Top 10 SaaS Security Checklist in 2023

Software as a Service (SaaS) security refers to the measures and practices employed to protect SaaS solutions’ data, applications, and infrastructure.

SaaS is a cloud computing model where software applications are hosted and delivered over the internet, rather than installed and run on individual devices or servers.

While SaaS offers numerous benefits, such as scalability and accessibility, it also introduces security challenges that organizations must address to safeguard their data and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.

The software under this architecture is hosted centrally, with the service provider responsible for everything from database management to network administration to availability checks and infrastructure maintenance.

Data is often kept on centralized servers spread across numerous data centers and accessed by users via a web interface.

SaaS typically employs multi-tenancy, a deployment model in which a single software instance serves numerous customers whose data and settings are isolated.

Virtualization, load balancing, and backup storage are all part of this architecture’s strategy for delivering scalable, dependable, and readily available software solutions on demand.

Following the SaaS security checklist helps you understand the blind spots and focus on securing your SaaS apps and data.

Why is SaaS Security important?

Software as a service (SaaS) applications frequently deal with sensitive data, ranging from personal information to confidential corporate details, making SaaS security essential. 

Due to their internet-based nature, these apps are vulnerable to data theft and denial-of-service attacks.

 Data loss, financial consequences, legal issues, and reputational harm are all possible outcomes of a hacked SaaS service. 

In addition, due to the shared nature of SaaS’s basic infrastructure, a single vulnerability might affect several users. 

Moreover, while convenient, attackers may easily exploit SaaS due to its reliance on centralized data storage. Robust security for SaaS protects users and inspires confidence in the digital economy overall.

 It’s also a legal need for many businesses. Therefore, SaaS providers must place a premium on security to preserve credibility, safeguard customers, and guarantee the smooth running of operations.

To Protect Your SaaS Apps and data, Download the free Enterprise SaaS Security Technical Guide here.

Challenges and Risks for Security in SaaS

SaaS’s cloud-based, sharing nature (Software as a Service) raises security concerns and hazards. 

SaaS security checklist – Challenges and Risks
Data breach risk is significant since SaaS services are easily breached due to centralized storage.
The multi-tenancy framework might cause data leakage if clients are not adequately segregated.
Data breaches might occur due to insufficient access restrictions, and when using third-party infrastructure, you have to put your faith in their safety precautions.
SaaS Insecure Application Programming Interfaces APIs, which might open them to cyberattacks if they are not properly secured.
Due to an increasing number of off-site data storage, often in separate countries, ensuring continued regulatory compliance is a challenging task.

Top SaaS Security Checklist 2023

• Deploy a trusted SaaS Security Vendor
• Data Encryption
• Regular Security Audits
• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
• Set Identity and Access Management Rules
• Data Backups and Disaster Recovery
• Secure Application Development
• Endpoint Security
• Training and Awareness
• Monitor and Alert

Deploy a trusted SaaS Security Solutions

Employee Leading SaaS security vendors such as DoControl offer a SaaS Security Platform (SSP) that protects business-critical apps and data by being unified, automatic, and aware of the risk.

By working with DoControl, you can reduce risk, stop data breaches, and deal with insider threats without slowing down business support.

Businesses of all sizes frequently rely on DoControl to secure their most sensitive SaaS apps and data.

Through OAuth, oControl compiles a complete list of authorized and unauthorized SaaS applications, users, external collaborators, assets, third-party websites, and more.

Full visibility and data are provided for security audits, off-boarding suppliers, proving compliance, and responding to incidents.

DoControl’s 2023 SaaS Security Threat Landscape Report(Download) finds that 50% of enterprises and 75% of mid-market organizations have exposed public SaaS assets.

Short Features:

• Unified Data Access Controls: DoControl uses a centralized system to regulate access to all your data across all your SaaS applications, and high-risk actions and events in SaaS can activate an automated Workflow.
• Prevent Data Loss in SaaS Ecosystems: All files stored in a SaaS service are scanned and identified in real-time for sensitive data categories like PII, PCI, and PHI. 

• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): Explore the complete SaaS attack surface, evaluate leading threat models, remediate in bulk, and repeat the process automatically.
• Protect SaaS-to-SaaS: DoControl scans and monitors critical SaaS application data activity, performs end-user behavioral analytics to avoid insider threats, and automatically initiates safe procedures to protect sensitive enterprise data.
• Incident Response: Discover all the SaaS apps that integrate into the mainframe, identify the ones that aren’t complying, and give them a risk score to authorize or cancel access to use an application.

2. Data Encryption

Encryption plays an essential part in the security of SaaS data by transforming it into a code that unauthorized parties can’t decode. 

It may be used both “at-rest,” to protect information while it remains in storage like a database or a file, and “in-transit,” to keep data safe while it is being transmitted across a network. 

Protecting encryption keys and using robust encryption algorithms are two of the most critical features of any encryption system. 

By performing so, firms establish a solid barrier against data breaches and leaks, guaranteeing that essential information for SaaS settings stays unreadable and safe even if intercepted. To avoid illegal decryption, proper data management is necessary.

Short Checklist

• Encrypt data both in transit and at rest.
• Implement access controls and least privilege principles to restrict data access.
• Regularly audit and review user access to data.
• Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools to prevent the unauthorized sharing of sensitive.

3. Regular Security Audits

The security posture of a SaaS application is routinely and systematically assessed as part of best practices for SaaS (Software as a Service) security. 

During these inspections, vulnerabilities in the system’s software, hardware, or operational processes and violations of regulatory standards will be sought out and fixed.

 The primary objective is to guarantee the SaaS service has a reliable firewall to prevent cyberattacks.

 In most cases, external organizations or internal security departments are the ones to do audits to ensure the safety of a system. 

These audits help find mistakes, reduce risks, and strengthen security by assessing, testing, and analyzing the system.

 Regular audits are crucial for guaranteeing ongoing security awareness in SaaS settings, especially given the ever-changing nature of cyber threats.

Short Checklist

• Ensure you follow your business’s rules, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
• Audits and reports of compliance should be kept on file.
• Follow the rules about how long to keep data and how to get rid of it.

4. Enforce Strong Authentication

SaaS (Software as a Service) security best practice that uses several authentication aspects to determine a user’s identity is called multi-factor authentication (MFA). 

To validate user authenticity, multi-factor authentication (MFA) involves knowledge (password) and possession (security token or smartphone app) or identification (fingerprint or facial recognition).

 MFA drastically minimizes the danger of unauthorized access, even if an attacker obtains one of the authentication elements, by employing several levels of authentication. 

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is essential in SaaS settings because it strengthens security by preventing unauthorized access to systems due to compromised credentials.

Short Checklist

• Use robust and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users.
• Use role-based access control (RBAC) to handle user permissions.
• Immediately close accounts that aren’t being used.
• Review and change user access rights often.

5. Set Identity and Access Management Rules

The term “Identity and Access Management” (IAM) is used to describe a set of procedures for controlling who may access what data in a SaaS (Software as a Service) environment.

 Identity and access management (IAM) is a broad term that includes features like user authentication, role-based access control, and auditing. 

IAM rules that specify who has access and under what circumstances control access to apps, data, or features in a SaaS environment.

 The danger of unauthorized access or accidental data breaches may be reduced by implementing strict IAM rules that allow enterprises to manage user access based on roles, responsibilities, and business demands.

 Only authenticated, authorized users can access a SaaS platform’s resources if IAM is appropriately deployed.

Short Checklist

• Use an identity and access management (IAM) system that is controlled.
• Automate the process of adding and removing users.
• Set up single sign-on (SSO) to make entry easier.
• Teach people how important it is to have strong, unique passwords.

6. Data Backups and Disaster Recovery

When discussing SaaS (Software as a Service) security practices, terms like “data backups” and “disaster recovery” are frequently used to describe measures taken to prevent data loss, corruption, or interruption in the case of an emergency. 

Data backups allow for rapidly restoring vital information in a system breakdown or cyberattack.

 However, disaster recovery plans provide a thorough strategy for restarting operations after a significant disruption, such as failovers to secondary systems.

 In SaaS settings, combining these procedures is a crucial first line of defense for protecting the organization’s honesty and its constituents’ confidence.

• Ensure regular, automated backups of SaaS data.
• Test data recovery processes to verify data integrity.
• Maintain a disaster recovery plan for SaaS application outages.

7. Secure Application Development

Construction of Safe Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Applications The Security Practices Guide highlights the significance of including security measures throughout the SDLC. 

Developers no longer consider security a secondary concern; instead, it is a primary concern from the start. 

This method comprises regularly performing code reviews, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to detect and fix security vulnerabilities as soon as possible. 

Also essential are developer education and training in secure coding methods and CI/CD pipelines that include security tests. 

If SaaS providers prioritize security from the outset, they can safeguard their consumers effectively from cyberattacks and earn their trust and confidence.

Short Checklist

• Stay up to date on security changes and patches for SaaS apps.
• Apply fixes quickly to close security holes.
• Before patches are put into use, they are tested in a non-production setting.

8. Endpoint Security

The importance of endpoint security for SaaS (or cloud computing) The phrase “security practice” describes the process of protecting the various endpoints used to access the SaaS program.

Networked PCs, tablets, cellphones, and anything else are all examples of endpoints. Antivirus programs, firewalls, and encrypted VPNs are just a few tools to keep data safe online.

This procedure prevents attacks on the SaaS infrastructure from unauthorized devices or networks.

Endpoint security helps businesses protect their SaaS applications and the data they store by blocking unauthorized users and decreasing the possibility of malware attacks.

Short Checklist

• Protect the computers and mobile devices that are used to access SaaS apps.
• Use antivirus and antimalware tools to protect your computer.
• Set up the device so it can be locked or erased remotely if lost or stolen.

9. Training and Awareness

Training and Awareness of SaaS (Software as a Service) Employee and user education on security risks and effective practices is emphasized in security policies and procedures. 

Human mistake is still a significant risk, even with the most innovative technical protections. Employees who receive regular training are better prepared to identify and respond to threats like phishing and malware attacks. 

Campaigns to raise the public’s awareness stress the need for constant alert and caution in the face of evolving risks.

 By encouraging a security-aware company culture, SaaS vendors may reduce the probability of accidental insider attacks, promote more secure usage patterns, and strengthen the safety of their products.

SHort Checklist

• Train your staff frequently on security awareness.
• User education on phishing and social engineering is essential.
• Foster an environment where safety is prioritized.

10. Monitor and Alert

SaaS security best practices “Monitor and Alert” involves constantly monitoring system activity and creating alerts for unusual occurrences. 

System logs, human activity, and network traffic are some of the data monitored by monitoring programs. When the system identifies a possible danger or suspicious conduct, it immediately notifies the appropriate administrators. 

This preventative method shortens the window of opportunity that attackers might exploit in case of a security breach or system breakdown.

 Such monitoring management is essential in the framework of SaaS for protecting user information, keeping the system running smoothly, and preventing disruption.

Conclusion

Using SaaS (Software as a Service) industry standards Data integrity, availability, and privacy can never be guaranteed without security.

Strong identity and access management, multi-factor authentication, and routine security audits are just some of the many tactics included in this category.

 Further, they highlight the value of education and training in creating a culture of security awareness. Businesses can protect themselves and their customers from cybercriminals by taking a precautionary, comprehensive approach that considers both technological and responsible governance measures. 

Get the free Enterprise SaaS Security Technical Guide here to learn how to keep your SaaS apps and data safe.

Also Read:

No Coding, No Compromise: A Breach Prevention SaaS Security Guide – 2023

What is Zero Trust Data Access? – Zero Trust in the SaaS Guide