In the year 2023, cybercriminals are expected to remain active, which makes it crucial for organizations to prioritize the security of their systems and data. By focusing on key areas of security, businesses can safeguard their environments and ensure success while avoiding negative attention in the media. It’s important to take measures to protect your company so that you only make headlines when you intend to.

The weaknesses of web applications

Web applications are the backbone of SaaS companies, and they store sensitive information like customer data. Since SaaS applications are often multi-tenant, it’s crucial to ensure that your applications are secure against attacks that could potentially expose one customer’s data to another. Common vulnerabilities like logic flaws, injection flaws, and access control weaknesses are easy to exploit by hackers and can result from errors in code writing.

To mitigate these risks, regular security testing is essential. By utilizing an automated vulnerability scanner and regular penetration testing, you can proactively design and build secure web applications that integrate seamlessly with your existing environment. These security measures will help you detect vulnerabilities as they emerge throughout the development cycle, ensuring your web applications remain secure and free from threats.

Misconfigurations

Securing cloud environments can be a complex and challenging task for CTOs and developers as they need to ensure that every setting, user role, and permission comply with industry and company policies. Unfortunately, even a single misconfiguration can result in a significant data breach. In fact, according to Gartner, misconfigurations account for 80% of all data security breaches, and by 2025, up to 99% of cloud environment failures will be caused by human errors.

To minimize the risk of misconfigurations, it’s essential to leverage external network monitoring, which can help detect vulnerabilities and misconfigurations while providing visibility across your attack surface. This enables you to identify potential errors and unauthorized activities that could pose a threat to your cloud infrastructure. Conducting a penetration test on your cloud infrastructure can help identify potential vulnerabilities such as improperly configured S3 buckets, excessively lenient firewall settings within Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), and excessively liberal access privileges for cloud accounts.

Software vulnerabilities and patching

Although it might seem apparent, this is nonetheless a significant problem that affects everyone and every type of organization. SaaS businesses aren’t an exception. When applying operating system and library security patches, you must make sure that your application is self-hosted. Unfortunately, this is a continuous effort since operating systems and libraries frequently have security flaws that need to be repaired.

You may assist guarantee that your service is always delivered to a fully patched system on each release by using DevOps processes and ephemeral infrastructure, but you also need to keep an eye out for any new vulnerabilities found in-between releases.

Inadequate internal security policies and practices

As many SaaS firms are small and expanding and have lax security measures, these organizations are particularly vulnerable to hackers. You may greatly improve your safety by taking a few straightforward steps like utilizing a password manager, activating two-factor authentication, and receiving security training.

A password manager, which is affordable and simple to use, will assist you in keeping secure, one-of-a-kind passwords for all the online services that you and your team use. Ensure that everyone on your team uses it, preferably one that doesn’t frequently have security breaches.

Wherever possible, enable two-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication (2FA/MFA) using an app like Authy. A second authentication token must be used in addition to the right password in 2FA. A hardware security key is the most secure option, followed by a time-based One Time Password and a One Time Password transmitted to a mobile device (least secure). Although not all services provide 2FA, it should be turned on where it is.

Okta is a renowned leader in the field of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) security solutions. By leveraging the power of Okta’s Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication, organizations can ensure the highest level of security for their employees, partners, contractors, and customers. Okta’s MFA solution offers a broad range of authentication factors that can be customized to suit the unique needs of any business. This enables organizations to choose the most appropriate MFA factors to secure their resources and prevent unauthorized access.

Last but not least, when you see efforts, make sure your staff is aware of how to practice good cyber hygiene, particularly how to identify and avoid clicking phishing links, by offering training or at the very least by sharing instances within the team.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity is a delicate balance between risk and resources, and this becomes even more challenging for start-ups that have competing priorities. However, as a business grows, expands its team, and generates more revenue, it becomes increasingly important to invest in cybersecurity.

Fortunately, there are many security specialists that can help businesses stay secure and identify weaknesses in their systems. At Cyberintelsys we help small and large organizations to maintain their cybersecurity every day. We are committed to providing reliable and effective solutions to help you protect your business in 2023 and beyond.

If you’re looking for a partner to support your cybersecurity needs, we’re here to help. Reach out to us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business stay safe and secure.