SAAS Data Security: Best Practices to keep your SAAS Data Safe and Secure

| Malcolm Adams Last updated 21 Feb, 2023

No organization is safe from data breaches. The annual cost of data breaches and the number of impacted businesses continue to rise. As a business owner, you must secure your data and the information of your consumers by applying SAAS (software as a service) data security best practices.

This article will recommend data security guidelines for SaaS services to keep your data safe and secure.

On this page:

1. Use a Secure Data Storage Solution
2. Back up your Data Regularly
3. Implement Strong Security Measures for Accessing your Data
4. Regularly Monitor your Data Security
5. Educate your Employees
Next Steps: Reviewing your SaaS Data Security

1. Use a Secure Data Storage Solution

You must choose a secure data storage solution while protecting your data. It is vital that you choose the solution that best meets your requirements and protects your data from unauthorized access.

Using a cloud-based storage service is one possibility. This service lets you remotely store your data, making it simpler to retrieve and less likely to be lost or stolen. This service also allows you to exchange files with other users or colleagues.

Use a file storage system provided by your firm or group as an alternative. This solution may be connected to your current IT infrastructure and used by workers as a file storage system. This approach may also be used to archive old documents and backups.

If you choose not to utilize one of the two alternatives presented above, you should consider utilizing a password manager.

A password manager allows you to generate secure passwords that cannot be stolen or hacked. It may also help you keep track of which people have access to which passwords, preventing illegal access to your data.

2. Back up your Data Regularly

One of the greatest methods to maintain the safety and security of your data is to back it up frequently.

Regular backups, whether utilizing a data backup service or just moving your files to an external drive, can assist you in preventing losing critical data in the case of a catastrophe.

Even if anything were to happen to your computer, your data would be safe, and you could even find it handy for keeping track of changes and improvements to your business over time.

If your computer ever crashes and you need to retrieve old data or get access to it, you won’t have to spend hours combing through the paperwork again if you have regular backups.

A backup is also an excellent approach to maintaining track of system upgrades and updates for your organization. If there is ever an issue with an update or revision, having a backup will make it much simpler to revert to the previous version of the file.

3. Implement Strong Security Measures for Accessing your Data

When accessing your data, be certain to use stringent security procedures. This involves establishing a password for your account and encrypting your data using safe encryption.

When utilizing an online service, one must be wary of unsolicited requests for account or data access.

Finally, maintain the security of your computer and gadgets by installing antivirus software, keeping OS updates up to date, and removing insecure features.

4. Regularly Monitor your Data Security

Once you have decided that your Saas data is essential to you, it’s essential to take steps to protect it. Here are some best practices for monitoring your data security routinely:

Have a plan: Making a data security plan is one of the most vital aspects of cyber security. This will tell you what steps you’ll take to keep your data safe and when you’ll take them.
Use strong passwords: Use strong passwords that are unique and as hard to guess as much as possible. Change your passwords regularly, and never use the same password for more than one site or service.
Keep your software up-to-date: Make sure all of your software is up-to-date and protected against possible flaws.

Protect yourself by using a strong antivirus/anti-malware program and keeping your software up to date.

Secure your devices: It’s important to protect your devices with strong passwords and antivirus/anti-malware software, but don’t forget that data can also be stolen from laptops or phones that are lost or stolen.

Keep your devices locked when you’re not using them, and if they get lost or stolen, make sure they’re entirely wiped clean.

5. Educate your Employees

Though it may seem common sense, many businesses fail to take adequate steps to secure their data. Human mistake accounts for a considerable number of all data breaches.

If you wish to secure your data from theft and other illegal access, consider the following guidelines for educating yourself and your employees:

Implement a data security policy: Make sure everyone knows what they need to do to keep their data safe. Set clear rules about who can see the data, how it should be stored, and who is in charge of implementing the policy.
Train employees to protect business data: Teach them the basics of computer security and how they should keep their personal data safe online. Make sure they know not to share confidential information with anyone outside the company and that it’s essential to report any suspicious activity or events right away.
Use secure storage platforms: Instead of storing your data on individual computers or servers, you could use a secure storage platform like DropBox or Acronis. These platforms encrypt your files so that you and the people you choose are the only ones who can access them.

Next Steps: Reviewing your SaaS Data Security

New and previously authorized partners should be put through a well-defined SaaS security checklist as part of your review process. IT, GRC, legal, and security departments should all be included to guarantee compliance and safety.

To assist you in making the best option when selecting a new service, we’ve compiled a number of aspects to consider:

1. Check Authority Guidelines

Numerous national and regional bodies provide SaaS guidelines. For example, The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides fundamental security analyses of popular services and highlights relevant laws. SaaS data security analysis should start with this.

2. Review SaaS Provider Access and Security

Can the SaaS provider access your data stored on their systems? This is the most fundamental security question that you should ask. In an ideal world, service providers should be unable to access your data and be honest about the measures they take to protect it.
Review SaaS provider security and privacy. These elements will provide insight into the developer’s security procedures and the amount of openness with which the organization works. Be sure to read the small print.
Does the software-as-a-service include end-to-end encryption (E2EE)? End-to-end encryption alone is insufficient to keep your data entirely secure. However, if all data on their servers can only be decrypted using a local key on your team’s computers, you may prevent the danger of severe future liability.

3. Evaluate the SaaS Provider’s Data Security

When using the service, what data will change hands? Consider how you will use the service and the types of data you will transfer to their servers; in addition to IP considerations, data processing rules may constrain your selection.
Will the provider share your data with anyone else? This information should be readily available to the public and detailed for your team’s evaluation. Again, end-to-end encryption is ideal since the supplier will not access your data.
Does the provider have a solid security and privacy history? Examine a partner firm’s security and privacy track record, size, and stability. Have measures been taken to resolve prior problems?

4. Does the SaaS Provider comply with Data Protection Regulations

Does the SaaS provider comply with any applicable data protection regulations? Since GDPR was introduced in 2018, data protection has become a significant topic of conversation in the digital world. Since then, other nations have enacted stringent data protection regulations. Before committing to a new service, have your legal team validate that it complies with all applicable requirements.
Check Data Residency. An often ignored aspect of data privacy rules is their regulation of where businesses may keep personal data. Confirm that the personal information of EU individuals stays inside the boundaries of the bloc.
Will using the service require your to have a DPA? A DPA may be required to utilize the service depending on the data they access – this is less likely to cause issues if end-to-end encryption is in place.

5. Ensure Compliance with International Standards

Is the service provider ISO 27000 certified? This well-known international standard specifies the foundation for how organizations may safely handle information and contain a list of security rules they must implement. While no certificate of conformity can replace a comprehensive security audit, international standards such as ISO 2700 can give further assurance.
Do they follow the SOC2 auditing procedure? SOC2 is meant to guarantee that a company’s third-party vendors manage all data securely in order to protect the privacy and security of the company’s customers. It is essential for systems with data flows across sources or sophisticated systems with plugins.

6. Perform a Technology Audit

Confirm security for data at-rest and in-transit. Examine the technology used by the provider to protect your data throughout communication with the program and storage on their servers. In the best case, you will discover the current end-to-end encryption.

Review authentication options. SSO is a two-sided sword. When properly configured, it may enhance security and user convenience. If done incorrectly, it constitutes a security issue.
Check user roles and data access levels. Different roles need varying degrees of access. A fundamental principle of security is that users should only have access to the information they need to fulfill their tasks. Does the service provide the creation of multiple user roles and access levels?
Are security features easy to use? Can a single IT administrator effectively manage users? Can your team use the security tools? When security gets in the way, it may annoy consumers, prompting them to devise ingenious methods to overcome cumbersome restrictions.