5 Key SaaS Security Trends in 2024

SaaS providers are constantly upgrading their offerings. SaaS threat actors are constantly evolving their methods of attacks. As a SaaS user, it’s up to you to follow their lead and constantly improve your readiness to apprehend and respond to any SaaS security issues. This year’s top SaaS security trends follow the top SaaS developments, including, of course, the integration of AI into just about everything. Let’s take a look at five trends and then touch on major SaaS security challenges and best practices to help you address them.

Top 5 SaaS Security Trends in 2024

Trend #1 - Securing the AI Supply Chain

AI, and particularly generative AI, has gone beyond a buzzword to a fact of life. But just like when you say something in front of a young child, you never know when it’s going to come out of their mouth, so too with AI. 

Discovering where AI is used in your SaaS ecosystem, what data it has access to and how to then control the data it has access to is becoming a critical part of SaaS security.

Trend #2 - AI-powered threat detection

Sometimes the malady contains the cure. It’s not surprising that the best way to secure your SaaS applications against AI-based threats is with… AI-based threat detection. 

AI-powered models are increasingly used to make SaaS security more targeted and effective in everything from sensitive data discovery (for example, Google’s AI Classification for Drive files) to detecting behavioral anomalies by user identities. And speaking of detecting security issues with user identities, that brings us to…

Trend #3 - Identity-centric security

Recognition of identity as a primary SaaS attack surface has been growing. For a threat actor, access credentials to a legitimate identity within your SaaS systems is like a press pass: they can flash at the guard and then wander freely around inside, looking at whatever they want. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that identity and credentials rank as one of the most commonly used attack vectors. 

With this recognition of the centrality of identity in SaaS security comes a corresponding increase in organizations implementing ITDR (Identity Threat Detection and Response) solutions.

Trend #4 - MFA security

In order for threat actors to succeed in impersonating a legitimate identity, they may have to authenticate their stolen credentials. A host of social engineering strategies have arisen to overcome the MFA hurdle, including tricking the actual user into authorizing the login attempt or deceiving user support staff into supplying MFA tokens.

Trend #5 - OAuth token security

OAuth makes the world of connected third-party apps go ‘round. But OAuth tokens can sometimes be like the spare keys that you left under the mat: if you forget about them and someone less than honorable finds them, the result can be a break-in. 

Unmonitored OAuth tokens have found themselves the means by which a number of highly publicized breaches were achieved. This makes OAuth token security high on the list of SaaS security trends to take seriously.

Common SaaS Security Challenges

SaaS security challenges divide into three general areas: prevention, detection and remediation.

Ideally all SaaS security threats would be stopped before they succeeded in gaining access to your systems. A major challenge to prevention is the identity-centric nature of SaaS threats mentioned above. You do want legitimate users to be able to access and work within their accounts without obstacles. But that makes it harder to stop threat actors who are impersonating legitimate users.

When prevention fails and a threat actor penetrates your SaaS environment, the next challenge to overcome is detection: prompt discovery and identification of what’s going on. The identity issue rears its head here as well: how do you tell what action on the part of a user is a threat, and what part is legitimate business use? They often look very similar.

Once you’re aware of a problem, the primary question becomes: how quickly and effectively can you deal with it? Action in SaaS systems is characterized by speed; that is one of its main draws for business productivity. But the same characteristic makes it challenging to stop data exfiltration, exposure or other security threats in time. 

Best Practices for SaaS Security in 2024 

Dealing with the above challenges and trends requires a holistic SaaS security approach and solutions. Important characteristics of such solutions and best practices for application include:

1) Implement context-aware ITDR

To tell the difference between legitimate users acting legitimately, legitimate users acting illegitimately (i.e. insider threats) and illegitimate users, you need business and HR context. What behaviors are typical for this user and their group, department or role in the normal course of business? Have there been any changes in this user’s employment status (e.g. termination) that should make you look at their actions differently? An ITDR solution needs to be context-aware to be effective in its detection.

2) Use automated workflows

If a SaaS threat needs to wait for the InfoSec team to get an alert and investigate the issue, it may be too late. An effective SaaS security solution will have automated workflows that can do initial or complete remediation of defined threats immediately upon detection.

3) Be on top of your connected apps and their permissions and tokens

Every third-party app connected to your SaaS ecosystem is a potential attack vector. That’s even if it was used only by one user two years ago - and, actually, especially in that case. Get rid of dormant apps, revoke irrelevant permissions and make sure to remediate OAuth tokens if there’s any reason to suspect they were compromised.

FAQs

What role does AI play in SaaS security? 

AI enhances SaaS security by automating threat detection, analyzing patterns to identify anomalies and responding to incidents in real time. It also strengthens access controls, detects fraud and predicts vulnerabilities, providing a proactive approach to protecting sensitive data and maintaining compliance.

What is the role of encryption in SaaS security?

Encryption in SaaS security safeguards data by converting it into unreadable code, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected during storage and transmission. It prevents unauthorized access, secures data in transit and helps meet compliance requirements, making it a crucial layer of defense against breaches and data theft.

What are the potential risks of not securing SaaS applications?

Not securing SaaS applications can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, financial loss and reputational damage. It increases the risk of compliance violations, data leaks and exposure to malware. Unsecured SaaS also makes it easier for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities, potentially compromising sensitive customer and business information.

How do SaaS security tools differ from traditional security tools?

SaaS security tools are cloud-based, designed to protect data and applications in multi-tenant environments, with a focus on access control, identity security and real-time threat detection. Traditional security tools, often on-premises, focus on perimeter defenses and are less adaptable to the dynamic, distributed nature of SaaS environments.

DoControl Solution for SaaS Security

DoControl’s SaaS Security solution provides advanced prevention, detection and remediation of SaaS security threats. DoControl’s comprehensive SSPM includes context-aware Identity Threat Detection and Response, which is critical for combatting risk stemming from both legitimate and illegitimate users in your SaaS environment. 

DoControl enables you to be aware and in control of all your connected third-party SaaS apps with Shadow App Discovery and Remediation, which gives you complete visibility and granular control over the scope of all third-party apps.

Automated remediation workflows are an integral part of DoControl. Apply built-in playbooks or create your own custom granular workflows for immediate response to any SaaS threat. 

The Only Thing Constant is Change

SaaS moves fast. Work moves fast, development moves fast - and threats move fast. Keep on top of SaaS security trends and make sure your SaaS security measures can keep up with them. That way you’ll have your SaaS productivity and your SaaS security, too.