What is Data Security in SaaS?

Since SaaS providers deliver their software over the cloud, protecting data is also the responsibility of the provider. The organization plays a role in managing its personal data too, but handling sensitive information means SaaS companies should implement essential security protocols. 

SaaS companies can achieve data protection in a number of ways:

• Secure encryption
• Policing access controls
• Auditing security systems
• Develop protocols for incident response

SaaS providers and their customers are both responsible for the security of the software. While the SaaS infrastructure and environment must be managed by the vendor, users need to correctly handle access, data, service usage, privacy, and employee training within the organization. 

Here are three key data security challenges SaaS businesses face:

• Relying on the vendor for security compliance: clients don’t host the software, so they need SaaS companies to take care of information security. 
• Adhering to rules is complex: different standards in various areas of operation make security compliance a complex domain.
• Trusting third parties: SaaS providers rely on different third-party systems that may not follow security guidelines, allowing security issues to appear.

Data security techniques include:

• Be rigorous about choosing vendors: your reputation is on the line, so choose software that has a track record of tough security measures. 
• Enforce multi-step access controls: require users to verify their identity with multi-factor authentication and make strong passwords mandatory. 
• Use data encryption: protect data from malicious actors in rest and transit in the event of a data breach. 
• Check for security risks: regularly test your system for vulnerabilities without waiting for a breach to occur.
• Train employees in security: make sure everyone using your software understands the importance of best practices in handling personal data.