If your company is typical, that number is probably growing rapidly, with demand coming in from all of your business functions. The ease of implementation and the collaborative capabilities that SaaS products offer make them indispensable for most operations. But adopting SaaS tools is only sustainable if you have the right security measures in place to prevent data breaches.

Here you’ll find seven SaaS data security best practices to promote safety and productivity for your company. The best practices covered below are:

Enforce strong, centralized authentication
Proactively strengthen your SaaS security posture
Implement a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution
Monitor users with behavioral analytics
Leverage AI/ML for advanced capabilities
Use a CASB to protect SaaS access and discover shadow IT
Unify control over data security policies

Enforce strong, centralized authentication

A crucial early step for ensuring SaaS data security is to use robust and consistent authentication mechanisms. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) provides an additional layer of security by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access.

This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if a user’s password is compromised. Identity Access Management (IAM) tools further help by managing user identities and access levels, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data.

Proactively strengthen your SaaS security posture

To stay ahead of potential threats, it’s vital to proactively maintain a strong SaaS security posture. This purpose can be accomplished by adopting tools such as Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) – you also may encounter products with broadly overlapping capabilities under category names like Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) and AI Security Posture Management (AISPM).

These tools help identify and mitigate security risks by continuously monitoring and assessing your security posture. They provide insights into vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, enabling you to take corrective actions before they can be exploited by attackers.

Implement a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions are essential for protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access and accidental leaks. A DLP tool monitors and controls data transfers across your network, ensuring that sensitive information is not shared or accessed inappropriately.

By implementing an effective DLP solution, you can enforce data security policies, detect potential breaches and prevent data exfiltration. This is particularly important for SaaS products that handle large volumes of sensitive customer data.

Monitor users with behavioral analytics

Utilizing advanced behavioral analytics makes it possible to automatically monitor user activities and detect anomalous behavior. A tool like Forcepoint Risk-Adaptive Protection that analyzes behavioral patterns can identify potential security threats such as insider attacks or compromised accounts. This approach allows you to respond to threats in real time, minimizing the risk of data breaches. Implementing Risk-Adaptive Protection as part of your SaaS data security strategy helps ensure that any suspicious activities are quickly flagged and addressed.

Leverage AI/ML for advanced capabilities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) provide groundbreaking functionality to enhance SaaS data security, through both automation and improved processes. For instance, the AI Mesh model employed by Forcepoint DSPM can rapidly and accurately identify sensitive data across your organization, allowing you to eliminate ROT (Redundant, Obsolete or Trivial) data that can easily lead to breaches.

Use a CASB to protect SaaS access and discover shadow IT

Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) are essential for protecting access to your SaaS applications. A CASB will provide visibility and control over data and user activities across cloud services. They help enforce security policies, detect unauthorized access and prevent data breaches.

By using a leading CASB, you can ensure that all SaaS applications are used securely and that any unauthorized applications (shadow IT) are identified and managed appropriately.

Unify control over data security policies

Security Service Edge (SSE) solutions can provide unified control over data security policies across your SaaS environment. An SSE platform integrates various security functions such as a CASB, a Secure Web Gateway (SWG) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and should offer single-pane-of-glass visibility across all channels. This approach simplifies the management of security policies and ensures consistent enforcement across all applications and services. By adopting SSE, you can streamline your security operations and enhance the overall security posture of your SaaS product.

SaaS data security offers a strategy for success

By implementing these seven SaaS data security best practices, you can promote the safety of your expanding roster of SaaS products and protect sensitive data from cyber threats. Prioritizing data security not only safeguards your operations but also builds trust with your customers, ensuring the long-term health of your business. Adopting a streamlined and proactive strategy will help you reap the benefits of SaaS without falling prey to dangerous vulnerabilities.

Are you ready to learn more about how SSE protects access to SaaS products? Download the Gartner® report, 6 Steps for Securing Access to SaaS Using the Security Service Edge.

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