How Managed SaaS Security Solves Your SaaS Monitoring Problem

Imagine waking up to find that your company's sensitive data has been compromised due to a security lapse in one of your software-as-a-service applications. You had no idea until it was too late.

Unfortunately, this nightmare scenario is becoming all too common.

So, how do you constantly monitor your SaaS tools and ensure that only authorized users have access to your tenant?

Think of it this way: You likely use a credit card and can pull up a statement with a list of your transactions in real time at any point.

Chances are, you don’t check your credit statement every minute of every day to make sure no one is using your card without your authorization—you don’t have time for that—but your bank alerts you when they detect suspicious activity.

Your SaaS applications, like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, are similar. A ton of events are being tracked in the background that you don’t see. But unlike your bank, nobody, not even Microsoft or Google, is alerting you to suspicious activity…until it’s too late.

And that is where Managed SaaS Security enters the picture.

The Importance of SaaS Security

The Pervasiveness of SaaS Applications

SaaS adoption has skyrocketed over the last decade, with an average business using over 130 SaaS applications on any given workday. These applications have become integral to business operations worldwide, particularly the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace suite of tools, which stand out as mission-critical platforms.

With their widespread use comes an increased risk of cyber threats. Ensuring the security of these applications should be at the top of any IT leader’s priority list in maintaining business continuity and protecting sensitive data.

Common Security Challenges

We’ve talked about many of the security issues that arise with SaaS application use—issues like:

• Configuration Drift: over time, security settings in your SaaS applications can be inadvertently—or sometimes intentionally—modified, weakening your defenses.
• Shadow IT: Unauthorized or unmonitored SaaS applications used by employees create security vulnerabilities and compliance risks.
• Security Vulnerabilities in User Behavior: Weak passwords, unauthorized application use, and a lack of cybersecurity awareness can expose your data.
• Phishing Attacks: Fake emails, fake websites, fake text messages—all designed to trick users into sharing sensitive information like passwords or financial data. A subset of these threats is SaaS-to-SaaS phishing attacks, where a bad actor impersonates a trusted SaaS application to gain access to another SaaS tool.
• IP Address Localization: Hackers use virtual private networks (VPNs) to make their online activity appear to originate from the same country as yours, tricking systems into thinking their access is legitimate. This tactic allows hackers to bypass foreign login warnings and access your accounts.

What Is Managed SaaS Security?

Managed SaaS Security is a comprehensive service that provides continuous monitoring, threat detection, and security management for your SaaS applications. A team of experts leverages their expert knowledge and advanced tools to ensure SaaS environments remain secure, compliant, and resilient against threats.

Components of Managed SaaS Security

So, how does Managed SaaS Security work—what exactly is being done to protect my SaaS applications and my organization?

• Visibility and Monitoring: Extensive visibility into your SaaS applications—notably Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace tools. You gain detailed insights into logs and security settings across your SaaS environment and vigilance into configuration changes and potential security breaches.
• Automated Security Enforcement: Automatic prevention of configuration drift by applying and maintaining security best practices. Unauthorized changes are detected and addressed immediately, and those change attempts are recorded for pattern detection.
• Shadow IT Detection: Identify when single sign-on (SSO) is used in multiple applications. For example, if an end-user uses their Office 365 credentials to also log in to Google Workspace, that instance is logged for review and authorization.
• Incident Response and Recovery: A good Managed SaaS Security provider should also include incident response and recovery when an event reaches a certain severity threshold. While most events are non-critical, the ones that are must be dealt with swiftly and thoroughly. If an account is compromised, you should expect your provider to lock down that account immediately, remove session tokens, sign out the user, and begin an in-depth investigation.

Microsoft 365 Security

As the most-used SaaS application suite in the world, Microsoft 365 faces constant threats. While M365 does have built-in security features in many of its tools, there are significant gaps in that security that put users at risk of an incident.

Gaps that Microsoft even acknowledges and admits taking no responsibility for.

Why Managed SaaS Security from HBS Is Better

Not all SaaS monitoring tools are created equal. By partnering with HBS, you gain:

• Access to a dedicated team of security professionals with extensive experience in SaaS security, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace.
• A cost-effective alternative to in-house solutions. The significant value of our industry-best pricing makes it an attractive option for organizations seeking robust security without breaking the bank.
• Peace of mind thanks to continuous monitoring and rapid incident response. Alleviate the burden on your IT team with HBS Managed SaaS Security. Focus on core business activities, knowing that your SaaS environment is secure.

Robust SaaS Security is essential in today’s cloud-centric environment. Managed SaaS Security from HBS offers a comprehensive and cost-effective solution to safeguard your valuable data and ensure business continuity.

Don’t leave your SaaS security to chance—contact HBS today to learn how our fully-managed solution can protect you and your business.