Blog
October 3, 2024

Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model for SaaS Applications

Unravel the complexities of cloud security with our guide to the shared responsibility model. Learn who's responsible for what when it comes to SaaS applications, and discover how to safeguard your data.

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Key Points

  • The shared responsibility model outlines security duties between cloud providers and users.
  • In SaaS applications, providers manage most security tasks, while users handle data protection and access controls.
  • Responsibilities vary by cloud service model, with IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS each having different security obligations.
  • Metomic helps streamline compliance and security management through automation and expert guidance.

Whether you’re an IT manager, security professional, or part of a small business team, understanding the security roles in cloud computing is crucial.

With 93% of enterprises now using public cloud services, knowing who is responsible for what is key to keeping your data safe.

This article is here to help IT and security teams get to grips with the essential roles and responsibilities in cloud computing, especially when it comes to SaaS applications. We'll break down the shared responsibility model and provide practical tips to help you enhance your business’ data security.

Let's dive in and see how you can stay secure in the cloud.

What is the shared responsibility model?

In essence, the shared responsibility model is all about knowing who’s responsible for what when it comes to securing data and applications in the cloud.

When you move your data and applications to the cloud, you’re not alone in keeping everything secure – both you and your cloud provider have roles to play.

Think of it this way: in a traditional on-premises IT setup, your IT team takes care of everything. They handle the physical security of your data centre, the hardware, networking, operating systems, and the applications running on them.

But when you shift to the cloud, the responsibilities get shared. The cloud provider takes care of securing the underlying cloud infrastructure, like the physical servers and networking gear. Meanwhile, you’re responsible for your data, applications, and any other assets you run in the cloud.

What are the types of cloud service models?

When diving into cloud computing, it’s helpful to know about the different service models: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Each model has its own set of responsibilities for both the provider and the user.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

With IaaS, the provider takes care of the basic infrastructure—think servers, storage, and networking—along with physical security. You’re in charge of everything above that, like the operating systems and your data. It’s a flexible option, and the IaaS market, which was worth $130.08 billion in 2023, is expected to grow to a whopping $738.11 billion by 2032.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS offers more than just infrastructure; the provider also manages the platform for your applications, including operating systems and databases. Your job is to handle the security of your apps and data. PaaS simplifies the development process, and its market is set to expand from $171.80 billion in 2024 to $386.90 billion by 2029.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

With SaaS, the provider takes on almost all responsibilities—from the infrastructure to the software applications. You’ll mainly focus on configuring the software and managing user access. The SaaS market is booming, expected to reach $818.80 billion by 2029, highlighting its growing role in business.

Grasping these models helps you navigate your cloud responsibilities more effectively, keeping your cloud environment secure and running smoothly.

Applying the shared responsibility model to SaaS applications

When it comes to SaaS applications, the shared responsibility model plays a crucial role in defining who handles what in terms of security. Let’s break it down:

Specific security tasks for SaaS providers

For SaaS providers, the responsibility is quite extensive. They manage everything from the underlying infrastructure—servers, storage, and networks—to the application itself. This includes ensuring the security of the software, maintaining the operating environment, and handling data centre security. Essentially, they take care of most of the heavy lifting when it comes to security.

Specific security tasks for SaaS users

On your end as a SaaS user, your responsibilities primarily involve managing and securing your own data and access.

This includes configuring the software correctly, setting up proper user access controls, and ensuring that data encryption and protection measures are in place.

Although the provider handles most of the security, your vigilance in these areas is key to keeping your data safe.

Importance of user responsibilities

User responsibilities might seem less extensive compared to what the provider handles, but they’re no less important. For instance, in the past year, 96.7% of organisations using SaaS applications experienced at least one security incident.

Clearly, users still need to remain proactive about data protection and access management. Your role in configuring and monitoring your SaaS applications can significantly impact your overall data security posture.

Overlapping responsibilities

When it comes to cloud computing, there are several areas where both the provider and the user need to collaborate closely to ensure comprehensive security.

This shared responsibility model means that while the cloud provider handles the bulk of the infrastructure and application security, users also have vital roles to play.

Areas where both provider and user must work together

One key area of overlap is security monitoring. Although cloud providers set up comprehensive monitoring systems for their infrastructure, it’s essential for users to keep an eye on their own data and applications.

This means being alert to any unusual activity or potential threats within their specific environment.

Examples of shared responsibilities

Compliance is another example where responsibilities are shared. While providers ensure their services comply with relevant standards and regulations, users must ensure that their own data usage and configurations also meet compliance requirements.

This often involves configuring settings to match regulatory needs and regularly reviewing policies to stay up to date.

Despite the clear division of tasks, there’s a common misconception. In fact, 69% of organisations mistakenly believe that cloud service providers are fully responsible for data protection, privacy, and compliance.

This misunderstanding can lead to gaps in security and compliance, so it’s important for you to know and fulfil your own responsibilities in the cloud environment.

Challenges of the shared responsibility model

Navigating the shared responsibility model can be tricky, with several key challenges that organisations need to address.

  • Trust and verification: One major challenge is ensuring your cloud provider is genuinely meeting their security promises. Trusting that a provider is upholding their end of the bargain can be difficult, and often organisations rely on provider assurances and third-party audits.
  • User knowledge and understanding: Another issue is mastering the provider’s tools. Cloud platforms offer a wide array of features and settings, and users may find it overwhelming to fully understand and utilise these tools effectively.
  • Keeping up with updates and changes: Cloud services evolve quickly, which means keeping track of updates, patches, and new features can be a real challenge. Staying current with these changes is vital to maintaining security but can be daunting.
  • Clear delineation of responsibilities: Defining who is responsible for what can be complex. With so many components involved, it’s easy to miss or misunderstand security responsibilities, potentially leaving gaps in your security framework.

Best practices for ensuring security in a shared responsibility model

Understanding how to effectively manage cloud security involves a few key best practices that can make a big difference.

1. Understanding SLAs and provider policies

First and foremost, get to grips with your Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and the specific policies of your cloud provider.

These documents outline the security responsibilities of both parties, so knowing them inside out helps prevent misunderstandings and gaps in security coverage.

2. Focusing on data security

Data protection is another critical area. Ensure that you have robust measures in place for data security, such as encryption and access controls.

While your provider handles the underlying infrastructure, you are responsible for securing your own data.

To enhance data security, consider using third-party Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools like Metomic, which can help safeguard sensitive information and manage data access more effectively.

3. Effective management of user credentials

Managing user credentials effectively is vital. This includes setting up strong authentication mechanisms and regularly reviewing access permissions.

A significant proportion of security incidents are linked to poor credential management (with 86% of data breaches involving stolen credentials), so it's crucial to handle this aspect with care.

4. Staying informed about provider updates

Cloud providers frequently update their services, which can impact your security settings.

Keep an eye on these updates to ensure that any changes do not inadvertently create vulnerabilities. Regularly reviewing update notifications helps you stay ahead of potential security issues.

5. Utilising tools to manage and secure cloud environments

Finally, take advantage of tools designed to simplify and enhance cloud security management.

These can range from automated security monitoring to dashboards that provide a clear view of your cloud environment.

Using these tools can help you maintain a secure setup and quickly address any issues that arise.

How Metomic can help

When it comes to managing cloud security, Metomic offers a range of data security solutions designed to make your job easier and more effective. Here’s how:

  • Spotting sensitive data across SaaS tools: Metomic takes the hassle out of finding sensitive information by scanning SaaS applications for things like credit card numbers, bank details, and personal data. It even tracks down custom patterns, like 1Password documents with non-private access settings.
  • Automating access controls: Metomic automatically alerts you if data is shared outside your corporate domain or with unauthorised users, helping keep your data secure.
  • Enforcing data retention policies: Metomic makes sure your data isn’t hanging around longer than it needs to. It applies automated data retention policies and flags files that haven’t been accessed in a while for a review.
  • Alerting on critical risk issues: If there’s a critical risk, like exposed secrets or credentials, Metomic will let your admin or security team know right away so you can act fast.
  • Teaching employees about security: Metomic helps boost security awareness by sending automated notifications to employees who break policies. It explains what went wrong and what they need to do to fix it.
  • Supporting compliance: Metomic also helps with compliance by generating reports on sensitive data status across your SaaS applications, ensuring you meet standards like ISO 27001.

In short, Metomic helps you manage your shared responsibilities effectively, keeping your SaaS environments secure and compliant.

Getting started with Metomic

Ready to take your cloud security to the next level? Getting started with Metomic is straightforward and can make a big difference for your organisation. Here’s how you can begin:

Try our free risk assessment scans

Dive in by exploring our free risk assessments. We offer these for Google Drive, Slack, Jira, ChatGPT, and more, giving you a glimpse into how Metomic can enhance your security. It’s a simple way to see how our tools work and what they can do for you.

Book a personalised demo

Want a more tailored experience? Book a personalised demo with our team of security experts. They’ll walk you through how Metomic’s solutions can address your specific needs, answer any questions you might have, and help you understand how to best integrate our tools into your existing security setup.

‍

Table of content
Table of contents
Table of contents
Table of contents
Table of contents
Table of contents

Jules Thorpe-Smith

Content Creator

Jules Thorpe-Smith is a Content Creator at Metomic

Key Points

  • The shared responsibility model outlines security duties between cloud providers and users.
  • In SaaS applications, providers manage most security tasks, while users handle data protection and access controls.
  • Responsibilities vary by cloud service model, with IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS each having different security obligations.
  • Metomic helps streamline compliance and security management through automation and expert guidance.

Whether you’re an IT manager, security professional, or part of a small business team, understanding the security roles in cloud computing is crucial.

With 93% of enterprises now using public cloud services, knowing who is responsible for what is key to keeping your data safe.

This article is here to help IT and security teams get to grips with the essential roles and responsibilities in cloud computing, especially when it comes to SaaS applications. We'll break down the shared responsibility model and provide practical tips to help you enhance your business’ data security.

Let's dive in and see how you can stay secure in the cloud.

What is the shared responsibility model?

In essence, the shared responsibility model is all about knowing who’s responsible for what when it comes to securing data and applications in the cloud.

When you move your data and applications to the cloud, you’re not alone in keeping everything secure – both you and your cloud provider have roles to play.

Think of it this way: in a traditional on-premises IT setup, your IT team takes care of everything. They handle the physical security of your data centre, the hardware, networking, operating systems, and the applications running on them.

But when you shift to the cloud, the responsibilities get shared. The cloud provider takes care of securing the underlying cloud infrastructure, like the physical servers and networking gear. Meanwhile, you’re responsible for your data, applications, and any other assets you run in the cloud.

What are the types of cloud service models?

When diving into cloud computing, it’s helpful to know about the different service models: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Each model has its own set of responsibilities for both the provider and the user.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

With IaaS, the provider takes care of the basic infrastructure—think servers, storage, and networking—along with physical security. You’re in charge of everything above that, like the operating systems and your data. It’s a flexible option, and the IaaS market, which was worth $130.08 billion in 2023, is expected to grow to a whopping $738.11 billion by 2032.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS offers more than just infrastructure; the provider also manages the platform for your applications, including operating systems and databases. Your job is to handle the security of your apps and data. PaaS simplifies the development process, and its market is set to expand from $171.80 billion in 2024 to $386.90 billion by 2029.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

With SaaS, the provider takes on almost all responsibilities—from the infrastructure to the software applications. You’ll mainly focus on configuring the software and managing user access. The SaaS market is booming, expected to reach $818.80 billion by 2029, highlighting its growing role in business.

Grasping these models helps you navigate your cloud responsibilities more effectively, keeping your cloud environment secure and running smoothly.

Applying the shared responsibility model to SaaS applications

When it comes to SaaS applications, the shared responsibility model plays a crucial role in defining who handles what in terms of security. Let’s break it down:

Specific security tasks for SaaS providers

For SaaS providers, the responsibility is quite extensive. They manage everything from the underlying infrastructure—servers, storage, and networks—to the application itself. This includes ensuring the security of the software, maintaining the operating environment, and handling data centre security. Essentially, they take care of most of the heavy lifting when it comes to security.

Specific security tasks for SaaS users

On your end as a SaaS user, your responsibilities primarily involve managing and securing your own data and access.

This includes configuring the software correctly, setting up proper user access controls, and ensuring that data encryption and protection measures are in place.

Although the provider handles most of the security, your vigilance in these areas is key to keeping your data safe.

Importance of user responsibilities

User responsibilities might seem less extensive compared to what the provider handles, but they’re no less important. For instance, in the past year, 96.7% of organisations using SaaS applications experienced at least one security incident.

Clearly, users still need to remain proactive about data protection and access management. Your role in configuring and monitoring your SaaS applications can significantly impact your overall data security posture.

Overlapping responsibilities

When it comes to cloud computing, there are several areas where both the provider and the user need to collaborate closely to ensure comprehensive security.

This shared responsibility model means that while the cloud provider handles the bulk of the infrastructure and application security, users also have vital roles to play.

Areas where both provider and user must work together

One key area of overlap is security monitoring. Although cloud providers set up comprehensive monitoring systems for their infrastructure, it’s essential for users to keep an eye on their own data and applications.

This means being alert to any unusual activity or potential threats within their specific environment.

Examples of shared responsibilities

Compliance is another example where responsibilities are shared. While providers ensure their services comply with relevant standards and regulations, users must ensure that their own data usage and configurations also meet compliance requirements.

This often involves configuring settings to match regulatory needs and regularly reviewing policies to stay up to date.

Despite the clear division of tasks, there’s a common misconception. In fact, 69% of organisations mistakenly believe that cloud service providers are fully responsible for data protection, privacy, and compliance.

This misunderstanding can lead to gaps in security and compliance, so it’s important for you to know and fulfil your own responsibilities in the cloud environment.

Challenges of the shared responsibility model

Navigating the shared responsibility model can be tricky, with several key challenges that organisations need to address.

  • Trust and verification: One major challenge is ensuring your cloud provider is genuinely meeting their security promises. Trusting that a provider is upholding their end of the bargain can be difficult, and often organisations rely on provider assurances and third-party audits.
  • User knowledge and understanding: Another issue is mastering the provider’s tools. Cloud platforms offer a wide array of features and settings, and users may find it overwhelming to fully understand and utilise these tools effectively.
  • Keeping up with updates and changes: Cloud services evolve quickly, which means keeping track of updates, patches, and new features can be a real challenge. Staying current with these changes is vital to maintaining security but can be daunting.
  • Clear delineation of responsibilities: Defining who is responsible for what can be complex. With so many components involved, it’s easy to miss or misunderstand security responsibilities, potentially leaving gaps in your security framework.

Best practices for ensuring security in a shared responsibility model

Understanding how to effectively manage cloud security involves a few key best practices that can make a big difference.

1. Understanding SLAs and provider policies

First and foremost, get to grips with your Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and the specific policies of your cloud provider.

These documents outline the security responsibilities of both parties, so knowing them inside out helps prevent misunderstandings and gaps in security coverage.

2. Focusing on data security

Data protection is another critical area. Ensure that you have robust measures in place for data security, such as encryption and access controls.

While your provider handles the underlying infrastructure, you are responsible for securing your own data.

To enhance data security, consider using third-party Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools like Metomic, which can help safeguard sensitive information and manage data access more effectively.

3. Effective management of user credentials

Managing user credentials effectively is vital. This includes setting up strong authentication mechanisms and regularly reviewing access permissions.

A significant proportion of security incidents are linked to poor credential management (with 86% of data breaches involving stolen credentials), so it's crucial to handle this aspect with care.

4. Staying informed about provider updates

Cloud providers frequently update their services, which can impact your security settings.

Keep an eye on these updates to ensure that any changes do not inadvertently create vulnerabilities. Regularly reviewing update notifications helps you stay ahead of potential security issues.

5. Utilising tools to manage and secure cloud environments

Finally, take advantage of tools designed to simplify and enhance cloud security management.

These can range from automated security monitoring to dashboards that provide a clear view of your cloud environment.

Using these tools can help you maintain a secure setup and quickly address any issues that arise.

How Metomic can help

When it comes to managing cloud security, Metomic offers a range of data security solutions designed to make your job easier and more effective. Here’s how:

  • Spotting sensitive data across SaaS tools: Metomic takes the hassle out of finding sensitive information by scanning SaaS applications for things like credit card numbers, bank details, and personal data. It even tracks down custom patterns, like 1Password documents with non-private access settings.
  • Automating access controls: Metomic automatically alerts you if data is shared outside your corporate domain or with unauthorised users, helping keep your data secure.
  • Enforcing data retention policies: Metomic makes sure your data isn’t hanging around longer than it needs to. It applies automated data retention policies and flags files that haven’t been accessed in a while for a review.
  • Alerting on critical risk issues: If there’s a critical risk, like exposed secrets or credentials, Metomic will let your admin or security team know right away so you can act fast.
  • Teaching employees about security: Metomic helps boost security awareness by sending automated notifications to employees who break policies. It explains what went wrong and what they need to do to fix it.
  • Supporting compliance: Metomic also helps with compliance by generating reports on sensitive data status across your SaaS applications, ensuring you meet standards like ISO 27001.

In short, Metomic helps you manage your shared responsibilities effectively, keeping your SaaS environments secure and compliant.

Getting started with Metomic

Ready to take your cloud security to the next level? Getting started with Metomic is straightforward and can make a big difference for your organisation. Here’s how you can begin:

Try our free risk assessment scans

Dive in by exploring our free risk assessments. We offer these for Google Drive, Slack, Jira, ChatGPT, and more, giving you a glimpse into how Metomic can enhance your security. It’s a simple way to see how our tools work and what they can do for you.

Book a personalised demo

Want a more tailored experience? Book a personalised demo with our team of security experts. They’ll walk you through how Metomic’s solutions can address your specific needs, answer any questions you might have, and help you understand how to best integrate our tools into your existing security setup.

‍

Key Points

  • The shared responsibility model outlines security duties between cloud providers and users.
  • In SaaS applications, providers manage most security tasks, while users handle data protection and access controls.
  • Responsibilities vary by cloud service model, with IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS each having different security obligations.
  • Metomic helps streamline compliance and security management through automation and expert guidance.

Whether you’re an IT manager, security professional, or part of a small business team, understanding the security roles in cloud computing is crucial.

With 93% of enterprises now using public cloud services, knowing who is responsible for what is key to keeping your data safe.

This article is here to help IT and security teams get to grips with the essential roles and responsibilities in cloud computing, especially when it comes to SaaS applications. We'll break down the shared responsibility model and provide practical tips to help you enhance your business’ data security.

Let's dive in and see how you can stay secure in the cloud.

What is the shared responsibility model?

In essence, the shared responsibility model is all about knowing who’s responsible for what when it comes to securing data and applications in the cloud.

When you move your data and applications to the cloud, you’re not alone in keeping everything secure – both you and your cloud provider have roles to play.

Think of it this way: in a traditional on-premises IT setup, your IT team takes care of everything. They handle the physical security of your data centre, the hardware, networking, operating systems, and the applications running on them.

But when you shift to the cloud, the responsibilities get shared. The cloud provider takes care of securing the underlying cloud infrastructure, like the physical servers and networking gear. Meanwhile, you’re responsible for your data, applications, and any other assets you run in the cloud.

What are the types of cloud service models?

When diving into cloud computing, it’s helpful to know about the different service models: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Each model has its own set of responsibilities for both the provider and the user.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

With IaaS, the provider takes care of the basic infrastructure—think servers, storage, and networking—along with physical security. You’re in charge of everything above that, like the operating systems and your data. It’s a flexible option, and the IaaS market, which was worth $130.08 billion in 2023, is expected to grow to a whopping $738.11 billion by 2032.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS offers more than just infrastructure; the provider also manages the platform for your applications, including operating systems and databases. Your job is to handle the security of your apps and data. PaaS simplifies the development process, and its market is set to expand from $171.80 billion in 2024 to $386.90 billion by 2029.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

With SaaS, the provider takes on almost all responsibilities—from the infrastructure to the software applications. You’ll mainly focus on configuring the software and managing user access. The SaaS market is booming, expected to reach $818.80 billion by 2029, highlighting its growing role in business.

Grasping these models helps you navigate your cloud responsibilities more effectively, keeping your cloud environment secure and running smoothly.

Applying the shared responsibility model to SaaS applications

When it comes to SaaS applications, the shared responsibility model plays a crucial role in defining who handles what in terms of security. Let’s break it down:

Specific security tasks for SaaS providers

For SaaS providers, the responsibility is quite extensive. They manage everything from the underlying infrastructure—servers, storage, and networks—to the application itself. This includes ensuring the security of the software, maintaining the operating environment, and handling data centre security. Essentially, they take care of most of the heavy lifting when it comes to security.

Specific security tasks for SaaS users

On your end as a SaaS user, your responsibilities primarily involve managing and securing your own data and access.

This includes configuring the software correctly, setting up proper user access controls, and ensuring that data encryption and protection measures are in place.

Although the provider handles most of the security, your vigilance in these areas is key to keeping your data safe.

Importance of user responsibilities

User responsibilities might seem less extensive compared to what the provider handles, but they’re no less important. For instance, in the past year, 96.7% of organisations using SaaS applications experienced at least one security incident.

Clearly, users still need to remain proactive about data protection and access management. Your role in configuring and monitoring your SaaS applications can significantly impact your overall data security posture.

Overlapping responsibilities

When it comes to cloud computing, there are several areas where both the provider and the user need to collaborate closely to ensure comprehensive security.

This shared responsibility model means that while the cloud provider handles the bulk of the infrastructure and application security, users also have vital roles to play.

Areas where both provider and user must work together

One key area of overlap is security monitoring. Although cloud providers set up comprehensive monitoring systems for their infrastructure, it’s essential for users to keep an eye on their own data and applications.

This means being alert to any unusual activity or potential threats within their specific environment.

Examples of shared responsibilities

Compliance is another example where responsibilities are shared. While providers ensure their services comply with relevant standards and regulations, users must ensure that their own data usage and configurations also meet compliance requirements.

This often involves configuring settings to match regulatory needs and regularly reviewing policies to stay up to date.

Despite the clear division of tasks, there’s a common misconception. In fact, 69% of organisations mistakenly believe that cloud service providers are fully responsible for data protection, privacy, and compliance.

This misunderstanding can lead to gaps in security and compliance, so it’s important for you to know and fulfil your own responsibilities in the cloud environment.

Challenges of the shared responsibility model

Navigating the shared responsibility model can be tricky, with several key challenges that organisations need to address.

  • Trust and verification: One major challenge is ensuring your cloud provider is genuinely meeting their security promises. Trusting that a provider is upholding their end of the bargain can be difficult, and often organisations rely on provider assurances and third-party audits.
  • User knowledge and understanding: Another issue is mastering the provider’s tools. Cloud platforms offer a wide array of features and settings, and users may find it overwhelming to fully understand and utilise these tools effectively.
  • Keeping up with updates and changes: Cloud services evolve quickly, which means keeping track of updates, patches, and new features can be a real challenge. Staying current with these changes is vital to maintaining security but can be daunting.
  • Clear delineation of responsibilities: Defining who is responsible for what can be complex. With so many components involved, it’s easy to miss or misunderstand security responsibilities, potentially leaving gaps in your security framework.

Best practices for ensuring security in a shared responsibility model

Understanding how to effectively manage cloud security involves a few key best practices that can make a big difference.

1. Understanding SLAs and provider policies

First and foremost, get to grips with your Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and the specific policies of your cloud provider.

These documents outline the security responsibilities of both parties, so knowing them inside out helps prevent misunderstandings and gaps in security coverage.

2. Focusing on data security

Data protection is another critical area. Ensure that you have robust measures in place for data security, such as encryption and access controls.

While your provider handles the underlying infrastructure, you are responsible for securing your own data.

To enhance data security, consider using third-party Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools like Metomic, which can help safeguard sensitive information and manage data access more effectively.

3. Effective management of user credentials

Managing user credentials effectively is vital. This includes setting up strong authentication mechanisms and regularly reviewing access permissions.

A significant proportion of security incidents are linked to poor credential management (with 86% of data breaches involving stolen credentials), so it's crucial to handle this aspect with care.

4. Staying informed about provider updates

Cloud providers frequently update their services, which can impact your security settings.

Keep an eye on these updates to ensure that any changes do not inadvertently create vulnerabilities. Regularly reviewing update notifications helps you stay ahead of potential security issues.

5. Utilising tools to manage and secure cloud environments

Finally, take advantage of tools designed to simplify and enhance cloud security management.

These can range from automated security monitoring to dashboards that provide a clear view of your cloud environment.

Using these tools can help you maintain a secure setup and quickly address any issues that arise.

How Metomic can help

When it comes to managing cloud security, Metomic offers a range of data security solutions designed to make your job easier and more effective. Here’s how:

  • Spotting sensitive data across SaaS tools: Metomic takes the hassle out of finding sensitive information by scanning SaaS applications for things like credit card numbers, bank details, and personal data. It even tracks down custom patterns, like 1Password documents with non-private access settings.
  • Automating access controls: Metomic automatically alerts you if data is shared outside your corporate domain or with unauthorised users, helping keep your data secure.
  • Enforcing data retention policies: Metomic makes sure your data isn’t hanging around longer than it needs to. It applies automated data retention policies and flags files that haven’t been accessed in a while for a review.
  • Alerting on critical risk issues: If there’s a critical risk, like exposed secrets or credentials, Metomic will let your admin or security team know right away so you can act fast.
  • Teaching employees about security: Metomic helps boost security awareness by sending automated notifications to employees who break policies. It explains what went wrong and what they need to do to fix it.
  • Supporting compliance: Metomic also helps with compliance by generating reports on sensitive data status across your SaaS applications, ensuring you meet standards like ISO 27001.

In short, Metomic helps you manage your shared responsibilities effectively, keeping your SaaS environments secure and compliant.

Getting started with Metomic

Ready to take your cloud security to the next level? Getting started with Metomic is straightforward and can make a big difference for your organisation. Here’s how you can begin:

Try our free risk assessment scans

Dive in by exploring our free risk assessments. We offer these for Google Drive, Slack, Jira, ChatGPT, and more, giving you a glimpse into how Metomic can enhance your security. It’s a simple way to see how our tools work and what they can do for you.

Book a personalised demo

Want a more tailored experience? Book a personalised demo with our team of security experts. They’ll walk you through how Metomic’s solutions can address your specific needs, answer any questions you might have, and help you understand how to best integrate our tools into your existing security setup.

‍

Jules Thorpe-Smith

Content Creator

Jules Thorpe-Smith is a Content Creator at Metomic

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