What do identity risks, data security risks, and third party risks have in common? All of these are greatly exacerbated by the proliferation of SaaS. Each new SaaS account adds a new entity to protect, a new place where sensitive data can end up, and a new source of third-party risk. Find out how you can protect this vast attack surface in 2025.
What do identity risks, data security risks, and third party risks have in common? All of these are greatly exacerbated by the proliferation of SaaS. Each new SaaS account adds a new entity to protect, a new place where sensitive data can end up, and a new source of third-party risk. And this growing attack surface, much of which is unknown or unmanaged in most organizations, has become an attractive target for attackers.
So why should you prioritize SaaS attack surface defenses in 2025? Here are 4 reasons.
1. Modern work runs on SaaS.
When was the last time you used something other than a cloud application to get your work done? Don’t you remember? You are not alone.
Outside of a few highly regulated and slow-moving industries, SaaS has become the dominant technology delivery model in the workplace. And this delivery model makes it incredibly easy for information workers to act as “Citizen CIOs,” creating new accounts for whatever tool they think will help them work more efficiently, including the latest shiny GenAI tool.
In fact, data from Nudge Security shows that the average employee creates one new SaaS account approximately every two weeks. For an organization with 100 employees, that is 200 new SaaS accounts per month. And each of these SaaS identities expands an organization’s attack surface while creating a new way for sensitive data to leak out of the organization.
The only way IT and security leaders can hope to protect against this dynamic attack surface is with a solution that provides business continuity Discovering SaaS along with timely tips to help these civilian CIOs take the appropriate steps to protect their accounts.
2. Your SaaS footprint is an attractive target for attackers.
The 2024 Verizon DBIR found that web applications (aka SaaS) topped the list of asset types compromised in incidents, with approximately 50% of reported incidents involving web applications. And, according to report from Crowdstrike80% of breaches today use compromised credentials, including cloud and SaaS credentials.
In addition, First-ever Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms highlighted the increased risk organizations face if they don’t take control of SaaS governance: “By 2027, organizations that fail to centrally manage SaaS lifecycles will remain five times more susceptible to cyber incidents or data loss due to incomplete visibility into usage and SaaS configurations. .”
Surprises are never pleasant in the world of IT security. Gain visibility into your SaaS attack surface enables you to proactively protect your accounts and data, reducing the risk of devastating surprises in the form of security incidents.
 |
| Nudge Security provides visibility into external programs and other elements of your SaaS attack surface. |
3. Managing GenAI is managing SaaS.
Concerns about managing the use of generative artificial intelligence will be a major source of anxiety for security executives in 2025. And what do almost all generative artificial intelligence programs have in common? You guessed it: they all come as SaaS.
Since ChatGPT started making waves in early 2023, Nudge Security discovered nearly 850 unique GenAI programs in customer environments, demonstrating the rapid pace of AI adoption. It’s simply impossible for IT teams to track and manage this explosion of new tools, much less secure ones, without an automated detection method that doesn’t require prior knowledge of the application’s existence.
Nudge Security’s approach to Management of AI will help you discover and assess the security of AI tools in a way that is scalable and sustainable for your organization, so that you can take advantage of the performance benefits that generative AI can offer without taking on too much risk.
 |
| AI control panel in Nudge Security |
4. Weak SaaS security can have legal and regulatory implications.
As the pace of modern work continues to drive SaaS adoption, organizations are storing more and more data in SaaS applications, and regulators are taking notice. Data stored in SaaS applications may be subject to data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, security standards such as ISO 27001 and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and industry compliance requirements such as HIPAA and PCI DSS. Additionally, most contractual promises to customers, partners, or suppliers regarding data processing and security also apply to data stored in SaaS applications.
And, SEC rules published in 2023 require public companies to disclose material cybersecurity incidents within four business days after the Registrar determines that the cybersecurity incident is material. Additionally, details of their cybersecurity risk management practices must be included in their annual 10-K filings. These regulations demonstrate an increased focus on cyber security as an indicator of the financial stability of a business.
Nudge Security data shows that 90% of SaaS applications are deployed by non-IT people. So when a SaaS application experiences a breach, IT may not even know that the application is being used by anyone in the organization, let alone that there was a breach. Nudge Security provides immediate detection of all SaaS applications, even those IT has never heard of. And Breach Alerts notify customers of security breaches affecting their SaaS providers as well as those in their digital supply chain, helping manage third and fourth party risks.
 |
| Nudge Security detects third- and fourth-party risks on your SaaS attack surface. |
Implementing a SaaS security solution can be a lot faster and easier than you might think, and can even help you save money by identifying apps and accounts you no longer need. You can deploy Nudge Security in the just a few simple stepsand you’ll get a complete SaaS inventory (including up to two years of SaaS spend history) in minutes.
Start a free trial to see for yourself.
