SaaS applications comprise 70% of a company’s software usage, and this figure is projected to be 85% by 2025. The average number of SaaS applications used by an organization stood at 80 last year.
We can imagine the importance of Software as a Service in terms of functionality and business success—it’s no wonder the SaaS industry has grown by 500% over the last seven years.
However, in a 2019 survey of SaaS users, 93% of the respondents expressed concerns about the security of their data when it is stored with SaaS providers. As a SaaS provider, you can address this issue by focusing on SaaS security companies and how they can help protect users and providers against security threats.
What is SaaS Security?
SaaS Security consists of practices and policies to secure users’ data privacy in subscription-based cloud applications or SaaS applications.
Some problems solved by SaaS security providers are:
- Data Confidentiality: Data stored in SaaS applications can include customer information, financial details, employee records, and other confidential business information. SaaS security methods help ensure that only authorized users can access this data, which remains confidential.
- Data Integrity: Maintaining data integrity ensures that it is not altered or modified by unauthorized users or hackers exploiting vulnerabilities such as privilege escalation.
- Data Availability: SaaS security companies establish precautions against disruptions caused by data breaches and hackers preventing data access.
- Access Control: It’s crucial to guarantee that only authorized users can access their private data and different functions within the platform. Access control features like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC) help ensure this.
- Threat Detection and Prevention: Security providers use sophisticated malware detection technology and intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to prevent cyberattacks.
- Incident Response: Security companies create an incident response strategy that assures a planned, coordinated response to minimize harm and data loss in the unfortunate occurrence of a security breach.
Despite constantly interacting with sensitive information, SaaS providers lack suitable security measures to protect the integrity and confidentiality of their data. The sheer number of SaaS applications used daily, combined with the general lack of cyber-security knowledge, makes using a security provider crucial.
What Makes Astra the Best VAPT Solution?
- We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind pentest platform
- The Astra Vulnerability Scanner Runs 8000+ tests to uncover every single vulnerability
- Vetted scans to ensure zero false positives .
- Integrates with your CI/CD tools to help you establish DevSecOps.
- A dynamic vulnerability management dashboard to manage, monitor, assign, and update vulnerabilities
- Astra pentest detects business logic errors and payment gateway hacks
- Helps you stay compliant with SOC2, ISO27001, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, etc.
- Trusted by the brands you trust like Agora, Spicejet, Muthoot, Dream11, etc.
The Cyber-Insecurity Caused by SaaS Applications
55% of all SaaS users have sensitive data involuntarily exposed on the internet at some point, resulting from configuration issues and weak data protection strategies.
SaaS applications often give businesses a competitive edge. However, due to their scalability and agility, companies must also accept the security-related downsides and take steps to mitigate their risks.
- Lack of definition of SaaS ownership.
- There are too many privileged users.
- Scarcity security acumen.
- Unchecked updates from SaaS providers.
All these factors result in an insecure SaaS environment for businesses. Although having an internal security team is rare, SaaS security companies can contribute to more robust cybersecurity practices.
Comparison of Top SaaS Security Companies Around the Globe
| SaaS Security Companies | Product/Service Offerings | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Astra Security | Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing, Compliance Monitoring, Remediation Support | Continuous Testing, CI/CD Integration, Authenticated Scans, Manual Pentest with 0 False Positives, Vulnerability Management Dashboard |
| Cipher | Managed Detection and Response, Red Teaming, Compliance | Holistic risk management platform, highly certified, global presence |
| Intruder | Internal and External Vulnerability Scanning, Penetration Testing, Cloud Vulnerability Scanning | Attack surface monitoring, Slack and Jira integration, continuous penetration testing |
| Fidelis | Incident Response, Network Security, Data Loss Prevention, Vulnerability Management | Cloud security compliance, integrated cloud security platform |
| Tenable | Application Security, Cloud Security, Compliance, Vulnerability Management | Reduced remediation time, DevSecOps enablement |
| Symantec | Endpoint Security, Information Security, Network Security | Integrated cyber defense index, coordinated security across cloud and on-premise assets |
| Acunetix | Vulnerability Scanning, Remediation Support. | Scans for more than 7000 vulnerabilities including zero-day. |
| HackerOne | Continuous Security Testing, Triage, Attack Resistance Management | Keen use of hacker insights, cloud protection against multiple attack vectors |
| Indusface | Web App Scanning, Mobile App Scanning | Business logic checks, malware monitoring, and blacklisting detection, zero false positives. |
| 4Armed | Application Pentesting, PCI-DSS Compliance, Security Migration | Team of qualified hackers, continuous security improvement cycle for users. |
10 Best SaaS Security Companies
1. Astra Security
Astra Security offers a pentest suite that combines an automated vulnerability scanner with manual penetration testing solutions for SaaS applications. It also includes an intuitive vulnerability management dashboard that allows users to monitor and assign vulnerabilities.
You can integrate the pentest tool with your CI/CD pipeline to ensure automatic scanning of all application updates. The vulnerability scans take place in the cloud, thus putting zero pressure on your servers. It is a wholesome cloud security solution.
Features at a glance:
- 9300+ tests to find every last vulnerability.
- Detect business logic errors.
- On-call remediation assistance from security experts.
- Manual pentesters and expert-vetted scans ensure zero false positives.
- Compliance-specific scans for SOC2, HIPAA, ISO27001, etc.
Let experts find security gaps in your cloud infrastructure
Pentesting results without 100 emails,
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2. Cipher
Cipher, a cloud security company, is currently part of Prosegur, a publicly traded private security company with operations in 26 countries. Cipher’s team of security experts provides risk assessments, data governance, incident response management, and compliance services.
Cipher also offers a red-teaming solution providing vulnerability assessment, ethical hacking, and penetration testing.
3. Intruder
Intruder is an online vulnerability scanner designed to test digital infrastructures for security vulnerabilities. Intruder helps you evaluate security risks in endpoint devices, web servers, and the cloud.
Intruder offers solutions like:
- Internal and external vulnerability scanning.
- Continuous penetration testing.
They also help you attain compliance with SOC2 and ISO 27001.
4. Fidelis
Fidelis has acquired CloudPassage, one of the leading cloud security service providers, and integrated its offerings. Fidelis has a robust application security platform, which is especially suitable for cloud-hosted applications.
The cloud security platform by Fidelis is called Cloudsecure, and it is focused on:
- Fast detection and inventory of assets.
- Detection of security compliance risks and malicious activity.
- Quick remediation for reduced exposure.
Fidelis stresses quick and accurate remediation of security vulnerabilities, a quality that makes it one of the top five SaaS security companies.
5. Tenable
Tenable is a vital contributor to cybersecurity development. Although it is not entirely focused on SaaS security, it offers a fair contribution.
Tenable’s vulnerability assessment tool is Nessus, widely used for scanning applications for security loopholes. Nessus automatically scans for vulnerabilities whenever software is updated, or a new plugin is added.
6. Symantec
Symantec identifies and tackles emerging threats, helping companies comply with regulations while minimizing the risks in a SaaS environment. It uses artificial intelligence to contextualize threat data and provide better security insights for its users.
Symantec’s offerings include:
- Endpoint Security
- Identity Security
- Information Security
- Network Security
It integrates easily with other third-party products and helps you coordinate security for different asset types. It is one of the top cloud security companies.
7. Acunetix
Acunetix offers a powerful vulnerability scanner for web applications. Given its speed and scalability, it is a well-suited SaaS security solution.
Acunetix’s vulnerability scanner scans for 7000+ vulnerabilities and categorizes them according to severity, helping you prioritize remediation efforts.
- It covers the OWASP top 10.
- Scans for SQL injection and XSS.
- Detects out-of-band vulnerabilities.
- Detects exposed databases and security misconfigurations.
8. HackerOne
This cybersecurity platform is based on the philosophy that security solutions must tap into the knowledge of top-notch hackers to stop malicious hackers from ruining your business.
- They provide a platform for perpetual testing of your product.
- They uncover critical vulnerabilities that other tools miss.
- HackerOne offers vulnerability assessment and remediation of your cloud assets.
9. Indusface
Indusface offers a web application firewall (WAF) called AppTrana for SaaS providers and users. It is designed for cloud security.
- AppTrana is easy to set up.
- It helps you control bot activity.
- Creates a multilayered defense strategy for your app.
- Identifies a wide range of threats
- Quick response to zero-day vulnerabilities.
10. 4Armed
4Armed is focused on creating cloud-based security solutions for cloud-native applications. Their offerings include:
- Application penetration testing.
- Secure migration to the cloud.
- Deployment of code using DevSecOps.
- PCI-DSS compliance.
On top of these, they also offer vulnerability scanning and SaaS penetration testing services.
Practices for Maintaining SaaS Safety
Shared Responsibility Model
Most cloud services employ the shared responsibility model; in the same way, all SaaS apps should do the same. This approach divides data security into two parts: the user is responsible for protecting their data, and the SaaS app secures the infrastructure.
Continuous Monitoring
A penetration testing of your SaaS applications gives you a point-in-time snapshot of the security posture. The moment the SaaS vendor releases an update, the pentest loses credence. That is why you must implement continuous monitoring for utmost security, aside from conducting pentests and scans from time to time.
Proactive Protection
You cannot wait for an issue to emerge before increasing your SaaS security efforts. While setting up appropriate measures for SaaS security takes time, effort, and help from SaaS security companies, their absence can wreak havoc.
Final Thoughts
It is always better to work with a SaaS security company that has a tap on emerging SaaS security issues and new vulnerabilities. You want a tool designed by competent security engineers to defend your application and your business from threats invited by third-party applications you use.
This list of SaaS security companies should be a good starting point for your search for the perfect SaaS security service for your company.
Make your SaaS Platform the safest place on the Internet.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long does it take to complete a SaaS security audit?
The initial security scans and pentest take 7-10 days. After you have fixed the issues, the rescan may take half as much time.
2. What is the cost of a SaaS security assessment?
The cost can be between $200 and $500 monthly, depending on the assessment’s scope and the testing frequency.
3. What should we look for in a SaaS security company?
Apart from the company’s track record, you should look for features that can help you build a sustainable security assessment workflow—CI/CD integration, vulnerability management dashboard, collaborative potential, etc.
