SaaS Data Security Risks and Resilience Strategies

This technical report discusses the evolving landscape of data security within Software as a Service (SaaS) environments. It outlines the necessity for organizations to adopt a data-centric approach to security, emphasizing the need for direct protections that govern data access, usage, and lifecycle. The report details the insights shared during a webinar by Heidi Shey, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, which focused on key components of a data-centric security strategy. It presents three crucial steps that organizations can take to strengthen their security posture: defining what sensitive data to protect, identifying the risks that need mitigation, and selecting appropriate security capabilities and controls. The report also describes the importance of aligning with vendors regarding resilience requirements and expanding stakeholder involvement to enhance data security efforts. This structured approach aims to help organizations effectively manage both known and unknown risks in the evolving data security landscape.