Safeguarding your SaaS

Can you name an organization today that does not leverage the power of the Cloud in some form? The reality is that Cloud adoption has become extensive, shaping the way businesses operate and interact with technology.

In this landscape, Software as a Service (SaaS) stands out as a cornerstone, providing compelling advantages.
SaaS has revolutionized software access, offering agility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. SaaS is becoming the go-to solution for core business functions in organizations across all sectors, including Technology, Government, Finance, and Healthcare.

Gartner identifies* an increasing reliance on SaaS applications and the corresponding criticality of protecting sensitive data stored and accessed through them. However, the convenience of SaaS comes with a critical concern: the risks associated with inadequate security. In an era defined by persistent Cyber threats and data breaches, failing to secure SaaS applications can pose significant risk. Highlighting the magnitude of this concern, Gartner's 2023 report* revealed that less than 5% of SaaS-driven organizations have implemented SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM). While SaaS applications unlock immense potential, optimizing security is crucial. Dive deeper to discover how our Cloud Security solutions can fortify your SaaS landscape.

Key Drivers Behind SaaS Adoption

• Accelerated Digital Transformation: Organizations are compelled to adopt SaaS solutions for their agility and rapid deployment capabilities.
• Cost Optimization: SaaS slashes costs by eliminating infrastructure and platform management fees. With its auto-managed infrastructure and on-demand scalability, you only pay for what you use, maximizing efficiency and freeing up resources for your core business.
• Shift to Remote Work: The increasing prevalence of remote work has made the accessibility of SaaS applications more valuable and an enabler for seamless collaboration.

5 Main SaaS Security Challenges Organizations Are Facing Today

• Misconfiguration: A staggering 63% of cloud security incidents stem from misconfigurations. As organizations adopt more SaaS applications, they create a sprawling, fragmented security landscape - a perfect storm for overlooked vulnerabilities. Enforcing consistent policies across diverse platforms becomes exceedingly complex, multiplying the risk of these silent threats.
• Data Sprawl: Data dispersed across various SaaS applications complicates access control and compliance with regulations and company policies, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and data leakage.
• Unapproved SaaS Applications: Uncontrolled integration of third-party and unapproved SaaS applications creates hidden data flows and unauthorized connections. This amplifies data leakage and compliance risks, giving rise to Shadow IT.
• Decentralized Ownership: SaaS sprawl across business units collides with centralized Data Security accountability. While business units leverage and control these applications, the ultimate responsibility for securing them rests with Data Security, creating accountability gaps and potentially leading to overlooked vulnerabilities and a fragmented security posture.
• Platform-Specific Expertise Gap: Business units lack security expertise, while Data Security teams struggle with fragmented tools and limited platform-specific knowledge, impacting overall security preparedness.

Deloitte Offers You a Solution

Whether you are using SaaS or planning to adopt it, SaaS Security should be a part of the organization’s Cloud Security posture. Deloitte is here to help you establish a strong SaaS Security posture. We cover crucial aspects like Governance and Compliance, Identity and Access Management, and Data Protection.

Deloitte offers a phased approach for SaaS Security:

• SaaS Security Strategy – Deloitte will work with business stakeholders to design a security strategy, covering business needs, goal alignment, governance, integration with the broader Cloud Security policy, and an implementation roadmap.
• SaaS Security Assessments – Deloitte will assess the existing SaaS environment, policies, and processes, to discover potential misconfigurations, security gaps, excess privileges, and unauthorized data flows.
• Implementation Support and Analysis – Deloitte will build an implementation plan, help on-board new SaaS applications, perform security configuration assessments, and provide a remediation plan.
• Continuous SaaS Security Optimization - Once applications are implemented, our team will develop fine-tuned security checks and alerts, perform on-going gap analysis, and leverage our Cloud Security expertise to support the organization in effective threat remediation, keeping SaaS applications secure and compliant, in line with the organization’s Cloud Security policy.

Deloitte has recently partnered with Adaptive Shield, a leader in Security Posture Management (SSPM) with a portfolio of over 140 supported SaaS applications, including Salesforce, Office 365, and Service Now.

Leveraging the expertise of Deloitte's Cyber Security professionals and Adaptive Shield's advanced SSPM capabilities, organizations can elevate their SaaS Security posture to new heights, mitigating risk and
protecting sensitive data.

To conclude, it is important to emphasize that SaaS Security is an integral part of the organization’s Cloud Security posture, and a collaborative effort between vendors and organizations. While vendors offer a secure foundation, organizations play a critical role in protecting their data and applications.

Deloitte can help strengthen the security posture of your SaaS applications and provide resilience against evolving Cyber and compliance risks. Reach out today for a free consultation meeting to see how Deloitte can help.

*Gartner Hype 2023 Cycle Report for Application Security