- December 19, 2023
Most companies keep and exchange numerous private records in the SaaS applications that employees use on a daily basis. These apps are important for collaboration and business efficiency, but the huge amount of data they store makes them desirable for hackers. Therefore, it is important to actively monitor your SaaS app security to protect this data from hackers.
A robust SaaS security checklist that bridges the gap between innovation and assurance in SaaS companies must also be taken seriously. The main concern for organizations adopting SaaS software is still security. These considerations are justified given that at least one security incident has been experienced by more than half of the enterprises having SaaS solutions in the last two years.
What can the SaaS providers do to show that the claim of the secure-by-design software is not just lip service? This article explains the dangers of SaaS and gives a way of securing your solution.
What is a SaaS Application?
SaaS refers to an application that is rented from the cloud service provider by paying subscription fees. Unlike traditional software that is downloaded and executed from PCs or servers, SaaS applications reside in the cloud, accessible only to authorized users. In most cases, the application interfaces with the users across the internet through a web browser such as Opera.
Once you sign up for a SaaS application, you should feel good that both development and hosting are completed for you. The hardware, software dependencies, middleware and application data that it requires are all contained in the cloud provider’s network.
Traditionally, companies have to buy expensive servers and even hire system administrators to keep running the application. SaaS applications give you the option of easy payment options so that you can start using them immediately. Saas is a significant cost-cutter for several IT departments that need fewer human resources for maintenance
What is SaaS Application Security?
SaaS application security refers to the set of security measures to protect the company’s SaaS applications from unauthorized access and misuse. This is a continued attempt to identify vulnerabilities and eliminate them before data breaches, financial theft, ransomware attacks, and other issues may arise. Protection of SaaS involves restricting employee access, central monitoring, and robust cybersecurity throughout the technology stack.
What is the SaaS Security Checklist?
A SaaS Security checklist can be used to point out loopholes that exist while also assessing your safety policy. Working with your organization and developing a checklist matching your organizational security needs is highly recommended.
Alternatively, consider taking help from expert cyber security services Chicago (if your business is in the Chicago area), who can assist you in defining key checkpoints and implementing best practices to protect your SaaS application.
Best Practices to Protect Your SaaS Application
The SaaS security must be very excellent because this makes the SaaS application safe and successful. By now, you should be beginning to understand the ‘risk footprint’ of your application.
Having a clear understanding of the weaknesses of your SaaS application against the specific security threats and risks will be beneficial towards strengthening your SaaS app. Once you spot these weaknesses, you can shield those vulnerable spots and be prepared for future threats.
Although the individual items on the SaaS Security checklists may vary from one company to another, below is a general outline of the SaaS Security best practices that every checklist should comprise.
Developing A Security Review Checklist
First, ensure that everybody in the organization is aligned on a similar page concerning the security requirements at the outset.
The checklist could differ depending on the nature of the platform, but frequently updating it with new threats ensures that application quality and security are prioritized.
Protecting Employees
All employees should be given security training. Share individual user accounts instead of one universal account. Other security features include 2FA for any login and role-based access controls to provide individual users with specific rights on data access and editing.
Awareness of increased security can counter hacking methods like social engineering. This ensures that they are aware of security principles and policies, hence enhancing proactive involvement.
Creating A Cohesive Security Culture
Security culture is wide-ranging and has positive implications, such as creating security champions who encourage and impose security in the entire organization.
Security champions are usually the first port of call for all security-related challenges and solutions. However, incorporating security into your organizational culture helps place emphasis on security measures and enables better solutions.
Hiring Security Resource (Dedicated/Partially Dedicated)
An organization can efficiently handle the security tasks by investing in a security engineer’s services.
Touchpoints in defining security tasks include dedicated or partially dedicated security resources. This makes it easy to hold someone accountable for the existing security debt that is due.
Protecting Customers
Ensuring that your employees are safe is important, but your customers matter too. In this case, you can also train your customers.
Ensuring customers are enlightened about ATO is important as they are enabled to preemptively deal with ATO fraud (where a criminal is disguised as the customer, stealing control of the account). SaaS application security enforces 2FA and password managers.
Conclusion
In today’s interconnected world, the issue of securing your SaaS application is non-negotiable. Keeping customers’ sensitive data and information safe, ensuring that the business continues running, and adhering to regulations are important in sustaining customers’ trust and the future of a business. Here are the things you need to keep in mind to boost your defensive capabilities against a dynamically changing cyber-threat world and maximize the benefits you get from utilizing SaaS apps without worries. Nevertheless, cyber security is an ongoing activity, and maintaining such a level of awareness leads to success in the long term.
