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A new State of SaaS Security Posture Management Report highlights the growing importance of SaaS cybersecurity in the face of increasing cyber threats. The report surveyed over 600 IT, cybersecurity, and business leaders from companies ranging from 500 to 2,500+ employees.

The survey results indicate that respondents generally feel confident about their SaaS cybersecurity preparedness. Around 71% of respondents rated their organizations’ SaaS cybersecurity maturity as either mid-high or the highest level. Additionally, 73% rated SaaS application security as mid-high or the highest maturity level. Most notably, 85% of respondents expressed confidence in their company’s or customer’s data security in sanctioned SaaS apps.

However, the reality of SaaS cybersecurity incidents and breaches paints a different picture. Despite the confidence expressed by respondents, only 21% claimed zero SaaS incidents in the past 12 months. A significant 79% confirmed that their organizations had experienced SaaS cybersecurity incidents during that time, even with cybersecurity policies in place and enforced.

These incidents can have severe consequences for organizations, including operational disruptions, reputational damage, and financial losses. A recent IBM report revealed that the average cost of a data breach is now .45 million. Many of these incidents fell into preventable categories, such as over permissioned users, app misconfigurations, and human error-related data exposures.

The report also highlights the gross underestimation of the SaaS footprint and corresponding risks. SaaS infrastructure has become vital for both SMBs and enterprises, with a 29% CAGR in SaaS-related services between 2017 and 2022. However, legacy cybersecurity tools and procedures are no longer sufficient to protect against SaaS threats.

The report identifies three key misunderstandings that contribute to higher risks in SaaS cybersecurity:

1. SaaS Data Security Misconceptions: Despite the high confidence expressed by respondents, numerous exposed SaaS data records have been identified, including personally identifiable information (PII) and customer data. Large-scale data breaches often trace back to misconfigurations, overpermissioning, and exposed data in SaaS applications.

2. Overconfidence in SaaS Cyber Risk Visibility: While many respondents claimed to perform audits or checklists before procuring a new SaaS application, this stage reflects the least amount of risk. Live SaaS environments constantly change, introducing security gaps and unintended configurations. Continuous visibility and monitoring of SaaS applications are crucial but often lacking.

3. Lack of Understanding about SaaS Endpoint Security: SaaS applications present unique risks that traditional endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools fail to recognize. CASBs, which act as cloud security tools, do not offer comprehensive SaaS protection.

In conclusion, the State of SaaS Security Posture Management Report highlights the need for organizations to improve their understanding and management of SaaS cybersecurity. It is essential to address misconceptions, enhance visibility and monitoring, and implement specialized security measures to protect against SaaS-related risks.

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