Incorporating an effective security system into your business contributes to the work of protecting your company’s most important assets from cybercriminals, data leaks, and unauthorized user activity. Think of it as the guard at the door between your business and the outside world.
Since most businesses today use software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools to power their everyday work, their data must be protected from misuse, particularly if they work with a remote or hybrid team and their data is mostly stored in the cloud.
What is SaaS security posture management (SSPM)?
SSPM is a security management framework designed to continuously assess, monitor, and manage the security configurations and compliance status of SaaS applications.
One of the biggest differences between SSPM and other security measures is that most SaaS applications are now maintained in the cloud instead of hosted on a local network.
SSPM is inherently different from traditional network security because these applications are accessible only via the web. Unsurprisingly, this also increases their risk level.
Using a combination of local and cloud-based security tools goes a long way toward keeping a business protected.
The most effective SSPM software quickly identifies misconfigurations within applications while simultaneously tracking unidentified user accounts or behavior, compliance risks, and cloud security issues. From there, teams take steps to further safeguard their overall SaaS security framework.
How SSPMs work
All SSPMs work in the same way to provide the essential functions that protect applications from misuse or security threats. These functions include:
- Continuous monitoring. SSPMs are always active, even when SaaS applications aren’t running in the foreground. This means SSPMs continually assess risks and protect sensitive business data held within apps.
- Configuration assessment. Security configurations within SaaS apps must align with company best practices and all industry/governmental compliance regulations. SSPMs can ensure that you uphold these standards across all applications.
- Threat response. Automated policy enforcement forms an essential part of SSPM because around-the-clock support kicks n if a threat is identified. This minimizes the potential impact of any cyberattack, no matter when it’s detected in the system.
- Data loss prevention. Preventing data leaks is a core function of SSPMs. These measures protect the most sensitive information within SaaS applications from being shared online.
- Data encryption. Many encryption features are native to SaaS applications themselves, but SSPMs offer an additional level of security that encodes resting data in storage and the data moving between endpoint devices.
- Identity and access management. Overseeing user identities, roles, and permission levels means that only required users have access to certain levels of information. This prevents data from being shared with unauthorized users.
- Zero trust rules. SSPMs automatically operate on a no-assumed-trust policy, wherein access to any part of the application is controlled with strict user authentication protocols.
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Why enterprises need SSPM
Enterprises increasingly depend on multiple SaaS applications to enhance productivity and operational efficiency. Since most SaaS solutions are designed to address specific needs, organizations often use a variety of these tools to meet their diverse requirements. However, this extensive use of SaaS applications introduces significant security challenges.
Despite the importance of protecting SaaS data, security can be a blind spot. SSPM tools are essential for addressing these challenges by:
- Improving sensitive data visibility
- Mitigating risky access and permissions
- Preventing dangerous misconfigurations
- Increasing Shadow IT visibility
- Managing the integration of risky third-party apps
Benefits of SSPM
As part of a comprehensive security strategy, SSPMs offer several key benefits to help businesses safeguard their SaaS application data:
Securing data
SSPMs provide total visibility across all SaaS applications, ensuring that security policies are uniformly applied. This comprehensive oversight not only protects sensitive data but also assures employees and customers that their information is secure, helping the business remain compliant with industry standards.
Responding to threats
Real-time threat detection and response capabilities keep business information safe in the event of a cyber attack. SSPMs continuously monitor for potential breaches, assuming that threats could be present at any time, and ensure data is always under scrutiny.
Supporting SaaS cloud posture
Human errors and oversights can lead to dangerous data misconfigurations, making SaaS applications vulnerable to cybercriminals. SSPMs offer ongoing monitoring to quickly detect and rectify any configuration issues as they arise.
Monitoring app integrations
Third-party apps and add-ons are often crucial to SaaS applications, but not all apps are secure. SSPMs audit and monitor the connections between these third-party tools and SaaS applications to identify potential risks and ensure data protection.
Compliance management
The dynamic nature of SaaS applications requires a modern approach to compliance. SSPMs continuously assess compliance with internal frameworks and regulatory standards. They alert administrators to issues with data handling or encryption practices and can even take corrective actions automatically.
Comparison: SSPM vs. CASB vs. CSPM vs. DLP
SSPM focuses on securing data specifically within cloud-based SaaS applications, enhancing visibility, managing access, and monitoring configurations tailored to these platforms.
In contrast, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) provides a broader solution by enforcing security policies across various cloud services, including SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS, offering comprehensive protection for all cloud environments.
Tip: Gain deeper visibility into your cloud environment with top CASB solutions.
Meanwhile, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) identifies and mitigates configuration vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure, monitoring for misconfigurations and security gaps to ensure compliance and best practices.
Tip: Enhance your overall cloud security posture with top CSPM solutions.
| SSPM | CASB | CSPM | |
| Focus | Secures data | Manages security | Identifies configuration vulnerabilities |
| Coverage | SaaS platforms | SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS environments | Cloud infrastructure and configurations |
| Use cases | Ideal for teams that need to protect their SaaS applications | Suitable for businesses seeking a unified security solution to manage all cloud services | Ideal for enterprises that need to protect cloud infrastructure |
Top SSPM security solutions
SSPMs significantly reduce the chances of a sensitive data leak, while providing improved convenience and scalability when using SaaS applications.
To be included in the SaaS security posture management category, platforms must:
- Offer visibility into the security posture of SaaS application environments
- Monitor continuously for misconfigurations and perform automated remediation
- Audit and fix compliance issues concerning multiple security frameworks, including ISO 27001, PCI DSS, NIST, HIPAA, SOC 2, and HITECH
- Review user permission settings within SaaS applications and spot excess
- Visualize security risks across all SaaS applications in a single-pane-of-glass view
Below are the top five leading SSPM software solutions ranked by G2 Score based on data pulled in May 2024. Some reviews may be edited for clarity.
1. Zygon SaaS Security
Zygon SaaS Security is an SSPM tool that automates control of all SaaS applications a business uses. From app inventory to authentication, this tool builds security awareness around these applications, while minimizing surface attacks and providing full compliance standards.
What users like best:
“I was able to see all the apps that my organization is using with just a few clicks, and I could easily identify where I could upgrade apps to SSO to enhance our security. It really saved us weeks of work.”
- Zygon SaaS Security Review, Ludovic G.
What users dislike:
“We look forward to having more features, especially regarding control of access and audit.”
- Zygon SaaS Security Review, Sebastien D.
2. Adaptive Shield
Adaptive Shield is a leader in SaaS security, providing teams with security for an entire SaaS stack through prevention, detection, and response. Organizations can continuously manage and control all SaaS applications from this one tool, including any third-party connected apps used with these applications.
What users like best:
“I use it pretty much every day; It is an easy-to-navigate graphical UI, usually straightforward with integrations, and a great source of truth to find gaps in my business infrastructure.”
- Adaptive Shield Review, Guy B.
What users dislike:
“The UI (specifically security checks tab) has a lot of room for improvement. It feels like you are trying to fit in every possible filter on one screen, and it's a little too much, in my opinion. I would suggest maybe hover drop downs or something else that doesn't require a secondary click, but also won't overwhelm me with the amount of options possible.”
- Adaptive Shield Review, Christian G.
3. SpinOne
As an SSPM tool, SpinOne is a centralized security system that protects data in all SaaS applications. The system integrates with popular tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Slack for full visibility and faster incident response time.
What users like best:
“Ease of use, transparent implementation, easy to manage, and feature-rich DR and DLP solutions with great support. Integrating into our ecosystem was quick and easy. New features are added and they help me provide an extra layer of security to our organization.”
- SpinOne Review, Guy E.
What users dislike:
“We would like to see more compliance rules for their SSPM solution and support for more SaaS applications such as Hubspot and Microsoft Dynamics 365. Additionally, the configuration scans need to be done more frequently.”
- SpinOne Review, Gene L.
4. Cynet 360 Auto XR
Cynet 360 Auto XR automates all aspects of cybersecurity through enhanced levels of visibility and protection. Teams of all sizes, skills, and resources can benefit from this tool, without the need for a multi-product security stack.
What users like best:
“What I like best about Cynet XDR 360 is its management interface. Not only does it display current malicious threats, it also integrates the VirusTotal hash. This allows me to quickly determine whether it is a malicious threat.”
- Cynet 360 Auto XR Review, CH H.
What users dislike:
“Sometimes reports are not getting exported from the Report tab. Also, a few users are facing disk utilization issues.”
- Cynet 360 Auto XR Review, Pratiksha G.
5. Push
Push is a browser-based SSPM that stops identity attacks within your cloud-based SaaS applications. Out-of-the-box security controls include proactive identity security posture management, along with reactive identity threat detection and response.
What users like best:
“Push security helped us discover what SaaS was doing in our environment and how users were using it. The product gave additional security insights beyond just what apps were in play. It was instrumental in addressing compliance non-conformities.”
- Push Review, Nancy L.
What users dislike:
“Manually adding apps would be useful, as companies don't always use Google/365 SSO to log in to platforms and may just use an email address/password.”
- Push Review, Harpal D.
Secure your SaaS, because a breach is no laughing matter
Keep your most important SaaS data protected with SSPM tools that work best for your business. With continuous monitoring in place, you can rest assured that your information is safe from whatever threats lurk online.
As part of your security suite, integrate SaaS backup software to store and manage your SaaS application data safely.
Holly Landis
Holly Landis is a freelance writer for G2. She also specializes in being a digital marketing consultant, focusing in on-page SEO, copy, and content writing. She works with SMEs and creative businesses that want to be more intentional with their digital strategies and grow organically on channels they own. As a Brit now living in the USA, you'll usually find her drinking copious amounts of tea in her cherished Anne Boleyn mug while watching endless reruns of Parks and Rec.
