What threatens SaaS security in the upcoming year

· Difficulties in controlling app security risks

Many companies use SaaS apps in their work more and more often, especially when their employees must work remotely. This is when they hit a problem: it is necessary to adjust security settings correctly for each app considering their configurations. As there are many such apps, security departments are forced to do major volumes of work and are not always maximally efficient.

· Low level of knowledge in cybersecurity rules by privileged users

Employees who do not follow cybersecurity rules and have expanded access put confidential information at the threat of being hacked and increase the risk of it being revealed. And because SaaS use continues to grow, there appears the necessity for control of employees’ access to apps.

· Phishing via SaaS

Criminals attack companies’ email via SaaS using the following scheme:

- Criminals send an email with OAuth app.

- An employee follows the link and logs in to their account.

- The app requests access to emails.

- The employee accepts the request.

- OAuth token is created, which is subsequently used by the cybercriminal to gain access to and control email or the whole disc.

- The criminal encodes the disc and the user can get access to it back only after they  have paid ransom.

This is how ransomware works. Other types of cyberattacks can be organized using OAuth app as well.

Having installed special apps for protection against cyberattacks or using cloud services companies can protect themselves from such cyberattacks and identify changes in cybersecurity settings and SaaS apps in timely manner.