a single source of truth about the built world. Because building owners leverage the company’s platform to instantly share data with other applications and key stakeholders, including lenders, insurers and regulators, security is essential.

Over the past year, rapid company growth prompted a need for protection that scaled and covered the full cloud native stack. The company brought on Tyler Page to lead DevOps security as the company pursued critical compliance standards, including SOC 2 Type II attestation. 

With a small team in a fast-paced environment, Page needed a solution that was easy to implement and manage, worked seamlessly within their existing workflows and infrastructure, and provided value beyond just scanning and monitoring — and Aqua was the clear winner. 

“Kubernetes cluster monitoring and scanning alone just doesn’t cut it anymore. I knew we needed integration and security at every layer — the more the better. Between the CI/CD pipelines, image scanning, to real-time protection, Aqua checked every box.”

The Solution: Unified Protection Across the Cloud Native Stack

Aqua’s sole focus on the cloud native technology stack made it an ideal fit for Backpack, which needed security technology that could scale to keep pace with its own rapid growth. With Aqua’s tightly integrated cloud native application protection platform (CNAPP), Backpack achieves frictionless security throughout its cloud native stack and seamless adoption across all teams. Backpack’s development teams trust Aqua to protect code, build tools, and delivery pipelines, while the infrastructure teams leverage Aqua’s Kubernetes security posture management, cloud security posture management and cloud workload protection capabilities. 

Aqua provides a single source of truth that enables seamless collaboration across teams, giving everyone the context to prioritize and fix what’s most important. With one source of security truth for dev and cloud, teams can quickly trace cloud security issues back to the original code and users to improve efficiency and speed up remediation.

Page added that onboarding was smooth, and value was immediate. Although the initial scans didn’t reveal any big surprises, the initial report saved substantial time and gave his team a plan for tackling the most pressing issues, multiplying the results of their efforts. They continue to use Aqua to integrate security across teams into every stage of the software development life cycle (SDLC). 

As Backpack works toward major assessment goals, Page also finds substantial value in Aqua’s compliance reporting. He especially appreciates the visualizations and charts that are easily digestible by leadership and said they use Aqua’s reporting capabilities daily.

“When I’m evaluating vendors, I look for value beyond the tooling. It’s in how the tooling is paired together and what extra value is delivered beyond that through visualizations that you can’t just run a command and get yourself. It’s also the ease of implementation, quality of support, and other factors. And Aqua has delivered on all fronts.”
Tyler Page, Lead DevOps Security

Highlights

With Aqua’s CNAPP, Backpack Networks was able to integrate security across its cloud native stack to scale its security program and improve security posture: 

  • Onboarding was smooth and value was immediate 
  • Unifies security across cloud native stack 
  • Integrates with existing development tools and infrastructure 
  • Protects code, repositories and delivery pipelines 
  • Detects cloud misconfigurations and vulnerabilities 
  • Reports on security posture for compliance