Cloud security is the umbrella that holds within it: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. Gartner created the SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) category for solutions that continuously assess security risk and manage the SaaS applications’ security posture. With enterprises having 1,000 or more employees relying on dozens to hundreds of apps, the need for deep visibility and remediation for SaaS security settings is only getting more critical.
The top pain points for SaaS security stem from:
- Lack of control over the growing SaaS app estate
- Lack of governance in the lifecycle of SaaS apps: from purchase to deployment, operation and maintenance
- Lack of visibility of all the configurations in SaaS app estate
- Skills gap in ever-evolving, accelerating, complex cloud security
- Laborious and overwhelming workload to stay on top of hundreds to thousands (to tens of thousands) of settings and permissions.
The capability of governance across the whole SaaS estate is both nuanced and complicated. While the native security controls of SaaS apps are often robust, it falls on the responsibility of the organization to ensure that all configurations are properly set — from global settings, to every user role and privilege. It only takes one unknowing SaaS admin to change a setting or share the wrong report and confidential company data is exposed. The security team is burdened with knowing every app, user and configuration and ensuring they are all compliant with industry and company policy.
Effective SSPM solutions come to answer these pains and provide full visibility into the company’s SaaS security posture, checking for compliance with industry standards and company policy. Some solutions even offer the ability to remediate right from within the solution. As a result, an SSPM tool can significantly improve security-team efficiency and protect company data by automating the remediation of misconfigurations throughout the increasingly complex SaaS estate.
As one might expect, not all SSPM solutions are created equal. Monitoring, alerts, and remediation should sit at the heart of your SSPM solution. They ensure that any vulnerabilities are quickly closed before they are exploited by cyberattacks. Solutions like the one developed by Adaptive Shield create a window into the SaaS environment. When comparing SSPM options, here are some key features to look out for (excerpted from the complete guide).
Visibility & Insights
Run comprehensive security checks to get a clear look into your SaaS environment, at all the integrations, and all the domains of risk.
Breadth of integrations
First and foremost for an SSPM solution, is the SSPM’s ability to integrate with all your SaaS apps. Each SaaS has its own framework and configurations, if there is access to users and the company’s systems, it should be monitored by the organization. Any app can pose a risk, even non-business-critical apps. Point of note is that often smaller apps can serve as a gateway for an attack.
- Look for an SSPM system with a minimum of 30 integrations that are adaptable and able to run checks on every data type to protect against misconfigurations.
- Even more, a solution should be able to support as many apps as possible that are within the SaaS IT stack, in a seamless “out-of-the box” way.
Comprehensive & Deep Security Checks
The other vital component to an effective SSPM is the expanse and depth of the security checks. Each domain has its own facets for the security team to track and monitor.
- Identity and access management
- Malware protection
- Data leakage protection
- Auditing
- Access control for external users
- Privacy control
- Compliance policies, security frameworks and benchmarks
Get the complete guide along with the printable checklist here.
Continuous Monitoring & Remediation
Combat threats with continuous oversight and fast remediation of any misconfiguration
Remediating issues in business environments is a complicated and delicate task. The SSPM solution should provide deep context about each and every configuration and enable you to easily monitor and set up alerts. This way vulnerabilities are quickly closed before they are exploited by cyberattacks.
SSPM vendors like Adaptive Shield provide you with these tools, which allow your security team to communicate effectively, shut down vulnerabilities, and protect your system.
- 24/7 continuous monitoring
- Activity Monitor
- Alerts
- Ticketing
- Remediation
- Posture over time
System Functionality
Integrate a strong and smooth SSPM system, without extra noise.
Your SSPM solution should be easy to deploy and allow your security team to easily add and monitor new SaaS applications. Top security solutions should integrate easily with your applications and your existing cybersecurity infrastructure, to create a comprehensive defense against cyber threats.
- Self-service wizards
- Robust APIs
- Low false positives
- Non-intrusive
- Tiered use
Final Thoughts
The Right SSPM solution PREVENTS your next attack.
SSPM is similar to brushing one’s teeth: it’s a foundational requirement needed to create a preventative state of protection. The right SSPM, like Adaptive Shield, provides organizations continuous, automated surveillance of all SaaS apps, alongside a built-in knowledge base to ensure the highest SaaS security hygiene.
Using Adaptive Shield, security teams will deploy best practices for SaaS security, while integrating with all types of SaaS applications—including video conferencing platforms, customer support tools, HR management systems, dashboards, workspaces, content, file-sharing applications, messaging applications, marketing platforms, and more.
Adaptive Shield’s framework is easy to use, intuitive to master, and takes five minutes to deploy.
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