SaaS Compliance through the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework is one of the world's most important guidelines for securing networks. It can be applied to any number of applications, including SaaS.  One of the challenges facing those tasked with securing SaaS applications is the different settings found in each application. It makes it difficult to develop a

How Nation-State Actors Target Your Business: New Research Exposes Major SaaS Vulnerabilities

With many of the highly publicized 2023 cyber attacks revolving around one or more SaaS applications, SaaS has become a cause for genuine concern in many boardroom discussions. More so than ever, considering that GenAI applications are, in fact, SaaS applications. Wing Security (Wing), a SaaS security company, conducted an analysis of 493 SaaS-using companies in Q4 of 2023. Their study

How a $10B Enterprise Customer Drastically Increased their SaaS Security Posture with 201% ROI by Using SSPM

SaaS applications are the darlings of the software world. They enable work from anywhere, facilitate collaboration, and offer a cost-effective alternative to owning the software outright. At the same time, the very features that make SaaS apps so embraced – access from anywhere and collaboration – can also be exploited by threat actors. Recently, Adaptive Shield commissioned a Total Economic

The SEC Won't Let CISOs Be: Understanding New SaaS Cybersecurity Rules

The SEC isn’t giving SaaS a free pass. Applicable public companies, known as “registrants,” are now subject to cyber incident disclosure and cybersecurity readiness requirements for data stored in SaaS systems, along with the 3rd and 4th party apps connected to them.  The new cybersecurity mandates make no distinction between data exposed in a breach that was stored on-premise, in the

What is Nudge Security and How Does it Work?

In today’s highly distributed workplace, every employee has the ability to act as their own CIO, adopting new cloud and SaaS technologies whenever and wherever they need. While this has been a critical boon to productivity and innovation in the digital enterprise, it has upended traditional approaches to IT security and governance. Nudge Security is the world’s first and only solution to address

This Free Discovery Tool Finds and Mitigates AI-SaaS Risks

Wing Security announced today that it now offers free discovery and a paid tier for automated control over thousands of AI and AI-powered SaaS applications. This will allow companies to better protect their intellectual property (IP) and data against the growing and evolving risks of AI usage. SaaS applications seem to be multiplying by the day, and so does their integration of AI

Why Public Links Expose Your SaaS Attack Surface

Collaboration is a powerful selling point for SaaS applications. Microsoft, Github, Miro, and others promote the collaborative nature of their software applications that allows users to do more. Links to files, repositories, and boards can be shared with anyone, anywhere. This encourages teamwork that helps create stronger campaigns and projects by encouraging collaboration among employees

5 Ways to Reduce SaaS Security Risks

As technology adoption has shifted to be employee-led, just in time, and from any location or device, IT and security teams have found themselves contending with an ever-sprawling SaaS attack surface, much of which is often unknown or unmanaged. This greatly increases the risk of identity-based threats, and according to a recent report from CrowdStrike, 80% of breaches today use compromised

The Definitive Enterprise Browser Buyer's Guide

Security stakeholders have come to realize that the prominent role the browser has in the modern corporate environment requires a re-evaluation of how it is managed and protected. While not long-ago web-borne risks were still addressed by a patchwork of endpoint, network, and cloud solutions, it is now clear that the partial protection these solutions provided is no longer sufficient. Therefore,

Top 7 Trends Shaping SaaS Security in 2024

Over the past few years, SaaS has developed into the backbone of corporate IT. Service businesses, such as medical practices, law firms, and financial services firms, are almost entirely SaaS based. Non-service businesses, including manufacturers and retailers, have about 70% of their software in the cloud.  These applications contain a wealth of data, from minimally sensitive general

Make a Fresh Start for 2024: Clean Out Your User Inventory to Reduce SaaS Risk

As work ebbs with the typical end-of-year slowdown, now is a good time to review user roles and privileges and remove anyone who shouldn’t have access as well as trim unnecessary permissions. In addition to saving some unnecessary license fees, a clean user inventory significantly enhances the security of your SaaS applications. From reducing risk to protecting against data leakage, here is how

How to Handle Retail SaaS Security on Cyber Monday

If forecasters are right, over the course of today, consumers will spend $13.7 billion. Just about every click, sale, and engagement will be captured by a CRM platform. Inventory applications will trigger automated re-orders; communication tools will send automated email and text messages confirming sales and sharing shipping information.  SaaS applications supporting retail efforts

AI Solutions Are the New Shadow IT

Ambitious Employees Tout New AI Tools, Ignore Serious SaaS Security RisksLike the SaaS shadow IT of the past, AI is placing CISOs and cybersecurity teams in a tough but familiar spot.  Employees are covertly using AI with little regard for established IT and cybersecurity review procedures. Considering ChatGPT’s meteoric rise to 100 million users within 60 days of launch, especially with little

Top 5 Marketing Tech SaaS Security Challenges

Effective marketing operations today are driven by the use of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. Marketing apps such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Outreach, Asana, Monday, and Box empower marketing teams, agencies, freelancers, and subject matter experts to collaborate seamlessly on campaigns and marketing initiatives.  These apps serve as the digital command centers for marketing

When Email Security Meets SaaS Security: Uncovering Risky Auto-Forwarding Rules

While intended for convenience and efficient communication, email auto-forwarding rules can inadvertently lead to the unauthorized dissemination of sensitive information to external entities, putting confidential data at risk of exposure to unauthorized parties. Wing Security (Wing), a SaaS security company, announced yesterday that their SaaS shadow IT discovery methods now include a solution

SaaS Security is Now Accessible and Affordable to All

This new product offers SaaS discovery and risk assessment coupled with a free user access review in a unique “freemium” model Securing employees' SaaS usage is becoming increasingly crucial for most cloud-based organizations. While numerous tools are available to address this need, they often employ different approaches and technologies, leading to unnecessary confusion and complexity. Enter

Who's Experimenting with AI Tools in Your Organization?

With the record-setting growth of consumer-focused AI productivity tools like ChatGPT, artificial intelligence—formerly the realm of data science and engineering teams—has become a resource available to every employee.  From a productivity perspective, that’s fantastic. Unfortunately for IT and security teams, it also means you may have hundreds of people in your organization using a new tool in

The Fast Evolution of SaaS Security from 2020 to 2024 (Told Through Video)

SaaS Security’s roots are in configuration management. An astounding 35% of all security breaches begin with security settings that were misconfigured. In the past 3 years, the initial access vectors to SaaS data have widened beyond misconfiguration management. “SaaS Security on Tap” is a new video series that takes place in Eliana V's bar making sure that the only thing that leaks is beer (

Wing Disrupts the Market by Introducing Affordable SaaS Security

Today, mid-sized companies and their CISOs are struggling to handle the growing threat of SaaS security with limited manpower and tight budgets. Now, this may be changing. By focusing on the critical SaaS security needs of these companies, a new approach has emerged that can be launched for $1,500 a year. If the name Wing Security (Wing) rings a bell, it is probably because earlier this year,

The Rise of the Malicious App

Security teams are familiar with threats emanating from third-party applications that employees add to improve their productivity. These apps are inherently designed to deliver functionality to users by connecting to a “hub” app, such as Salesforce, Google Workspace, or Microsoft 365. Security concerns center on the permission scopes that are granted to the third party apps, and the potential

Avoid These 5 IT Offboarding Pitfalls

Employee offboarding is no one’s favorite task, yet it is a critical IT process that needs to be executed diligently and efficiently. That’s easier said than done, especially considering that IT organizations have less visibility and control over employees’ IT use than ever. Today, employees can easily adopt new cloud and SaaS applications whenever and wherever they want, and the old IT

Webinar: Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR) – Rips in Your Identity Fabric

In today's digital age, SaaS applications have become the backbone of modern businesses. They streamline operations, enhance productivity, and foster innovation. But with great power comes great responsibility. As organizations integrate more SaaS applications into their workflows, they inadvertently open the door to a new era of security threats. The stakes? Your invaluable data and the trust

7 Steps to Kickstart Your SaaS Security Program

SaaS applications are the backbone of modern businesses, constituting a staggering 70% of total software usage. Applications like Box, Google Workplace, and Microsoft 365 are integral to daily operations. This widespread adoption has transformed them into potential breeding grounds for cyber threats. Each SaaS application presents unique security challenges, and the landscape constantly evolves

CISOs Tout SaaS Cybersecurity Confidence, But 79% Admit to SaaS Incidents, New Report Finds

A new State of SaaS Security Posture Management Report from SaaS cybersecurity provider AppOmni indicates that Cybersecurity, IT, and business leaders alike recognize SaaS cybersecurity as an increasingly important part of the cyber threat landscape. And at first glance, respondents appear generally optimistic about their SaaS cybersecurity. Over 600 IT, cybersecurity, and business leaders at

How to Investigate an OAuth Grant for Suspicious Activity or Overly Permissive Scopes

From a user’s perspective, OAuth works like magic. In just a few keystrokes, you can whisk through the account creation process and gain immediate access to whatever new app or integration you’re seeking. Unfortunately, few users understand the implications of the permissions they allow when they create a new OAuth grant, making it easy for malicious actors to manipulate employees into giving

Identity Threat Detection and Response: Rips in Your Identity Fabric

Why SaaS Security Is a Challenge In today's digital landscape, organizations are increasingly relying on Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications to drive their operations. However, this widespread adoption has also opened the doors to new security risks and vulnerabilities. The SaaS security attack surface continues to widen. It started with managing misconfigurations and now requires a

How to Protect Patients and Their Privacy in Your SaaS Apps

The healthcare industry is under a constant barrage of cyberattacks. It has traditionally been one of the most frequently targeted industries, and things haven’t changed in 2023. The U.S. Government’s Office for Civil Rights reported 145 data breaches in the United States during the first quarter of this year. That follows 707 incidents a year ago, during which over 50 million records were

Global Retailers Must Keep an Eye on Their SaaS Stack

Brick-and-mortar retailers and e-commerce sellers may be locked in a fierce battle for market share, but one area both can agree on is the need to secure their SaaS stack. From communications tools to order management and fulfillment systems, much of today's critical retail software lives in SaaS apps in the cloud. Securing those applications is crucial to ongoing operations, chain management,

3 Reasons SaaS Security is the Imperative First Step to Ensuring Secure AI Usage

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, the widespread adoption of AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools is transforming the way organizations operate. From chatbots to generative AI models, these SaaS-based applications offer numerous benefits, from enhanced productivity to improved decision-making. Employees using AI tools experience the advantages of quick answers and accurate results, enabling

How Generative AI Can Dupe SaaS Authentication Protocols — And Effective Ways To Prevent Other Key AI Risks in SaaS

Security and IT teams are routinely forced to adopt software before fully understanding the security risks. And AI tools are no exception. Employees and business leaders alike are flocking to generative AI software and similar programs, often unaware of the major SaaS security vulnerabilities they're introducing into the enterprise. A February 2023 generative AI survey of 1,000 executives 

SaaS in the Real World: How Global Food Chains Can Secure Their Digital Dish

The Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) industry is built on consistency and shared resources. National chains like McDonald's and regional ones like Cracker Barrel grow faster by reusing the same business model, decor, and menu, with little change from one location to the next.  QSR technology stacks mirror the consistency of the front end of each store. Despite each franchise being independently

The Annual Report: 2024 Plans and Priorities for SaaS Security

Over 55% of security executives report that they have experienced a SaaS security incident in the past two years — ranging from data leaks and data breaches to SaaS ransomware and malicious apps (as seen in figures 1 and 2). Figure 1. How many organizations have experienced a SaaS security incident within the past two years The SaaS Security Survey Report: Plans and Priorities for 2024,

Why Telecoms Struggle with SaaS Security

The telecom industry has always been a tantalizing target for cybercriminals. The combination of interconnected networks, customer data, and sensitive information allows cybercriminals to inflict maximum damage through minimal effort. It’s the breaches in telecom companies that tend to have a seismic impact and far-reaching implications — in addition to reputational damage, which can be

Study: 84% of Companies Use Breached SaaS Applications - Here's How to Fix it for Free!

A recent review by Wing Security, a SaaS security company that analyzed the data of over 500 companies, revealed some worrisome information. According to this review, 84% of the companies had employees using an average of 3.5 SaaS applications that were breached in the previous 3 months. While this is concerning, it isn't much of a surprise. The exponential growth in SaaS usage has security and

Uncovering (and Understanding) the Hidden Risks of SaaS Apps

Recent data breaches across CircleCI, LastPass, and Okta underscore a common theme: The enterprise SaaS stacks connected to these industry-leading apps can be at serious risk for compromise. CircleCI, for example, plays an integral, SaaS-to-SaaS role for SaaS app development. Similarly, tens of thousands of organizations rely on Okta and LastPass security roles for SaaS identity and access

What's the Difference Between CSPM & SSPM?

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) are frequently confused. The similarity of the acronyms notwithstanding, both security solutions focus on securing data in the cloud. In a world where the terms cloud and SaaS are used interchangeably, this confusion is understandable. This confusion, though, is dangerous to organizations that need to secure

Think Before You Share the Link: SaaS in the Real World

Collaboration sits at the essence of SaaS applications. The word, or some form of it, appears in the top two headlines on Google Workspace’s homepage. It can be found six times on Microsoft 365’s homepage, three times on Box, and once on Workday. Visit nearly any SaaS site, and odds are ‘collaboration’ will appear as part of the app’s key selling point.  By sitting on the cloud, content within

Where SSO Falls Short in Protecting SaaS

Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication method that allows users to authenticate their identity for multiple applications with just one set of credentials. From a security standpoint, SSO is the gold standard. It ensures access without forcing users to remember multiple passwords and can be further secured with MFA. Furthermore, an estimated 61% of attacks stem from stolen credentials. By

THN Webinar: Inside the High Risk of 3rd-Party SaaS Apps

Any app that can improve business operations is quickly added to the SaaS stack. However, employees don't realize that this SaaS-to-SaaS connectivity, which typically takes place outside the view of the security team, significantly increases risk. Whether employees connect through Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Salesforce, or any other app, security teams have no way to quantify their

How to Apply NIST Principles to SaaS in 2023

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is one of the standard-bearers in global cybersecurity. The U.S.-based institute’s cybersecurity framework helps organizations of all sizes understand, manage, and reduce their cyber-risk levels and better protect their data. Its importance in the fight against cyberattacks can’t be overstated. While NIST hasn’t directly developed

Security and IT Teams No Longer Need To Pay For SaaS-Shadow IT Discovery

This past January, a SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) company named Wing Security (Wing) made waves with the launch of its free SaaS-Shadow IT discovery solution. Cloud-based companies were invited to gain insight into their employees' SaaS usage through a completely free, self-service product that operates on a "freemium" model. If a user is impressed with the solution and wants to gain

How to Tackle the Top SaaS Challenges of 2023

Are you prepared to tackle the top SaaS challenges of 2023? With high-profile data breaches affecting major companies like Nissan and Slack, it's clear that SaaS apps are a prime target for cyberattacks. The vast amounts of valuable information stored in these apps make them a goldmine for hackers. But don't panic just yet. With the right knowledge and tools, you can protect your company's

3 Overlooked Cybersecurity Breaches

Here are three of the worst breaches, attacker tactics and techniques of 2022, and the security controls that can provide effective, enterprise security protection for them. #1: 2 RaaS Attacks in 13 Months Ransomware as a service is a type of attack in which the ransomware software and infrastructure are leased out to the attackers. These ransomware services can be purchased on the dark web from

SaaS in the Real World: Who's Responsible to Secure this Data?

When SaaS applications started growing in popularity, it was unclear who was responsible for securing the data. Today, most security and IT teams understand the shared responsibility model, in which the SaaS vendor is responsible for securing the application, while the organization is responsible for securing their data.  What’s far murkier, however, is where the data responsibility lies on the

SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) as a Layer in Your Identity Fabric

The move to SaaS and other cloud tools has put an emphasis on Identity & Access Management (IAM). After all, user identity is one of the only barriers standing between sensitive corporate data and any unauthorized access.  The tools used to define IAM make up its identity fabric. The stronger the fabric, the more resistant identities are to pressure from threat actors. However, those pressures

Why Do User Permissions Matter for SaaS Security?

Earlier this year, threat actors infiltrated Mailchimp, the popular SaaS email marketing platform. They viewed over 300 Mailchimp customer accounts and exported audience data from 102 of them. The breach was preceded by a successful phishing attempt and led to malicious attacks against Mailchimp’s customers’ end users. Three months later, Mailchimp was hit with another attack. Once again, an

Top SaaS Cybersecurity Threats in 2023: Are You Ready?

Cybercriminals will be as busy as ever this year. Stay safe and protect your systems and data by focusing on these 4 key areas to secure your environment and ensure success in 2023, and make sure your business is only in the headlines when you WANT it to be. 1 — Web application weaknesses Web applications are at the core of what SaaS companies do and how they operate, and they can store some of

Top 4 SaaS Security Threats for 2023

With 2022 coming to a close, there is no better time to buckle down and prepare to face the security challenges in the year to come. This past year has seen its fair share of breaches, attacks, and leaks, forcing organizations to scramble to protect their SaaS stacks. March alone saw three different breaches from Microsoft, Hubspot, and Okta.  With SaaS sprawl ever growing and becoming more

Why Identity & Access Management Governance is a Core Part of Your SaaS Security

Every SaaS app user and login is a potential threat; whether it's bad actors or potential disgruntled former associates, identity management and access control is crucial to prevent unwanted or mistaken entrances to the organization's data and systems.  Since enterprises have thousands to tens of thousands of users, and hundreds to thousands of different apps, ensuring each entrance point and

How the Software Supply Chain Security is Threatened by Hackers

Introduction In many ways, the software supply chain is similar to that of manufactured goods, which we all know has been largely impacted by a global pandemic and shortages of raw materials.  However, in the IT world, it is not shortages or pandemics that have been the main obstacles to overcome in recent years, but rather attacks aimed at using them to harm hundreds or even thousands of

Not All Sandboxes Are for Children: How to Secure Your SaaS Sandbox

When creating a Sandbox, the mindset tends to be that the Sandbox is considered a place to play around, test things, and there will be no effect on the production or operational system. Therefore, people don't actively think they need to worry about its security. This mindset is not only wrong, but extremely dangerous.  When it comes to software developers, their version of sandbox is similar to

The Ultimate SaaS Security Posture Management Checklist, 2023 Edition

It's been a year since the release of The Ultimate SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) Checklist. If SSPM is on your radar, here's the 2023 checklist edition, which covers the critical features and capabilities when evaluating a solution. The ease with which SaaS apps can be deployed and adopted today is remarkable, but it has become a double-edged sword. On the one hand, apps are quickly

Who Has Control: The SaaS App Admin Paradox

Imagine this: a company-wide lockout to the company CRM, like Salesforce, because the organization's external admin attempts to disable MFA for themselves. They don't think to consult with the security team and don't consider the security implications, only the ease which they need for their team to use their login.  This CRM, however, defines MFA as a top-tier security setting; for example,

The New Weak Link in SaaS Security: Devices

Typically, when threat actors look to infiltrate an organization's SaaS apps, they look to SaaS app misconfigurations as a means of entry. However, employees now use their personal devices, whether their phones or laptops, etc., to get their jobs done. If the device's hygiene is not up to par, it increases the risk for the organization and widens the attack surface for bad actors. And so,

What It Takes to Tackle Your SaaS Security

It's not a new concept that Office 365, Salesforce, Slack, Google Workspace or Zoom, etc., are amazing for enabling the hybrid workforce and hyper-productivity in businesses today. However, there are three main challenges that have arisen stemming from this evolution: (1) While SaaS apps include a host of native security settings, they need to be hardened by the security team of the organization

7 Key Findings from the 2022 SaaS Security Survey Report

The 2022 SaaS Security Survey Report, in collaboration with CSA, examines the state of SaaS security as seen in the eyes of CISOs and security professionals in today's enterprises. The report gathers anonymous responses from 340 CSA members to examine not only the growing risks in SaaS security but also how different organizations are currently working to secure themselves. Demographics The

Announcing the public availability of the Cisco Cloud Controls Framework (CCF)

Customers globally are requesting – and often requiring – SaaS providers to demonstrate their commitment to security, availability, confidentiality, and privacy. While attaining global security certifications has become table-stakes for many to do business, it’s no easy feat. Many organizations struggle to keep pace with this resource- and time-intensive process.

As the complexity of market demand grows, SaaS providers need an efficient way to simplify and streamline efforts to attain security certifications. They are looking for methods and tools to help launch them on their journey to cloud compliance and broaden their global market access. A strategic compliance and risk management approach is as essential to the success of an organization as its product strategy. We understand these challenges and are here to help.

Announcing the Cisco Cloud Controls Framework (CCF)

We are proud to announce the general availability of the Cisco Cloud Controls Framework (CCF) V1.0 for public use. 

The Cisco CCF is a rationalized framework with comprehensive control requirements taken from numerous, globally accepted, security compliance frameworks and certifications. It provides a structured, “build-once-use-many” approach for achieving multiple regional and international certifications, enabling market access and scalability, as well as easing compliance strain.

Today, the Cisco CCF V1.0 covers these security compliance framework and certification standards:

• SOC 2® – SOC for Service Organizations: Trust Services Criteria
• ISO IEC 27001:2013 – Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements
• ISO/IEC 27017:2015 – Information technology — Security techniques — Code of practice for information security controls based on ISO/IEC 27002 for cloud services
• ISO/IEC 27018:2019 – Information technology — Security techniques — Code of practice for protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds acting as PII processors
• ISO/IEC 27701:2019 – Security techniques — Extension to ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002 for privacy information management — Requirements and guidelines
• ISO 22301:2019 – Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Requirements
• Esquema Nacional de Seguridad (ENS) 
• Infosec Registered Assessors Program (IRAP December 2020)
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS v3.2.1)
• Information System Security Management and Assessment Program (ISMAP)
• Cloud Computing Compliance Controls Catalogue (C5)
• EU Cloud Code of Conduct (CoC)
• Third Party Cybersecurity Compliance Certificate (CCC)
• The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP LI-SAAS/Tailored)

We will regularly update the framework as regulations evolve and new industrial frameworks are integrated into our compliance processes.

Along with the security controls, we are also making available ‘narratives,’ guidelines for users to understand how to implement the necessary controls, and ‘audit artifacts’ that include examples of what auditors generally request when testing the operating effectiveness of controls. The framework’s corresponding narratives and supporting audit artifacts offer guidance for you to review, evaluate, and tailor according to your needs, while integrating the Cisco CCF into your organization’s compliance regime.

Why make the Cloud Controls Framework freely available?

Customer demand for global SaaS security certifications is ever-increasing, as are the security risks we face. We are sharing the Cisco CCF with the broader security and risk management community as a guide to help you achieve your market access goals, keep pace with evolving customer demand, and continue to maintain a more secure cloud infrastructure.

Access the framework and reach out to our team at ciscoccf@cisco.com with questions and to learn more.

---

We’d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with Cisco Secure on social!

Cisco Secure Social Channels

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn