Everyone loves a double-agent plot twist in a spy movie, but it’s a completely different story when it comes to protecting a company’s data. Intentional or unintentional, insider threats are a legitimate concern. In accordance with CSA research26% of companies that reported a SaaS security incident were impacted by an insider.
The challenge for many is to identify these threats before they lead to full-blown breaches. Many security professionals believe that there is nothing they can do to protect themselves from a legitimate managed user logging in with valid credentials using the company’s MFA method. Insiders can log in during normal business hours and easily justify their access in the app.
Show the plot twist: with the right tools, business it is possible protect yourself from the enemy from within (and without).
Learn how to protect your entire SaaS stack from internal and external threats
Conquering Person-Aided Threats with ITDR
SaaS security features identity threat detection and response (ITDR) the platform looks for behavioral clues that indicate a program has been hacked. Every event in a SaaS application is captured in application event logs. These logs are monitored and when something suspicious happens, it raises a red flag called an Indicator of Compromise (IOC).
In terms of external threats, many of these IOCs are related to login methods and devices, as well as user behavior after they have gained access. With insider threats, IOCs are primarily behavioral abnormalities. When the IOCs reach a set threshold, the system recognizes that the application is at risk.
Most ITDR solutions are primarily focused on endpoint and on-premises Active Directory protection. However, they are not designed to combat SaaS threats, which require deep application knowledge and can only be achieved by cross-referencing and analyzing suspicious events from multiple sources.
Examples of insider threats in the SaaS world
- Data theft or theft: Excessive downloading or sharing of data or links, especially when sending to personal email addresses or third parties. This can happen after the employee has been fired and believes that the information may be useful in the next position, or if the employee is very disgruntled and has malicious intentions. Stolen data may include intellectual property, customer information, or proprietary business processes.
- Data manipulation: Deletion or alteration of critical data in the SaaS application, which may result in financial loss, reputational damage, or operational disruptions.
- Misuse of credentials: Sharing login credentials with unauthorized users, whether intentionally or unintentionally, allowing access to sensitive areas of the SaaS application.
- Abuse of privilege: A privileged user uses their access rights to change configurations, bypass security measures, or access restricted data for personal gain or malicious intent.
- Third Party Vendor Risks: Contractors or third-party vendors with legitimate access to a SaaS application abuse their access.
- Shadow programs: Insiders install unauthorized software or plug-ins in SaaS environments, potentially introducing vulnerabilities or malware. It is unintentional, but still introduced by an insider.
Each of these IOCs alone does not necessarily indicate an insider threat. There may be legitimate operational reasons that may justify each action. However, as IOCs accumulate and reach a predetermined threshold, security teams must examine users to understand why they are taking these actions.
Take a deeper look at how ITDR works alongside SSPM
How ITDR and SSPM work together to prevent and detect insider threats
The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) is one of the most important approaches in combating insider threats, as most employees usually have more access than required.
SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) and ITDR are two parts of a comprehensive SaaS security program. SSPM focuses on prevention, while ITDR focuses on detection and response. SSPM is used to ensure a strong Identity-First Security strategy, prevent data loss by monitoring document sharing settings, detect shadow applications used by users, and enforce compliance with standards designed to detect insider threats. Effective ITDRs enable security teams to monitor users engaged in suspicious activity, allowing them to stop insider threats before they can cause significant damage.
Get a 15-minute demo and learn more about ITDR and its various use cases
note:
