What is SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM)?

Every enterprise today relies on a variety of SaaS applications for communication, collaboration, project management, security and more. Although SaaS solutions offer flexibility, scalability and cost savings, they also introduce security risks.

Without proper oversight, security gaps in SaaS environments can lead to compliance violations, data breaches and even financial losses. This is why every organization needs a structured approach to monitor and manage their SaaS security posture, i.e. SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM).

An organization’s security posture refers to its overall security maturity – how well it can prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats. It encompasses the security policies, tools, configurations and practices that protect the organization’s environments, networks, applications and confidential information.

For example, an organization with a strong security posture may use strong authentication, firewalls, military-grade encryption, privileged access management, role-based access control and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) to safeguard its systems and data.

The goal of a SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) solution is to continuously monitor an organization's SaaS applications to identify security risks, enforce policies and ensure compliance. Here’s how it works:

1. The SSPM tool scans SaaS applications to detect misconfigurations, excessive permissions and other security gaps. For example, if a SaaS application's sharing settings allow public access to sensitive data, SSPM will detect this and raise an alert.
2. Additionally, the tool will provide mitigation recommendations. For example, in the case of publicly shared sensitive data, SSPM may change the sharing settings itself and remove public access pertaining to that dataset.
3. SSPM keeps repeating steps 1 and 2, continuously checking for non-compliant settings and correcting them to ensure compliance with relevant frameworks. For example, if a company needs to comply with GDPR, SSPM can be configured to regularly scan SaaS applications for instances where personal data is being stored without proper consent.
4. Some SSPM platforms integrate SIEM tools, which may include IDS/IPS feeds, and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) to monitor SaaS application traffic. If an unauthorized user tries to access a SaaS app from an unusual location, SSPM can flag the attempt and enforce additional security measures, such as IP restrictions.
5. SSPM tools also help prevent accidental or malicious data leaks by enforcing DLP (Data Loss Prevention) policies. For example, if an employee tries to share sensitive customer data via an unapproved SaaS application, the SSPM tool can block the action and notify the security team.

Any organization that uses multiple SaaS applications should have an SSPM strategy in place. You stand to benefit even more from SSPM if your organization:

• Manages a large SaaS ecosystem: The more apps you use, the harder it is to track security risks manually.
• Has remote or distributed teams: Ensures secure access and prevents unauthorized data sharing.
• Stores sensitive customer or business data: Protects confidential information from exposure or theft.
• Lacks centralized security controls: Provides a unified view of SaaS security across all applications.
• Wants to reduce security workload: Automates monitoring, policy enforcement and risk mitigation.
• Faces strict regulatory requirements: Helps maintain compliance with SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR and other frameworks.
• Has experienced security incidents in the past: Identifies vulnerabilities and prevents similar breaches in the future.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and SSPM are both security frameworks that aim to improve an organization’s overall security outlook, but they focus on different areas.

CSPM is all about cloud infrastructure security. It helps organizations identify and fix misconfigurations in cloud platforms like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. It ensures that virtual machines, databases, serverless apps and storage services follow security best practices.

Conversely, as already mentioned, SSPM is specifically built to secure SaaS applications such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Identity Manager and Salesforce. It addresses the unique security challenges posed by these applications.

Organizations that rely on both cloud platforms and SaaS applications need both CSPM and SSPM for complete security coverage.

Here are the key features to look for when choosing a reliable and future-proof SSPM tool:

Up-to-date vulnerability scanning

The tool should be able to identify security gaps, weak authentication settings, vulnerable third-party packages and outdated configurations in SaaS applications.

Data encryption

The chosen tool should support encryption for data at rest and in transit to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Real-time security monitoring

It should track user activity, detect suspicious logins and provide alerts for potential security threats.

Integration with existing security tools

A good SSPM solution should work seamlessly with IAM, SIEM, DLP and other security tools to provide comprehensive protection.

Automated remediation

It should automatically fix security misconfigurations or provide clear recommendations for quick manual resolution. Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) is on such platform.

Compliance reporting and auditing

The tool should help organizations maintain compliance with regulations like GDPR, SOC 2 and HIPAA.

Access control and privilege management

It should enforce least privilege access control and policies to ensure that users only have the bare-minimum permissions they need to perform their tasks.

Reviews on Gartner highlight several key trends related to modern SSPM solutions:

• Machine learning and automated remediation: The best SSPM tools use machine learning to detect patterns and automate the remediation of common security threats.
• Seamless integration and scalability: These solutions are designed to easily integrate with existing security infrastructure and scale at your organization’s own pace.
• Improved visibility into third-party integrations: With the increasing use of third-party SaaS apps, SSPM tools now provide deeper insights into app permissions and potential risks.
• A strong complement to in-house security teams: They reduce the workload on security teams by automating routine tasks, such as vulnerability scanning, user access reviews and compliance reporting.