How to Secure SaaS Applications in Today’s Cyber Threat Landscape

Last updated: October 5, 2023

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Effective Tips for SaaS Security Management

Today, companies have a unique technology landscape compared to organizations 10 years ago. In the present scenario, businesses use Software-as-a-Service, a cloud technology, to endow users to be productive, regardless of where they are, the platform they are using, and the network they use.

Cloud SaaS platforms such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace have taken businesses to another level with productivity tools and solutions. The pandemic has efficiently showcased the importance of cloud applications to permit distant users to remain productive, regardless of their work environments.

Cloud Software-as-a-Service applications offer an unmatchable agility and spending model that aligns well with companies’ contemporary financial objectives.

SaaS Security

SaaS security is the process of safeguarding data and program services that have been hosted outside. There has been a rise in SaaS applications; hence, it is essential to ensure your business remains secure from threats such as ransomware attacks, password theft, phishing scams, and more!

In today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, the adoption of SaaS legal technology is becoming increasingly important, too. That includes tools like eDiscovery platforms, Legal CRM software, and Practice management solutions, which are often cloud-based, enabling law firms to streamline their operations and improve efficiency.

Threats to SaaS Applications

Though you have numerous benefits of using cloud SaaS applications, businesses should stay attentive to the rising threat landscape. Hence, companies should follow SaaS security tips to ensure their information is secured and efficiently backed up. Currently, ransomware is the biggest threat to business-critical data online. Hackers and cybercriminals use ransomware for cloud-based apps.

Ransomware attacked a business every 11 seconds in 2021.

Ransomware attacks reached $20 billion in 2021.

73% of ransomware attacks were successfully conducted in 2020.

Hence, companies have started adopting SaaS safety practices and technology solutions. They work remarkably well when data, services, and clients are on-premises. However, because some business data and apps are sited in hybrid settings, stored on the cloud, conventional cybersecurity measures may prove inefficient to safeguard cloud data. 

The new distant workforce has opened several challenges for companies aiding business continuity and using Cloud SaaS. For instance, the Colonial Pipeline was attacked by ransomware which caused the critical systems and infrastructure to shut down, causing a gasoline shortage in the US. 

Businesses should reconsider their safety approach because every passing second enhances the risk of damage to business-critical data, user confidence and the overall capability of a business to recover. Hence, a cybersecurity strategy with cloud SaaS technology should be developed to react instantly under a threat condition.

Importance of SaaS security

Hackers have also grown with advancement. As per a survey, 99% of phishing emails are sent during their first week were successful. Hence, businesses need to consider the SaaS security tips given below. Some of the ways to get data security in SaaS are:

Keep data discreet: Only let workers or customers with approved accounts access specific information.

Keep safe password: Use strong passwords policies with multi-factor authentication.

Prevent from falling prey to phishing scams: Use email safety measures to keep your inbox secure.

Secure SaaS Applications

To secure SaaS applications, you should follow these tips:

Please keep your password discreet and never share it with anyone.

Always use strong passwords with eight characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numerical.

Using Multi-Factor Authentication is the best way to ensure that only approved uses access the website.

Use robust account management practices for your SaaS applications.

Checklist for SaaS Security for developers

Developers play a vital role in data security in SaaS. Here are some best practices for a developer to keep in mind when developing or upgrading software:

Encrypt data: Keep the sensitive data encrypted. Unencrypted data can offer hackers easy access to steal valuable data from you. 

Restrict admin access to mitigate risks: Only approved staff members should administer the network. If you need to assign administrator privileges to someone, always monitor the passwords. 

Strong authentication: Ensure that users have different access IDs with a strong password.

Monitor account activities: Always monitor the account activities of the customers. In case any suspicious activity is noticed, take immediate action. It will keep the website safe from hackers who enter companies’ networks with weak security protocols.

Keep servers safe: Ensure your server is updated, so no malicious user uses the backdoor entry into the system because of outdated technology. Also, make sure a firewall is used to keep the servers secure. It is important to choose web application security testing for users to assess the app’s speed. Speed testing can help find app flaws and guarantee that the data is protected and runs efficiently.

Back up your data: Implement a robust data backup strategy to protect critical data and mitigate potential risks. Utilize reliable solutions such as NAKIVO Backblaze B2 Backup to streamline and automate the data backup process, effectively protecting your critical information from potential loss, and ensuring its integrity and availability whenever needed.

Only offer limited add access to workers: Limit access to a handful of employees to safeguard the company’s data. Make sure you monitor those employees and their accounts.

Offer a remedy to compromised assets in your SaaS applications

Many companies using SaaS applications such as Slack, Google Drive, etc., overlook the safety of their critical data standing outside the safety parameters. With higher collaboration in the apps from clients, customers, and partners, regulating data access rationally can help you get complete coverage and minimize the chance of data breach.

Teaming Falcon’s telemetry with SaaS applications on unregulated devices where it is not available keeps the end users safe from uploading and sharing malicious content on any SaaS applications. It ensures that the collaborators and workers are safe from malware and other threats. It helps to detect and regulate the SaaS applications to accomplish agile and speedy responses.

Acquire no trust application safety

Applications are high breach targets, and adversaries can enter your network at any time. To keep your company safe from attacks, acknowledge the app’s behavior and lower excessive trust to remove or block threats such as ransomware, malware, supply chain attacks, and more. With zero trust protection abilities, the safety measures are enhanced.

Use strong SSL encryption for the SaaS website.

In today’s time, not offering SSL for users’ hostnames keeps you at a loss. Apart from safeguarding website visitors’ privacy and avoiding malicious ISPs or MITM attacks in transfer, HTTPS offers benefits such as higher ranking and better exposure. 

Google penalizes the sites with no HTTPS and sites which load slow. Using an SSL certificate for SaaS is the simplest way to enable site security through enabling HTTPS protocol and lower page load time. It will eventually enhance the conversion rate.

In the end, your customers will benefit from a faster, securer, and more reliable website. 

Any SaaS application that lets clients bring their domain will find the right kind of SSL cert for SaaS a perfect fit. With a wildcard SSL cert, one can afford premium security to an unlimited number of first-level subdomains under the selected primary domain. Some examples are:

Platforms as service businesses that allow customers to serve applications with their hostname.

Web portals such as marketing pages, support pages, and landing pages.

eCommerce platforms that sell goods and services.

Content management solutions such as web developers, bloggers, etc.

If budget is a constraint, keep the network traffic encrypted at all times with cost-effective cheap SSL certificates to prevent hackers from intercepting details during transit and decrypt any information being sent back and forth between servers through less competent encryption protocols. 

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Some companies use AI and ML to enhance the security quality of their company. It has been developed with the current cloud SaaS environment to wipe out complexities and safeguard business data from present cybersecurity problems.

Conclusion

The duty for SaaS application safety rests on the users and vendors. Hence, to safeguard data from malicious attacks, all parties need to take necessary precautions concerning software updates, encryption practices, administration protocols, and more.

With businesses growing daily, it is essential to safeguard the environment end-to-end with cohesive platform-oriented solutions that offer universal visibility and regulations to prevent breaches. With a robust app and efficient SaaS security tips, you can automate the detection process in your complicated app environment with effective and contemporary tools to avoid all types of malicious activities and enjoy a high level of security efficiency.

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