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Technology
IBM IT Organization security saaS Technology

SaaS Challenges and How to Overcome Them


According to 25% of participants in an IBM study conducted in September 2022 among 3,000 companies and tech executives worldwide, security worries stand in the way of their ability to achieve their cloud-related goals. Nowadays, a lot of organizations think that using the cloud comes with hazards. However, the truth is not quite that dire; if you follow certain security best practices, the cloud may be a safe haven for your data.

Businesses need to have a solid security plan in place to handle their SaaS security concerns if they want to fully benefit from cloud computing. In the first place, what are these worries?

SaaS Challenges

  • Lack of experts in IT security. Companies compete intensely to attract qualified specialists in the tight market for IT security professionals, especially those working on cloud security. In the United States, there are often insufficient skilled workers to cover only 66% of cybersecurity job openings.
  • Problems with cloud migration. A major obstacle to cloud adoption, according to 78% of cloud decision-makers surveyed by Flexera in 2023, was a lack of resources and experience. Inexperience with cloud systems can result in security-compromising migration errors.
  • Insider dangers and data breaches. Regretfully, the largest challenge facing cloud computing is still data breaches. 39% of the firms polled in the 2023 Thales Cloud Security Study reported having data breaches.
  • SaaS enlargement. Some businesses utilize more SaaS technologies than they require. According to BetterCloud, companies used 130 SaaS apps on average in 2022, which is 18% more than in 2021. Managing multiple SaaS apps increases the amount of knowledge and error-proneness that can arise.
  • Adherence to regulations. The technology used in clouds is quite recent. As a result, there may be gaps in some SaaS standards, and industry or national compliance standards are frequently different. Security is compromised when SaaS tools are used that don't adhere to international rules or lack industry standards.
  • Security and certification requirements. To protect client data, SaaS providers must adhere to industry standards like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Although it requires more work for vendors, certifying adherence to such standards is crucial for reducing security threats.

Monitoring Leading SaaS Security Trends

Cyberattacks will cost businesses $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, a 300% increase over 2015, predicts McKinsey. Businesses need to keep up with the latest developments in data security if they want to reduce the risk and expense of cyberattacks. They must adopt a shared responsibility model and cloud-native solutions built with DevSecOps standards to actively manage their SaaS security.


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Vulnerabilities and Exploits
Application Management Data Safety saaS security threat User Security Vulnerabilities and Exploits

Shadow IT, SaaS Pose a High Security Threat for Businesses

 

Software as a service (SaaS) has undeniably reached the height of its popularity. Modern corporate operations and continuity depend today more than ever on software technologies. The right procurement procedures haven't yet been adopted by enough businesses, despite this, so they can't be sure they're safeguarding their reputations and preventing data breaches. 

The growing practise of "shadow IT," which refers to when employees download and utilise software solutions without informing their internal IT personnel, is a crucial factor causing worries about SaaS management. According to a recent poll, more than 65% of IT professionals claim their SaaS tools aren't getting approved, and 77% of them anticipate that shadow IT will become a serious issue in 2023. As the use of SaaS spreads, organisations are starting to struggle with managing security in addition to the obvious worries about overspending and the disruptions to operational effectiveness. 

Unfortunately, for many organisations, ignoring shadow IT is no longer an option. The average cost of data breaches and other security attacks to firms is $4.5 million, and a rising software market is largely to blame for many of these incidents. Organisations must implement an efficient procurement procedure when bringing on new software solutions and increase visibility over their SaaS stacks to prevent shadow IT and the high risks that go along with it. 

Why does Shadow IT pose such a risk? 

The lack of visibility within an organisation is the root cause of all shadow IT problems. IT teams have no control over the use and distribution of sensitive company data when a software stack is not maintained. Most organisations do not fully protect the data these tools retain because they do not properly vet them and do not monitor them. 

This sets up the ideal environment for hackers to quickly steal crucial data, such as private financial records or personal information. Because most, if not all, SaaS products require corporate credentials and access to an organization's internal network, crucial company data is at risk. According to a recent poll by Adaptive Shield and CSA, 63% of CISOs have reported security problems resulting from this kind of SaaS misuse in the previous year alone. 

Consequences of loopholes 

As previously said, the possibility of a data breach is a recurrent trend that many firms are encountering with shadow IT. However, it is also crucial to be aware of the potential regulatory fines and industry scrutiny that organisations may experience as a result of the widespread usage of shadow IT. 

Unauthorised software is likely to fall short of the compliance requirements set forth by laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which businesses are required to uphold. For businesses in sectors with rigorous regulations, penalties for noncompliance can result in irreversible reputational harm, which cannot be remedied by merely paying the corresponding fine. 

Organisations are unaware of the wasted operating dollars spent on tools and applications, in addition to the costs related to a security failure and the reputational harm a business suffers. Due to issues like rogue subteams, departments providing their own software, or employees using corporate credentials to access freemium or single-seat tools, it can be difficult for large organisations to find all the applications that the company never approved. 

Mitigation Tips

Acquiring visibility into the current software stack is an essential first step in addressing an organization's SaaS sprawl and making sure that shadow IT never puts you in a precarious situation. Without visibility, a company won't know what tools are being utilised and won't be able to decide whether or not to centralise its software. IT teams should put their efforts into updating the documentation for their software portfolio and keeping track of application functions, software usage, the contract/subscription duration of each tool, and cost. 

IT teams can determine which tools are crucial and where modifications can be made after access to this information is gained and correctly maintained. After doing some housekeeping, firms can set up a centralised procurement system to make sure that all future purchases are coordinated between departments and that any security or compliance requirements are constantly satisfied to avoid security lapses and legal repercussions. With access to these records, organisations can easily keep track of every usage, cutting down on wasteful spending and security lapses.
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Web Admin
Cyber Security Digital Infrastructure Microsoft 365 saaS Security Survey Web Admin

Influence of Digitalization on IT Admins

A SaaS software business named SysKit has released a report on the impact of digital transformation on IT administrators and the present governance environment. According to the report, 40% of businesses experienced a data breach in the last year. This can have a serious impact on an organization's productivity and lead to costly fines, downtime, and the loss of clients and certifications that are essential to its operations.

The research, held out in November, included 205 US IT managers who are in charge of overseeing the IT infrastructures of their firms, and it fairly depicts the target demographic. As per SysKit, improper zero trust and full trust implementation can result in data breaches. Based on the survey, 68% of respondents believe that the zero trust approach restricts the ability to collaborate, while 50% of respondents think that the full trust approach to governance is ideal.

The majority of IT administrators (82%) agree that non-technical staff who are resource owners must be more proactive in data reviews and workspace maintenance. Furthermore, when enquired about one‘s specific IT governance skills, 50% of the respondents stated that non-tech employees do not know how to properly apply external sharing policies, 56% believed they did not know how to properly apply provisioning policies, and 30% stated that their coworkers are not taking care of their inactive content. According to SysKit, this lack of knowledge can result in data leaks, unchecked workspace sprawl, and higher storage expenses.

The survey also revealed that excessive workloads, a lack of comprehension from superiors, and a misalignment of IT and business strategy are among the main issues for IT administrators. As technology continues to develop, organizations will face new opportunities and difficulties. Future applications of AI-based technologies have not yet been defined since they are still in their initial stages. 
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Web Services
Apps Cyber Security Malicious actor saaS Supply Chain Attack Unauthorized access Web Services

DoControl: Growing its SaaS Security Platform

DoControl offers an integrated, automated, and risk-aware SaaS Security Platform that protects apps and data which are essential to corporate operations promotes operational efficiency and boosts productivity. Protecting data and business-critical SaaS apps through automated remediation is DoControl's key strength.

DoControl's newest module adds shadow SaaS application identification, monitoring, and remediation to build on earlier advancements that target mission-critical use cases and better defend companies from SaaS supply chain assaults. By establishing machine identities that are frequently overprivileged, unapproved of, and unmonitored, SaaS application-to-application communication capabilities raise the risk. To address regulatory gaps and automatically close supply chain-based attack vectors, DoControl's SaaS Security Platform extension offers total control and transparency across all authorized and unauthorized SaaS apps.

One service platform that delivers unified security across various apps is required by the industry as a result of the rapid expansion of SaaS applications, the need to integrate them, or the economic pressures to integrate vendors. DoControl has established itself as the end-to-end SaaS security platform supplier, including CASB, DLP, Insider Risk, and Workflows, so now Shadow Apps enable security teams to accomplish more with less effort.

Extensive shadow application governance is aided by the DoControl SaaS Security Platform's expansion:

Facts and Awareness: All interlinked  SaaS applications within a company's estate can be found by organizations, both sanctioned and unsanctioned. Businesses can spot issues of non-compliance and comprehend the high-risk SaaS platforms, apps, or users vulnerable inside the SaaS estate with rigorous surveying and inventories.

Analyze and Operate: Utilizing pre-approval rules and workflows that demand end users present a business explanation for acquiring new apps, companies can conduct app reviews with business users. Security staff can also place suspect applications in quarantine, limit a user's access rights, and revoke such privileges.

Automated Cleanup: Organizations can automate the application of security policies throughout the entire SaaS application stack by using low-code/no-code solutions. Through automated patching of various threat vectors, DoControl's Security Workflows limit vulnerability brought on by third-party apps and stop unauthorized or high-risk app usage.

Data security is essential, but several systems lack the level of specificity and set of capabilities modern businesses require to secure sensitive data and operations, particularly in the intricate and linked world of SaaS apps. DoControl finds every SaaS user, partner company, asset, and metadata, as well as OAuth applications, groups, and activity events. Without hindering business enablement, DoControl helps to lower risk, prevent data breaches, and manage insider risk.


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Technology
Artifical Inteligence Darktrace IoT saaS Technology

How Can AI Understand Your Business Needs and Stop Threats?


AI in threat detection

In the current complicated cybersecurity scenario, threat detection is just a needle in the haystack. 

We have seen malicious actors exploiting everything they can get their hands on, from AI tools, to open-source code to multi-factor authentication (MFA), the security measures should also adapt from time to time across a company's entire digital landscape. 

AI threat detection, simply put is an AI that understands your needs- is essential that can businesses in defending themselves. According to Toby Lewis, threat analysis head at Darktrace, the tech uses algorithmic structures that make a baseline of a company's "normal." 

After that, it identifies threats, whether it's new or known, and in the end, makes "intelligent micro-decisions" about possible malicious activities. He believes that cyber-attacks have become common, rapid, and advanced. 

In today's scenario, cybersecurity teams can't be everywhere all the time when organizations are faced with cyber threats. 

Securing the digital landscapes 

It is understandable that complexity and operational risks go hand in hand as it is not easy to control and secure the "sprawling digital landscapes" of the new organizations. 

Attackers are hunting down data in the SaaS and cloud applications, the search also goes to the distributed infrastructure of endpoints- from IoT sensors to remotely-used computers to mobile phones. The addition of new digital assets and integration of partners and suppliers have also exposed organizations to greater risks. 

Not only have cyber threats become more frequent, but there is also a concern of how easily malicious cyber tools can be availed nowadays. These tools have contributed to the number of low-sophistication attacks, troubling chief information security officers (CISOs) and security teams. 

Cybercrime becoming a commodity

Cybercrime has become an "as-a-service" commodity, providing threat actors packaged tools and programs that are easy to install in a business. 

Another concern is the recently released ChatGP by OpenAI. It is an AI-powered content creation software that can be used for writing codes for malware and other malicious activities. 

Threat actors today keep on improving their ROI (return on investments), which means their techniques are constantly evolving, and security defenders are having problems predicting the threats. 

AI heavy lifting

AI threat detection comes in handy in this area. AI heavy lifting is important to defend organizations against cyber threats. AI is always active, its continuous learning capability helps the technology to scale and cover the vast volume of digital assets, data, and devices under an organization, regardless of their location. 

AI models focus on existing signature-based approaches, but signatures of known attacks become easily outdated as threat actors constantly change their techniques. To rely on past data is not helpful when an organization is faced with a newer and different threat. 

“Organizations are far too complex for any team of security and IT professionals to have eyes on all data flows and assets. Ultimately, the sophistication and speed of AI “outstrips human capacity," said Lewis. 

Detecting real-time attacks

Darktrace uses a self-learning AI that is continuously learning an organization, from moment to moment, detecting subtle patterns that reveal deviations from the norm. This "makes it possible to identify attacks in real-time, before attackers can do harm," said Lewis. 

Darktrace has dealt with Hafnium attacks that compromised Microsoft Exchange. In March 2022, Darktrace identified and stopped various attempts to compromise the Zobo ManageEngine vulnerability, two weeks prior to the discussion of the attack publicly. It later attributed the attack to APT41- a Chinese threat actor. 

War of algorithms- using AI to fight AI 

Darktrace researchers have tested offensive AI prototypes against its technology. Lewis calls it "a war of algorithms" or fighting AI with AI. 

Threat actors will certainly exploit AI for malicious purposes, therefore, it is crucial that security firms use AI to combat AI-based attacks.


 




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saaS
Cyber Crime Cyber Crime Reports DDoS DDOS Attacks DDoS Flaw Microsoft Ransomware saaS

A Huge DDoS Network was Taken Down by the US DOJ

 


According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), 48 domains were seized after it was discovered that they were offering distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on-demand as a service that criminals could exploit.  

This information was provided in a press release from the office of E Martin Estrada, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. This release was intended to inform the public that in addition to these seizures, six defendants are being charged with crimes in connection with operating these platforms.  
 
With the addition of the DDoS attacks which are plaguing the internet, this news brings back to the forefront the concept of Cybercrime-as-a-Service, outlined in the Microsoft Digital Defence Report (MDDR) released in November 2022. 

What is DDoS?

It is a platform for performing distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS attacks) that primarily allows anyone to purchase and execute such attacks for free. Based on the software as a service (SaaS) business model, these services are lucrative because they allow the owner of an IoT botnet to conduct low-overhead attacks.


DoS-for-Hire Services

Until recently, the majority of cybercrime-as-a-service reports have covered cybercrime using the context of ransomware, or a threat actor encrypting data and locking it out so that people cannot access what they want (usually until a ransom has been paid), or droppers bots that spread malware via delaying software updates.  

Despite this, DDoS-as-a-service (sometimes known as "booters" since they boot targeted systems from the internet) continues to be one of the most popular cybercrime methods for those who wish to commit a crime without having the necessary knowledge. 

According to the US Attorney's office, the websites seized during the operation launched "millions" of DDoS attacks, attacking victims around the world, with some claiming to provide legitimate services for your business to cope with stress. 

With booter services such as these, anyone can launch cyberattacks against victims, causing grave harm to individuals, and compromising the internet access of everyone, said US Attorney Estrada, noting the ease with which the attacks are carried out, allowing for maximum damage to be done. 

This week’s sweeping law enforcement activity is a considerable step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate criminal conduct that threatens the internet’s infrastructure and our ability to function in a digital world.

There are several organizations, including the FBI, the National Crime Agency, the Netherlands Police, and the National Crime Strategy, which are taking a much softer approach towards anyone who shows an interest in using the DDoS-for-hire services that are available. 

To deter would-be cybercriminals from investing in these services and to educate the public about the dangers of DDoS activity, an advertorial campaign will be conducted using placement ads in search engines on common keywords related to DDoS-for-hire activity. The campaign aims to target the use of common keywords related to DDoS-for-hire activity. As part of its commitment to victims, the FBI has also pledged to assist them whenever possible. 

"The FBI is ready to work with victims of crimes whether they launch them independently or hire a skilled contractor to execute them," said Donald Alway, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. 

American victims of cybercrime are encouraged to contact their local FBI field office or to file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
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saaS
Customer Care Cyber Security cybercriminals Malicious actor Phishing emails saaS

Misconfigured Keys are Tackled in ServiceNow's Guidelines

 

ServiceNow, a $4.5 billion software company assisting businesses with its digital workflows, has released recommendations for its clients regarding Access Control List (ACL) misconfiguration. 

In one of its reports, AppOmni said that the usual misconfigurations are caused by a "combination of customer-managed ServiceNow ACL setups and overprovisioning of access to guest users". 

The general public is a factor in RBAC for public-facing businesses. The capacity to provide public access to the information within your 'database,' which may be a forum, online shop, customer service site, or knowledge base, is one crucial feature of RBAC, according to the paper. When firms upgrade or alter SaaS services or onboard new users, the difficulty is guaranteeing the appropriate level of access.

The researchers found roughly 70% of the ServiceNow instances examined by AppOmni were misconfigured, posing the risk of unauthorized users stealing critical data from businesses who are not even aware of them being at risk. 

Securing SaaS, according to AppOmni CEO Brendan O'Connor, is much more involved in simply checking a few options or enabling strong authentication for users."Because of its flexibility and power, SaaS platforms have evolved into company operating systems. There are numerous good reasons for workloads and applications running on a SaaS platform to interface with the outside world, such as integrating with emails and text messages or hosting a customer care portal" O'Connor further added. 

As per AppOmni Offensive Security Researcher Aaron Costello, ServiceNow external interfaces exposed to the public could allow a hostile actor to take data from records. Meanwhile, Brian Soby, CTO of AppOmni, said "the enormous degree of flexibility in modern SaaS systems has made misconfiguration one of the largest security concerns enterprises face. Our goal is to shine a light on frequent SaaS platform misconfigurations and other potential hazards so customers can guarantee the system posture and configuration matches its business intent."
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saaS
cybercriminals Malicious Codes malware Microsoft 365 Ransomware attack saaS

In 2021, Ransomware Threats were Self-Installed

 

According to Expel, a managed detection and response (MDR) company, the majority of ransomware assaults in 2021 were self-installed. The revelation was made in the annual report on cybersecurity trends and predictions, 'Great eXpeltations'. 

Eight out of ten ransomware outbreaks were caused by victims unintentionally opening a zipped file containing malicious code. While, 3% of all ransomware cases were produced via abusing third-party access, and some 4% were caused by exploiting a software weakness on the perimeter. 

Ransomware is a sort of software that locks users out of the computer and demands payment in exchange for access. The data on the computer could be stolen, destroyed, or hidden, or the computer itself could be locked; some ransomware may try to infect other computers on the network.

BEC (business email compromise) efforts accounted for 50% of cases, with SaaS apps being the most common target. More than 90% of the attacks targeted Microsoft Office 365, with attacks against Google Workspace accounting for less than 1% of all events. Okta was the objective of the remaining 9%. 

Ransomware was responsible for 13% of all opportunistic attacks. Legal services, communications, financial services, real estate, and entertainment were the top five industries attacked. Furthermore, Expel discovered that 35 percent of web app hacks resulted in the deployment of a crypto miner.

Is the user at risk of being a victim of a ransomware assault due to security flaws?

  • The device in use is no longer cutting-edge. 
  • The device's software is out of date. 
  • No longer are browsers and/or operating systems patched. 
  • There is no suitable backup plan in place. 
  • Cybersecurity has received insufficient attention, and no solid plan has been put in place. 

How to Protect Oneself against Ransomware: 

  • Set up a firewall.
  • Have immutable backups. 
  • Staff Awareness Through Network Segmentation. 
  • Password Strengthening.
  •  Security Enhance Endpoint Security. 
  • Increase the Security of Your Email.
  • Use the Least Privilege Principle. 
  • Install ad blockers.

When it comes to combating ransomware, caution and the deployment of effective protection software, like with other forms of malware, are a good start. The development of backups is especially important when dealing with this form of malware, as it allows users to be well prepared even in the worst-case scenario.
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Technology
Business E-services India saaS Technology

Software-as-a-Service: Next Big Thing in Tech, Could be Worth $1 Trillion

 

Since the late 1980s, India has been a destination for low-cost, outsourced software and support services and that was the time when the labor force became a cost-effective solution for multinational companies globally. Historically, the labor arbitrage model has increased the country's wealth, also providing employment and fuelling urbanization. 

Because of the world pandemic, global industries are forced to increase their investment in digital infrastructure, boosting the influence of companies providing software-as-a-service, or SaaS. According to a KPMG survey, last year organizations spent an extra $15 billion per week on technology to improve safe remote working environments. 

While India’s software-as-a-service industry will be worth $1 trillion by 2030, it will also likely increase employment by nearly half a million new jobs, according to a recent report compiled by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and SaaSBoomi, a community of industry leaders. 

SaaS companies are also known as "on-demand software" and Web-based/Web-hosted software facilitates applications that take care of the software. There are some best-known SaaS companies including Zoom (ZM), Salesforce (CRM), SAP Concur, and the messaging app Slack. 

SaaS has become a common delivery model for many business applications, including office software, messaging software, payroll processing software, DBMS software, management software, CAD software. 

According to the report, there are thousands of such companies in India, of which 10 are unicorns, their startups' worth is $1 billion in value. 

"This can be as big an opportunity as the IT services industry was in the 90s," said Girish Mathrubootham, CEO of Freshworks India’s best-known SaaS Company. Last month, the company (Freshworks) filed for an IPO, joining the league of other Indian unicorns that are going public this year.
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