What is SaaS Security?

Originally published by Own Company.

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) has become a foundational element of modern businesses. Tapping into scalable, robust SaaS applications provides your organization with the agility it needs to compete. However, these apps also contain abundant sensitive data, which is why maintaining security must always be top of mind.

So exactly what is SaaS security?

• SaaS security combines practices, strategies, and technologies designed to protect applications delivered and used over the internet.

Read on to learn how to insulate your organization against data breaches and create a comprehensive security blueprint.

What Are The Risks to SaaS Security?

While using a SaaS model has advantages, it also has risks unique to the cloud industry. Some risks include an unsecured cloud environment (cloud misconfiguration), supply chain attacks, and non-compliance issues.

Top SaaS Security Risks

• Cloud Misconfiguration: When a SaaS provider fails to secure their cloud environment, threats can occur like phishing, malware, and more. Even a small misconfiguration like excessive permissions can create a vulnerable environment.
• Supply Chain Attacks: Cybercriminals can breach your organization's sensitive data by exploiting vulnerabilities in your vendor's source code, update mechanisms, or build processes.
• Zero-Day Vulnerability: A zero-day vulnerability (an unpatched software vulnerability) will remain a threat to your data if the SaaS vendor does not find these vulnerabilities and correct them.
• Non-Compliance: If your organization is in a regulated industry and your SaaS vendor does not comply with all relevant regulations and frameworks, you’re at risk for hefty fines if there is a data breach.
• Unclear Responsibility: The use of the cloud also brought the shared responsibility model, meaning that the customer and the provider both have responsibilities to ensure data security. If the customer doesn’t fully understand their portion of the shared responsibility, this could lead to data security risks. Learn more about the Shared Responsibility Model.

SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM): Cornerstone of SaaS Security

SaaS security posture management (SSPM) represents the foundational layer of SaaS cybersecurity. SSPM focuses on identifying and mitigating risks in SaaS applications. These solutions provide your business with the tools and insights necessary to manage and secure your SaaS environment effectively.

The core objectives of SSPM include:

• Visibility: Gaining comprehensive insights into SaaS application usage and configurations
• Compliance: Ensuring your apps adhere to regulatory standards and industry best practices
• Risk Management: Identifying and addressing potential security vulnerabilities to promote data protection
• Access Control: Managing user access and privileges within your app
• Configuration Management: Continuously monitoring and optimizing security settings to prevent misconfigurations

SSPM tools automate security management across multiple SaaS applications, providing a centralized platform for security teams to oversee your SaaS landscape. By leveraging SSPM, your organization can ensure your digital resources are used efficiently while also maintaining a strong stance against security threats like malware.

SSPM vs. CSPM: Which Is Right for Your Business?

SSPM isn’t the only approach for enhancing SaaS security. Another framework is Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM).

Generally speaking, CSPM focuses on monitoring cloud services such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or Amazon Web Services (AWS). Conversely, SSPM solutions monitor SaaS apps like Microsoft 365 and Salesforce.

SSPM is more adept at safeguarding individual applications and identifying security risks within your cloud application framework. That said, you should treat SSPM and CSPM as complementary solutions for protecting sensitive information. Both are extremely valuable for addressing security concerns and guiding incident response efforts in the event of a breach.

What Are the Levels of SaaS Security?

Imagine for a moment that you want to strengthen your home’s physical defenses. Would you only address the front door? Of course not. You would also reinforce the remaining doors, upgrade your windows, and invest in other measures to protect yourself from security incidents.

Apply this same premise to SaaS security. Your digital ecosystem consists of SaaS platforms, private or public cloud infrastructure, and connections with service providers. When crafting your SaaS security policies, you must address all levels of your technology stack.

SaaS Infrastructure

Start with your cloud infrastructure, which represents the bottom of your tech stack. Your infrastructure consists of cloud storage providers, internal servers, data centers, and hosting companies.

You need to vet each entity you partner with and ensure that each point of data access is secure. It’s also crucial for you to maintain compliance at each connection point to avoid regulatory issues related to frameworks like HIPAA or the GDPR.

Network Security

Your network represents one of your greatest vulnerabilities and is the source of countless security issues. Therefore, you must ensure that your connection is secure. You can begin doing so by automating processes for identifying, logging, and sending alerts about potential issues.

Additionally, implement safeguards to monitor user activity and ensure that individuals accessing your network are who they say they are. For instance, you could implement multifactor authentication, which requires users to provide at least two forms of verification before gaining access to your network. This may involve entering a password and swiping an ID badge.

Third-Party Applications and Software

Third-party applications function on both the client and server sides of your technology stack. Among other applications, you use your third-party apps to collect, manipulate, store, and manage customer data.

Step one to enhancing SaaS app security is to carefully vet the software you are using. Vet your SaaS vendors, too, ensuring that they take security as seriously as you do. Prioritize apps with modern security controls, excellent support, and features such as encryption and firewalls.

What to Look for in a Third-Party SaaS Security Provider

When it comes to SaaS security, you can’t afford to hope for the best. You must prepare for the worst by adopting established technologies and best practices. Leading SaaS providers can help you do just that by providing a suite of personalized security measures designed to sure up your vulnerabilities. As you begin your search for a cloud services and security partner, make sure they offer the following:

Regular Testing

One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of a good SaaS vendor is regular testing of their security measures. When looking for a third-party SaaS vendor, ensure they test their software to confirm their security measures are working correctly and applied in various situations. Like the mentioned security threats, if a SaaS vendor is not testing for vulnerabilities, there could be a data breach through zero-day vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.

Data Encryption

Data encryption transforms sensitive information into encoded versions that can only be accessed with the correct decryption keys. It is essential for protecting data at rest and in transit, making it unreadable to unauthorized users or in the event of a breach.

Look for a provider with robust encryption algorithms and standards, such as AES 256-bit encryption. Ensure that they apply the encryption to all data states, providing end-to-end protection from creation to storage and transmission.

Data Security

Data security encompasses the many practices and technologies designed to protect data from unauthorized access, corruption, or theft. It’s the bedrock of your SaaS security strategy, ensuring your data’s integrity and confidentiality.

A solid partner will implement a suite of measures designed to address a wide range of vulnerabilities. Some solutions to look for include regular vulnerability assessments, intrusion detection systems, and real-time monitoring. The provider should have a solid framework for identifying and mitigating potential security threats.

Monitoring and Alerting

Your SaaS vendor should be using a strategy for securing their applications and data by integrating continuous cybersecurity risk assessment and compliance monitoring with detection, enforcement, and remediation. This should be a standard in your SaaS partner. Ensure you are working with a SaaS vendor that can monitor for errors in their security setup and respond with remediation to security gaps to minimize the potential impact of cyberattacks.

Transport Layer Security

TLS is a protocol for ensuring secure data transmission over the internet. This enables it to safeguard data from interception, tampering, or eavesdropping during transit. TLS is vital for protecting the data integrity and privacy of communications.

Ensure your provider offers the latest version of TLS for all data transmissions. It should also enforce against cipher suites and regularly update its protocols to guard against emerging threats.

Strong Authentication

Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple verification forms before granting access. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access due to compromised credentials.

Find out what MFA methods your prospective provider supports, including authenticator apps, hardware tokens, or biometrics. You should be able to configure authentication policies based on user roles, locations, and contextual factors as well.

Complies With Certifications

Adherence to recognized security certifications and standards demonstrates a provider’s commitment to maintaining high-security levels and compliance with regulatory requirements. It also provides a benchmark for evaluating the provider’s security practices.

Look for certifications such as ISO27001 and SOC 2 Type II and familiarity with compliance frameworks like HIPAA and GDPR. Additionally, focus on certifications that align with your needs and industry constraints.