Arbour Group Blog

The security of SaaS applications on cloud platforms has become a major concern for many companies. Both SaaS applications and cloud platforms have unique security risks, and using both of them in conjunction can open up a business’s network to security breaches. To counter these breaches, companies need to understand the basics about how these systems work and why they are vulnerable to intrusion.

Software as a Service isn’t a new model of application deployment. Before cloud platforms, SaaS applications were usually hosted by third parties on the internet. This alone creates a security vulnerability because it means that your data is only as secure as the host. In recent years, this host will usually be your cloud platform provider. Since SaaS applications are developed by third parties and accessed through the internet, they can be accessed everywhere. This leaves a larger point of infiltration for SaaS applications. If the applications are not secured correctly, passwords can be discovered and used to access the network. Many third party applications, especially open source applications, may also not be as secure as they could be.

Cloud platforms are vulnerable for different reasons. Anyone can set up a cloud server, and not all cloud server providers are up to date on the most recent security standards. The fact that cloud servers are accessible from everywhere, unlike local networks, opens them up to the possibility of intrusion. Many business owners can protect themselves by only working with cloud providers that have a good reputation, but this isn’t the only security concern with cloud technology. Many businesses are not using adequate encryption or authentication standards.

Though SaaS applications on cloud platforms may have some security vulnerabilities, they are still rapidly becoming an industry standard. To ensure safety, companies need to take preemptive action to secure their documents. Working with a reputable cloud host is a good first step. Data needs to be encrypted and the proper authentication and authorization systems need to be implemented.

Following this, a company needs to develop security protocols for their employees. Mobile device management may also be useful for those that use mobile devices to access the company cloud network. As with other types of network, a cloud network is often only as secure as the devices and methods used to connect to it.