Security Options for SaaS Environments

The acceleration of cloud usage in response to COVID-19 has raised concerns amongst many organisations. And rightly so.

Digital transformation and cloud adoption is nothing new. However, the rate at which we’ve accelerated adoption is. Organisations have changed quickly and significantly in recent times, with many likely to adopt remote working models as a way of life. We’re all working from home, shopping online, and generally being more digitally connected than ever before.

While SaaS offers organisations an opportunity to enhance collaboration, agility, scalability, and availability with more flexibility – it does come with some risk. Security issues can compromise data backups, as well as overall infrastructure and business. Organisations relying on the default security of their SaaS applications will be particularly vulnerable.

A potential cyber pandemic

According to a Check Point Research article, in April 2020, Google reported 18 million daily Coronavirus themed malware and phishing emails through Gmail, on top of 240 million Coronavirus related spam messages. And both Microsoft Teams and Google Meet were used as impersonation tools to execute super targeted and sophisticated phishing attacks where users clicked on an ‘Open Microsoft Teams’ button, for example, which downloaded malware to their machine.

This rise in targeted attacks through cloud mailboxes and collaboration apps is linked to the growing use of these applications by remote workers - and could cause a potential cyber-disaster. Particularly when you consider that phishing attacks now use meticulous social engineering techniques designed to exploit human error, and employees tend to be less careful when they are in the comfort of their own home.

Security options for SaaS

With more and more organisations adopting cloud computing, it's essential to understand some of the risks: 

• Exposure: SaaS applications require just an internet connection to be accessed from any device, location, and user.
• Provided as an External Service: SaaS applications cannot embed existing security controls and provide risk visibility as needed.
• Minimal built-in security: Most SaaS applications only have minimal default security that allows unrestricted file sharing and malware delivery.

Every organisation relies on the data within its new SaaS platforms to drive business success. Whether it be for collaboration, analytics, budgeting, or revenue growth, the overarching requirement is for data to be kept safe, secure, and out of harm’s way.

SaaS providers are not responsible for data security 

SaaS applications are not immune to ransomware or malware attacks. Nor are they safe from accidental deletions, human error, or data corruption. Even though most SaaS providers clearly state in their subscription agreements that data protection is the end user’s responsibility, many organisations don’t fully understand their responsibility in protecting it. While some limited protection is provided, SaaS providers are not responsible for accidental user deletions or malicious ransomware attacks. It’s also imperative that the data being backed up is not only available but clean from any malware or threats. Having a separate 3rd party backup solution in these instances can save the business.

Check Point Software and Veritas

Check Point Software Technologies and Veritas have teamed up to provide a complete security, backup, and recovery solution for SaaS environments. Together, it can not only prevent the chance of a cyber-attack but also secure a clean copy of your customer’s SaaS data safely.

Check Point’s CloudGuard SaaS solution offers protection from cyber threats across SaaS platforms. Deployed in minutes, CloudGuard SaaS is designed to deliver superior cyber protection for cloud-based emails and office suite applications such as Office 365 and G Suite, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, and many more. This includes protection from identity theft, malware, phishing, and DLP. The CloudGuard SaaS solution is backed by Check Point’s ThreatCloud, processing over 68 Billion requests a day and preventing more than 7,000 unknown threats a day globally. API architecture enables seamless integration with SaaS applications and instant threats visibility.

Veritas SaaS Backup is a hosted cloud to cloud backup solution that provides comprehensive data protection across Office 365, Salesforce, G-Suite, and Dynamics 365. It takes care of the management of SaaS data with security and reliability that delivers 99% uptime. Veritas SaaS Backup lets organisations take control of their data, saving time, and eliminating stress if data loss occurs within SaaS environments.

Dicker Data complete SaaS protection 

With Check Point and Veritas together, you can offer your customers assurance that their SaaS solutions are not their organisation’s security weak points. SaaS platforms can be protected from cyber threats and malware, with backups stored safely and securely in the cloud.

This solution should be offered to every Office 365, G-Suite, Salesforce and Dynamics customer to ensure they are fully protected from threats. It’s simple to set up with no hidden redemption or storage fees like some other vendors impose.

The Dicker Data team helps ANZ resellers design SaaS data protection and recovery solutions for clients. For a limited time, Check Point’s CloudGuard and Veritas SaaS Backup is being offered at a special bundle price.

Please contact us with any questions - contact our team to talk to one of our representatives.

Dicker Data | Specialist Security Distributor