4 Reasons Your SaaS Attack Surface Can No Longer be Ignored

What do identity risks, data security risks and third-party risks all have in common? They are all made much worse by SaaS sprawl. Every new SaaS account adds a new identity to secure, a new place where sensitive data can end up, and a new source of third party risk. Learn how you can protect this sprawling attack surface in 2025.

What do identity risks, data security risks and third-party risks all have in common? They are all made much worse by SaaS sprawl. Every new SaaS account adds a new identity to secure, a new place where sensitive data can end up, and a new source of third-party risk. And, this growing attack surface, much of which is unknown or unmanaged in most orgs, has become an attractive target for attackers.

So, why should you prioritize securing your SaaS attack surface in 2025? Here are 4 reasons. ‍

1. Modern work runs on SaaS.

When’s the last time you used something other than a cloud-based app to do your work? Can’t remember? You’re not alone.

Outside of a few highly regulated, slow-moving industries, SaaS has taken over as the dominant delivery model for workplace technology. And, this delivery model makes it incredibly easy for knowledge workers to operate as “citizen CIOs”, creating new accounts for whatever tool they think will help them work more efficiently, including the latest shiny new GenAI tool.

In fact, data from Nudge Security shows that the average employee creates one new SaaS account roughly every two weeks. For an organization with 100 employees, that’s 200 new SaaS accounts per month. And, each of these SaaS identities expands the organization’s attack surface while creating a new way for sensitive data to leak out of the organization.

The only way that IT and security leaders can hope to secure this dynamic attack surface is with a solution that can deliver continuous SaaS discovery along with just-in-time prompts to help those citizen CIOs take appropriate steps to secure their accounts.

2. Your SaaS footprint is an attractive target to attackers.

The 2024 Verizon DBIR found that web applications (aka SaaS) top the list of asset varieties compromised in incidents, with roughly 50% of incidents in the report involving web applications. And, according to report from Crowdstrike, 80% of breaches today use compromised identities, including cloud and SaaS credentials.

Additionally, Gartner’s first-ever Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms highlighted the increased risk organizations face by not taking control of SaaS governance: ‍”Through 2027, organizations that fail to centrally manage SaaS life cycles will remain five times more susceptible to a cyber incident or data loss due to incomplete visibility into SaaS usage and configuration.”

Surprises are never pleasant in the IT security world. Gaining visibility into your SaaS attack surface makes it possible to proactively secure your accounts and data, mitigating the risk of disruptive surprises in the form of security incidents.

Nudge Security provides visibility into externally facing apps and other elements of your SaaS attack surface.

3. GenAI governance is SaaS governance.

Concern around governance of generative AI use has emerged as a top source of anxiety for security leaders for 2025. And what do virtually all generative AI apps have in common? You guessed it: they are all delivered as SaaS.

Since ChatGPT started making waves in early 2023, Nudge Security has discovered almost 850 unique GenAI apps in customer environments, demonstrating the rapid pace of AI adoption. It is simply impossible for IT teams to keep track of this explosion of new tools, much less secure and govern them, without a method of automated discovery that does not require prior knowledge of an app’s existence.

Nudge Security’s approach to AI governance helps you discover and evaluate the security of AI tools in a way that’s scalable and sustainable for your organization, so you can embrace the productivity benefits generative AI can offer without taking on excessive risk.

AI governance dashboard in Nudge Security

4. Weak SaaS security can have legal and regulatory repercussions.

As the pace of modern work continues to drive SaaS adoption, organizations are storing more and more data within SaaS apps—and regulators are paying attention. Data stored in SaaS apps may fall under data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, security standards such as ISO 27001 and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and industry-specific compliance requirements like HIPAA and PCI DSS. Plus, most contractual promises to customers, partners, or vendors regarding data handling and security also extend to data stored within SaaS apps. ‍

And, SEC rules published in 2023 require public companies to disclose material cybersecurity incidents within four business days after a registrant determines that a cybersecurity incident is material. Additionally, detailed information regarding their cybersecurity risk management and governance practices must be included in their annual 10-K filings. These rules demonstrate the increased focus on cybersecurity as an indicator of a business’s financial stability.

Data from Nudge Security shows that 90% of SaaS apps are adopted by individuals outside of IT. So, when a SaaS app experiences a breach, IT may not even be aware that the app is being used by anyone in the org, much less that there was a breach. Nudge Security provides immediate discovery of all SaaS apps, even those IT has never heard of. And, breach alerts notify customers of security breaches impacting their SaaS providers, as well as those in their digital supply chain, helping manage 3rd and 4th party risks.

Nudge Security uncovers 3rd and 4th party risks in your SaaS attack surface.

Implementing a SaaS security solution can be much faster and easier than you might think, and it can even help you save money by uncovering apps and accounts that are no longer needed. You can deploy Nudge Security in just a few simple steps, and you’ll have a full SaaS inventory (including up to two years of SaaS spending history) in minutes.

Start a free trial to see for yourself.

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