Why SaaS Security Is a Challenge
In today’s digital landscape, organizations are increasingly relying on software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications to drive their operations. However, this widespread adoption has also opened the doors to new security risks and vulnerabilities.
The SaaS security attack surface continues to widen. It started with managing misconfigurations and now requires a comprehensive approach to handling the entire SaaS ecosystem. This includes the continuous monitoring and management of user access, roles and permissions, 3rd party apps installed by users, risks deriving from SaaS user devices and Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR).
There are a variety of reasons that SaaS security is so complex today. Firstly, there are a diverse range of applications, each having its own UI and terminology. And those environments are dynamic, from SaaS vendors understanding the importance of security and continually enhancing their applications with modern security measures to the ever-evolving user governance required such as onboarding, deprovisioning, adjustments in user access, etc.. These controls are effective only when continuously governed, for each app and each user. If that’s not enough, these apps are managed by dispersed business departments, making it almost impossible for the security team to implement their security policies.
When it comes to dealing with SaaS threats, existing threat detection and identity management methods don’t go far enough. Today’s SaaS environments are complex and ITDR capabilities within these landscapes require deep knowledge and proven expertise.
ITDR Explained
To address the Identity Threat Detection & Response challenge within the SaaS ecosystem, Adaptive Shield has developed a powerful solution that detects and responds to identity-related security threats based on key Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA). These indicators provide forensic signs of a potential breach, such as malware, data breaches, unusual behavior, and other suspicious events.
ITDR is designed to tackle various SaaS-related threats, including password-based attacks, IP behavior anomalies, OAuth-based attacks, unauthorized document access, unusual user agent activities, and more. By offering a comprehensive suite of protective measures, organizations must proactively defend their SaaS stack and ensure the integrity of their sensitive data.
Adaptive Shield’s ITDR Capabilities
Adaptive Shield’s ITDR is built on the foundation of a deep understanding of SaaS characteristics and Identity Governance within this landscape, based on its broadest coverage of SaaS applications in the market, encompassing over 130 applications.
As a means of prevention and first layer of defense, SSPM operates as the security layer in the Identity Fabric to establish robust user governance. This includes excessive permissions, access entitlement, user deprovisioning, and more, across the entire SaaS stack. Adaptive Shield provides organizations with deep and consolidated visibility and control of user accounts, roles, permissions, privileged users, and activities.
As a second layer of threat protection, Adaptive Shield’s ITDR capabilities provide extensive coverage in detecting anomalies and Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs). By focusing on context and creating user and company profiles, it increases the accuracy of these detection alerts. Additionally, understanding expected behavior patterns and considering factors such as user access, permissions, and devices, enables the solution to better understand and prioritize alerts.
Key Capabilities Include:
Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP)
Identification of common tactics and techniques that adversaries use to compromise systems, steal data, or disrupt operations. By understanding these TTPs, ITDR improves incident response capabilities through:
Indicator of Compromise (IOC) Detection: Collection of evidence indicating that the organization’s SaaS apps are under attack or have been compromised. IOCs can include data from IP addresses, domain names, URLs and more.
User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA): Detection of behavioral anomalies, Adaptive Shield’s ITDR can identify threat actors as they navigate through the organization’s applications, offering proactive threat detection.
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
Enhance incident response capabilities and improve threat detection and mitigation by aligning observed or potential attack techniques with the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
Alerts and Notifications
Get alerts in multiple channels such as email, Slack, or Teams, indicating potential security incidents or suspicious activities that require immediate investigation or response.
SIEM and SOAR Integrations
Seamlessly integrate with your existing Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) tools, improving threat correlation and incident response efficiency.
Remediation Guidance
Get actionable recommendations and step-by-step guidance to address and mitigate vulnerabilities, weaknesses, or compromises in the event of a security incident.
Comprehensive Security Management
When securing your SaaS environments, ensure your security platform goes beyond identity threat detection and response. Your solution should include a range of capabilities that strengthen your overall security management and offer a holistic prevention model for securing the SaaS Identity Fabric:
- Misconfiguration Management: Identify security drifts across all security controls and receive detailed remediation plans to ensure proper configuration and prevent log-related threats.
- Identity and Access Governance: Consolidate visibility of user accounts, permissions, and activities across all SaaS applications, enabling effective risk management and ensuring appropriate access levels. Detect and mitigate the risks associated with disabled or dormant accounts.
- SaaS-to-SaaS Access and Discovery: Gain visibility into connected apps, legitimate or malicious, and assess the level of risk they pose to your SaaS environment.
- Device-to-SaaS Risk Management: Gain context and visibility to effectively manage risks originating from SaaS users and their associated devices.
Read more about the different SaaS Security use cases
With unparalleled insights and an array of features, Adaptive Shield empowers organizations to protect their SaaS stack, prevent data breaches, and safeguard their SaaS data from emerging threats.
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