What is a SaaS application?
- Super flexible and scalable
- Fast-setup, implementation & loading
- On-demand
- No additional costs
- Easy updates and maintenance
What is SaaS Application Security?
12 Critical SaaS Security Risks
Phishing
Cloud-based cyber attacks revealing sensitive information such as login credentials and credit card information. Attackers resort to sending emails with malicious links, which when opened by the recipient leads to loss of user data.Lack of transparency
When the SaaS service provider is not completely transparent about their safety measures and security protocols. This lack of clarity can prove to be dangerous when it comes to handling important data and sensitive information.Identity Theft
This happens to be one of the most common security risks in SaaS products due to the frequent use of credit card payment methods via the internet along with managing privileged access that might pose a serious risk of identity theft.Cross-site scripting (XXX)
This occurs when an attacker injects malicious code or corrupted links into the pages viewed by the end-users. Upon clicking the link, the browser sends all the private data of the user to the attacker.Lack of modern security standards
When SaaS providers do not look after maintaining security systems and continue working with outdated standards, this could turn out to be a huge risk for organizations trying to safeguard their confidential data and sensitive information.Compliance and audits
Not following government mandates when it comes to ensuring security is another risky area. Organizations must ensure to follow GDPR and regulations when it comes to industries such as (HIPAA) for healthcare, (SOX) for finance, and (PCI DSS) for the retail sector.Account takeovers
It occurs when attackers try to gain unauthorized access to get a hold of the corporate credentials of an employee to take over an organization's data. This is done through a credential phishing campaign or via acquiring credentials on the dark web. When it comes to users, attackers try to impersonate user identity and take over their accounts.Lack of Identity Management
Every working entity has a regular inflow of new employees and current employees leaving. An employee when working with an organization may have multiple identities with a SaaS application. This may be a problem for security regulations because immediately removing access after an employee leaves may become difficult.Security Misconfiguration
It occurs when security controls are not implemented properly for web and server applications. This also happens when security controls are implemented but with an incorrect setup. To ensure the security of SaaS applications, it is integral to correctly configure all tools and update them on a timely basis.Vendor lock-in
When organizations choose a cloud service provider they are essentially locked in with that vendor. This may become an issue if a SaaS provider goes out of business entirely, its quality of services declines, or if it gets acquired by a competitor since moving databases after set-up is extremely challenging.Data theft
Another common attack aimed at SaaS applications is the risk of a data breach which occurs when cyber criminals try to get access to important data stored outside the corporate data center, that could be customer data, financial details, intellectual property (IP), and personally identifiable information (PII).Insider threats
Most of the time, employees become an organization’s weakest link when it comes to managing security. These can be unintentional threats that can occur due to user negligence, sharing of passwords, weak passwords, or lost or stolen devices. Insider threats are not only limited to these but also comprise of malicious intent wherein employees abuse their authorized access to leak information or cause damage.Want To Build An App For Your Startup?
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Create a thorough security review checklist
It is crucial to bring all members of your organization on the same page when it comes to understanding the required security standards. Tackling a major security risk is never easy and may take you a long time to recover from its damage. For this, it is integral for enterprises to develop an exhaustive security review checklist to ensure appropriate security compliance.Build robust training programs to protect employees
Create a culture of security by educating employees and creating awareness in their minds. This will help them stay updated with your organization’s security policy and act as a shield to protect and safeguard them from any security risks that they might be vulnerable to. Regularly inform and train them on how to recognize a phishing email and not fall prey to such campaigns.Safeguarding Customers
Protecting your customers is also an essential part of maintaining SaaS application security. Educate your customers to act with caution when dealing with unfamiliar situations. Inform them about the risks and consequences of account takeovers and train them to be fully aware of password best practices, enabling two-factor authentication and recognizing phishing emails.Adding layers of security throughout the SDLC Process
Integrating security in the SDLC process right from development to deployment can help detect SaaS security issues in each phase very early on and gives ample time to eliminate and fix bugs beforehand. This process sets the base for a secure and stronger application and makes way for secure coding best practices, particularly when codes are being reviewed.Securing deployment
When opting for cloud deployment, dedicated SaaS vendors such as Google or Amazon help you manage areas such as SaaS data security, network security, data segregation, etc. When opting for self-deployment, you need to ensure and adopt important safety practices to prevent your applications from DoS (denial-of-service) and network penetration attacks.Protecting your infrastructure
Protecting and securing your infrastructure is critical to ensure business continuity when facing malicious attacks such as ransomware and denial of service (Dos). The best way to deal with this is configuring and backing up data continuously along with using firewalls. Doing this also lets you track and monitor any suspicious activities happening on your SaaS application.Compliance of audits and certifications
Organizations must comply with all the necessary certifications to protect themselves from security breaches, data theft, and loss of sensitive data. The two-must have certifications for organizations are Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) that helps safeguard sensitive information and System and Organization Controls (SOC 2) Type II that helps protect data through maintenance of the highest level of security.Ensure end-to-end data transmission
End-to-end encryption has become the norm to ensure the security of Saas applications. What it means is even if unauthorized users get a hold of your data, they will not be able to seize any data without encryption keys. To maintain encryption during transmission, be sure to facilitate all interactions and communications via Transport Layer Security (TLS). Field-level encryption is also provided by cloud service providers to ensure that data is securely transmitted and stored.Integrating real-time protection
Integrating real-time monitoring helps in the security of SaaS applications and safeguarding your products from critical breaches and attacks in the form of SQL injections, account takeovers, and XSS attacks. Real-time monitoring benefits you to differentiate between queries that are legitimate and malicious attacks through protection logic in the code. It also helps enhance visibility, compliance, and control.Policies for data retention and deletion
Data retention and deletion are both legal obligations and shall be stored and deleted as required by law. Data retention helps take necessary backups and clear file space. For data retention to be applied, organizations must have clarity on what data needs to be retained. For example, names, addresses, financial records, etc. Deleting customer data that you no longer require is also a mandate that needs to be followed, non-compliance of which may lead to fines.User-Level Data Security Monitoring
Organizations should monitor user-level data security to meet internal and external application security standards. You will receive role-based access control (RBAC) and enforced segregation of tasks from your cloud service provider. This ensures the highest level of SaaS application security and validates that only the right people have authorized access to data on SaaS applications.Privileged access management
Most organizations give admin access account for SaaS applications to a number of employees. Even shared social media accounts are another example. The credentials for these are rarely changed and are openly shared with multiple people and teams making them easy prey for attackers and cybercriminals to latch on to. It is important to identify these accounts as privileged and take necessary actions to eliminate the risk associated with them.Implement Security Controls
To safeguard your SaaS application from potential threats and risks associated with different assets, it is crucial for organizations to implement security controls like two-factor authorization, biometrics for login, password control policy, access management systems, data encryption, malware, and data loss prevention policy combat security risks in the most robust fashion.Conclusion
As data security goes onto take the highest position in the world of IT operations, securing your SaaS apps have become more crucial than ever. By putting SaaS application security at the forefront of your organization’s goals you are not only benefitting by combatting risks but also staying ahead of the competition in the industry. SaaS applications have changed the way software is used. It is a window to success and shows no signs of slowing down. Ensuring SaaS security is integral to protecting your employees and organizations and thereby helps in providing greater value to end-users. We sincerely hope this SaaS security guide was insightful and will help you build a secure SaaS application.Looking For Expert Guidance on Your Dream Project?
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Krunal Shah is the CTO and Co-founder at Third Rock Techkno. With extensive experience gained over a decade, Krunal helps his clients build software solutions that stand out in the industry and are lighter on the pocket.
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