Cloudhouse cuts configuration drift detection time by 99%
Wed, 24th Jun 2026 (Today)
Cloudhouse has upgraded its Guardian platform, saying the release cuts the time needed to detect configuration drift and unauthorised changes by up to 99%.
The update centres on a redesigned user experience for Guardian, which monitors configuration changes across IT estates and checks whether they align with approved baselines. The new version reduces the time required to identify unapproved changes from weeks to minutes.
The move comes as companies face closer scrutiny of operational resilience and change management. Cloudhouse cited industry figures showing that 80% of outages are linked to configuration change, while the average cost of IT downtime now exceeds USD $14,000 per minute.
Guardian is aimed at organisations running complex infrastructure across hybrid environments. The platform is available in modules, allowing customers to start with compliance monitoring and reporting before extending into risk assessment, change control and broader governance.
What changed
The upgrade adds guided onboarding for infrastructure nodes, either manually or through integrations with ServiceNow or Freshservice configuration management databases. It also introduces automatic assignment of CIS benchmarks based on detected node types, while still allowing users to override the default selection.
Other changes include dynamic grouping of nodes and configurable scan intervals for ongoing posture assessment and drift detection. These additions reduce the manual work and specialist input previously required to establish a CIS-aligned baseline.
Once deployed, Guardian monitors infrastructure for anomalies, reconciles approved and unapproved changes against records in ServiceNow and Freshservice, automates compliance assessments and generates reports for audit use. This gives IT and compliance teams a clearer record of what changed, when it changed and who made the change.
The release is aimed at Chief Information Officers, IT Directors, Chief Information Security Officers and compliance leaders seeking tighter oversight of configuration changes. It also reflects demand for tools that can support requirements under frameworks including NIS2, DORA, FCA and SOX.
Customer view
Stephen Earl outlined the company's rationale for the product changes.
"Configuration drift is one of the biggest hidden causes of operational risk inside modern enterprises. Most organisations only discover issues after an outage, failed audit or security incident has already happened. What we've done with this release is take the proven Guardian engine and wrap it in an experience that gets teams to a CIS-aligned baseline in a fraction of the time. The hardest part of any drift and compliance programme is getting started. We've removed that barrier, so teams can see what's changing across their estate, whether those changes are approved and where risk is building, long before it becomes business disruption." Stephen Earl, Head of Product at Cloudhouse, said.
Cloudhouse said the underlying comparison and reconciliation engine in Guardian remains in place, with the main changes focused on simplifying setup and day-to-day use. The company's broader product portfolio includes Alchemy, which keeps legacy applications running on newer environments, and Foundry, which automates application packaging across Windows and Linux systems.
Ascensus, a Guardian customer in the United States, also commented on the release.
"One of the biggest differentiators with Cloudhouse is the team behind the product. They listen to customer feedback and turn it into real improvements. That level of collaboration is something you rarely see with larger vendors." Klomp said.
Founded in 2010, Cloudhouse counts GE Healthcare, National Australia Bank and HM Government among its customers.