{"id":6266,"date":"2025-12-18T17:40:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T17:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=6266"},"modified":"2025-12-18T17:40:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T17:40:13","slug":"7-must-have-features-in-your-cnapp-solution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=6266","title":{"rendered":"7 Must-Have Features in Your CNAPP Solution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As organizations increasingly shift workloads, data, and applications to the cloud, the security landscape becomes more complicated.\u00a0You\u2019re\u00a0no longer just managing a single\u00a0environment,\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0managing dozens of services, containers, and APIs that are all interrelated and deployed across multiple clouds. This increased complexity has made traditional security tools less effective, which is why\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important that you have Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPPs) as a foundational offering in your modern cloud defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

But with so many options available out there, the issue is understanding what features\u00a0actually matter. Not all CNAPP solutions are equal in terms of providing protection, visibility, or automation. Some solutions are simply\u00a0posture\u00a0management, while others are runtime protection with no configuration risk. The best CNAPP<\/a> does both\u00a0securing\u00a0cloud workloads throughout the app lifecycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let us go deeper into the seven critical CNAPP features that actually influence your security posture.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What are Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms’ Key Features?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform, or CNAPP<\/a>, protects your applications across every stage\u2014from development to runtime. Instead of using multiple tools for cloud posture management, workload protection, and identity risk analysis, a CNAPP brings everything under one\u00a0roof\u00a0so you get a single, consistent view of security.<\/span><\/p>\n

If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0running containerized or serverless applications, or building infrastructure as code, a CNAPP helps you see\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0happening across all layers. You\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0just get a list of\u00a0vulnerabilities<\/a>,\u00a0you get a clear picture of\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0actually risky\u00a0in your environment and what needs attention first.<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, if there\u2019s a known vulnerability in an image stored in your container registry. If that image isn\u2019t deployed yet, the CNAPP flags it as a lower priority. But if the same issue appears in a running workload that\u2019s exposed to the internet, it pushes it up your remediation queue. That context-aware visibility helps your team focus on what truly matters, avoid alert fatigue, and act faster when something critical surfaces.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. Unified Visibility Across All Cloud Environments<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0initial\u00a0CNAPP necessity is visibility. If you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have visibility, you\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0lock down what you\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0see. Cloud environments shift quickly\u2014groups build new workloads, change configurations, and install third-party APIs daily.<\/span><\/p>\n

A good CNAPP provides one pane of glass that enables you to see all your workloads, containers, identities, and assets across all your cloud accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without unified visibility, you stand the chance of overlooking invisible assets. For instance, if a developer mistakenly leaves\u00a0an open access, unused test bucket, that unmonitored resource may be an easy target for attackers. With unified visibility, you\u00a0identify\u00a0such exposures early.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the root of all the other security functions. You need to understand what there is, where it is, and how it\u2019s set up in order to enforce policy or automate remediation<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How to Choose a CNAPP: Must-Have
\nGuide for Security Professionals<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIdentify Truly Unified CNAPP Architecture<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAssess Multi-Cloud and Integration Capabilities<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCNAPP Evaluation Checklist<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload the Whitepaper Now!<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2. Continuous Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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You need\u00a0a CSPM\u00a0capability<\/a>\u00a0in order to\u00a0discover misconfigurations and compliance issues in your cloud environment.\u00a0A tiny configuration mistake can cause a huge incident if not caught\u00a0in a timely manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your CNAPP must scan your cloud environment against known security baselines and compliance frameworks automatically. It must alert you to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPublicly accessible storage buckets<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUnencrypted databases<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOverprivileged IAM roles<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUnused or expired API keys<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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If you address these misconfigurations early on, you dramatically lower your attack surface. For example, if you discover that an IAM policy grants \u201c*\u201d access rather than explicit permissions, correcting it\u00a0immediately\u00a0prevents possible\u00a0privilege\u00a0escalation<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A CNAPP with CSPM integrated guarantees ongoing posture assessment\u2014so even when teams roll out new services, your security foundation\u00a0remains.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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3. Cloud Workload Protection (CWPP) for Runtime Security<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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While posture management keeps misconfigurations at bay, Cloud Workload Protection (CWPP)<\/a> protects running workloads. These workloads include virtual machines, containers, and serverless functions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The correct CNAPP also watches over these workloads around the clock for any suspicious activity, like strange process runs, networking irregularities, or privilege escalations<\/a>. If, for instance, a process is just unexpectedly talking to some foreign external IP, your CNAPP must catch that anomaly in real-time and issue an alert or auto-response.<\/span><\/p>\n

Runtime protection is important because regardless of how secure your configurations are, there will still be vulnerabilities and zero-day exploits. CWPP guarantees your defenses go beyond the build and deploy phases\u2014way out into live deployment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. Managing Vulnerabilities in Code and Images<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Your cloud environment relies on a mix of open-source libraries, third-party APIs, and container images. Each of these components can hide security flaws if you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0keep track of them carefully.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0where a CNAPP becomes critical \u2014 it continuously scans your workloads,\u00a0IaC\u00a0templates, and registries to spot issues before they reach production.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you push a new container image with an outdated library or a CVE that\u2019s already been flagged in the NVD database. A strong CNAPP won\u2019t just detect the vulnerability; it will alert you to its severity, trace where it originated, and suggest the exact fix to apply. This proactive visibility helps you align with DevSecOps<\/a> best practices and ensures that no known risks slip through your build pipeline. Over time, it also builds consistency in how your teams handle vulnerabilities, from development to deployment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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5. Identity and Access Management (IAM) Analysis<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Identity is one of the most\u00a0important areas\u00a0of cloud security\u00a0and one of the most prevalent causes of breaches. Misconfigured permissions can provide attackers with access to sensitive resources or enable lateral movement<\/a> across your cloud environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

A robust CNAPP solution<\/a> has ongoing identity analysis that\u00a0monitors\u00a0continuously for user\u00a0role,\u00a0privilege, and policy reviews. It detects excessive permissions, unused accounts, and dangerous service-to-service associations.<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, if a service account retains admin privileges despite no longer being used, your CNAPP should flag this and suggest revocation. This is done proactively so that you adhere to the principle of least privilege, limiting the potential for misuse or privilege escalation.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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6. Integrating Automation Tools and DevSecOps<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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To be secure in a cloud-native world, security must shift left\u2014that\u00a0is,\u00a0it needs to be part of your development process. A CNAPP should integrate seamlessly with\u00a0DevSecOps\u00a0pipelines, CI\/CD tools, and automation tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

When security scans happen\u00a0early\u00a0suppose\u00a0during build time and before\u00a0deployment\u00a0then a vulnerability can be stopped before it reaches production. If your CNAPP is connected to your build pipeline, it can automatically scan container images or\u00a0IaC\u00a0templates and block the\u00a0build\u00a0if governance policies are not satisfied.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, since automation can respond quickly to alerts, rather than patching everything manually, the automation work can fix problems like misconfiguration, such as applying encryption or turning off unused ports.<\/span><\/p>\n

The result is better security while the operational burden is reduced for the security and DevOps teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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7. Reporting and Contextual Risk Prioritization<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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All cloud environments produce a huge volume of security information, but not all alerts are created\u00a0equal. You\u00a0require\u00a0a CNAPP that offers contextual risk prioritization\u2014a means of knowing which risks really matter to your business.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, a workload that has a vulnerability that is not\u00a0internet touched\u00a0and\u00a0is isolated\u00a0could be\u00a0low\u00a0priority. However, the same vulnerability in a public application that handles customer data would be a high priority.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your CNAPP must be able to automatically correlate these data points\u2014vulnerabilities, permissions, and exposure levels\u2014to\u00a0indicate\u00a0which risks are real threats.<\/span><\/p>\n

Comprehensive reporting also enables you to communicate risk effectively to stakeholders. Dashboards need to offer clear metrics, compliance status, and historical trends, so you can show continuous improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What Features Does a Cloud Security CNAPP Need?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In looking at CNAPP solutions,\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0not necessarily a matter of having features\u2014<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> about how well those features integrate. The top CNAPP with the top security features will:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOffer unified visibility across multiple clouds<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMonitor continuously for misconfigurations and compliance issues<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDefend workloads at runtime<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSecure vulnerabilities across the CI\/CD pipeline<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExamine and size IAM permissions correctly<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAutomate security with DevOps tool integration<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRank risks in business context<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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If a CNAPP meets these conditions, you can have a proactive, responsive security stance regardless of how rapidly your cloud environment changes.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What Do You Need to Know About CNAPP for Cloud Security?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A CNAPP is not merely a different cloud security\u00a0solution\u2014it\u2019s\u00a0an architecture-level solution.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0designed to meet the scale, speed, and automation requirements of cloud-native environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

You should be aware that implementing a CNAPP demands alignment across teams. Security, DevOps, and IT need to collaborate on policy enforcement, configuration management, and risk prioritization.<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, if your developers are working with Infrastructure as Code (IaC), your CNAPP can check templates for compliance pre-deployment. If your ops team handles multiple clouds,\u00a0the CNAPP\u00a0provides them with a unified view of posture and runtime activity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Centralizing these features makes management easier and tool sprawl less of an issue while providing end-to-end visibility into your environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What to Think About When Choosing a CNAPP for Cloud Security?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Selecting a CNAPP is not a tech choice, but a strategic one. You should consider solutions\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0their capacity\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScale hybrid and multi-cloud environments<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvide continuous monitoring without affecting performance<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInclude actionable insights and not mere alerts<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIntegrate compliance and audit controls<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWork seamlessly with your current workflows and security stack<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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If you try out a CNAPP and find that it only provides posture visibility without runtime or identity insights, then\u00a0<\/span>that\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>an indication<\/span> that it might not fulfill long-term requirements. Seek platforms that integrate CSPM, CWPP, and IAM analytics within one unified framework\u2014so your security coverage is consistent from code to cloud.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Conclusion<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The cloud has revolutionized how we develop and\u00a0operate\u00a0applications\u2014but it\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0revolutionized the requirement for strong, flexible security. A comprehensive CNAPP solution\u00a0assists\u00a0you\u00a0in that by\u00a0bringing posture management, workload protection, identity governance, and automation together\u00a0in\u00a0a single platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you select a CNAPP with these seven critical capabilities, you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0merely respond to threats\u2014you block them. You provide your teams with visibility, control, and confidence to securely innovate in the cloud.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re considering CNAPPs, prioritize solutions that evolve alongside your cloud strategy. The aim isn\u2019t merely improved security today\u2014it\u2019s ongoing resilience for tomorrow\u2019s workloads.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The post 7 Must-Have Features in Your CNAPP Solution<\/a> appeared first on Fidelis Security<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As organizations increasingly shift workloads, data, and applications to the cloud, the security landscape becomes more complicated.\u00a0You\u2019re\u00a0no longer just managing a single\u00a0environment,\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0managing dozens of services, containers, and APIs that are all interrelated and deployed across multiple clouds. This increased complexity has made traditional security tools less effective, which is why\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important that you have Cloud-Native Application […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6266"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6266\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}