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SaaS applications are all the rage in today’s digital world; JumpCloud’s latest report states nearly half the IT pros (45%) use 5-10 tools to manage a worker’s lifecycle. Despite the layoffs and electoral hustle and bustle this year, 77% SMEs saw a significant increase in their IT budget.
But with a great number of apps comes great responsibility, especially when it comes to ensuring that their working aligns with certain industry standards.
This blog unravels the complex world of SaaS compliance, including its types, frameworks, best practices, and an implementation checklist for SaaS companies. Read on to know more!
Understanding SaaS Compliance
As the term implies, SaaS compliance governs the standards and regulations companies should follow when assessing acquisition or development of SaaS applications, typically following certain established industrial and legal frameworks. Factors like data breaches, regulatory fines, and reputational damage give rise to the necessity for these rules and regulations. So let’s go ahead and understand what exactly SaaS compliance comprises:
Definition of SaaS Compliance
SaaS compliance refers to the various legal, regulatory, and security standards that govern SaaS applications specifically. They must adhere to a set of regulatory guidelines and standards that are designed to protect user data privacy, security, and integrity on a local or global level. SaaS compliance is a subset of data compliance or IT compliance; it focuses on the specifics that pertain to applications being hosted in the cloud.
This may pertain to how organizations acquire SaaS applications, or how they develop them.
Generally, an organization’s finance and IT teams oversee the task of ensuring that compliance requirements are being met. Depending on their location and industry, organizations have to fulfill specific compliance frameworks relating to cybersecurity, data protection, revenue recognition, and other aspects.
Importance of SaaS Compliance
Although self-evident in its definition, SaaS compliance is crucial for organizations for multiple reasons. It assures the relevant governing bodies and users alike that they:
- Safeguard sensitive user data from breaches and unauthorized access.
- Comply with industry-specific regulations to avoid legal penalties.
- Build and maintain trust with customers by demonstrating commitment to security.
- Reduce the risk of data loss, system failures, and reputational damage.
Let’s take an example to understand it better. Imagine a healthcare SaaS company that provides electronic health records (EHR) software. This company must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect patient health information (PHI) such as:
- Implementing strong encryption techniques to safeguard PHI both at rest and in transit.
- Restricting access to PHI to authorized personnel only.
- Conducting regular security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities.
- Having a plan in place to respond to security incidents promptly and effectively.
- Training employees on HIPAA regulations and security best practices.
- Entering into Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with third-party vendors to ensure they also comply with HIPAA.
But how do organizations determine which compliance measures to follow? Up next, we will cover the classification of SaaS compliance into different types.
Types of SaaS Compliance
SaaS compliance consists of multiple frameworks and compliance measures; they all generally come under one of the three broad categories: security compliance, regulatory compliance, and data privacy compliance. Each of them oversee different set of rules and regulations being followed, such as:
Security Compliance
This category focuses on ensuring the security of data and systems. It involves adhering to standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST CSF. These standards require robust security measures, such as encryption, access controls, and regular security assessments.
Regulatory Compliance
This category covers adherence to specific industry regulations. For example, SaaS applications storing or processing personal identifiable information (PII) must comply with HIPAA, while financial services providers may need to adhere to PCI DSS or SOX. Regulatory compliance ensures that businesses handle sensitive data according to specific legal requirements, and provide safeguards for those impacted by an improper adherence to these standards.
Data Privacy Compliance
This category focuses on protecting user privacy and handling personal data responsibly. It involves complying with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and PIPEDA. Data privacy compliance ensures that businesses collect, store, and process personal data ethically and securely.
Conforming to these different compliances simultaneously for multiple SaaS apps can be a complex process. Choosing a seamless cloud identity management solution that maintains adherence to regulatory and internal compliance standards helps keep track of SaaS usage and manage access effectively.
Now that we are familiar with SaaS compliance on a broader scale, let’s get to know some key SaaS compliance frameworks.
Key SaaS Compliance Frameworks
Here are some of the common SaaS compliance frameworks that organizations need to abide by for smooth functioning of their adapted cloud-based technologies:
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, applies to any organization that processes personal data of EU residents, regardless of the organization’s location. It focuses on protecting individuals’ rights to privacy and control over their personal data.
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, applies to healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses in the US. This framework focuses on protecting the privacy and security of individuals’ health information.
SOC 2
Service Organization Controls 2, or SOC 2, applies to service organizations that store customer data in the cloud. It focuses on assessing the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy controls at a service organization.
PCI DSS
Payment Card Security Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS, applies to any entity that stores, processes, or transmits credit cardholder data. It focuses on protecting cardholder data from theft and misuse.
SOX
Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or SOX, applies to publicly traded companies in the US. It focuses on improving the accuracy of financial reporting and combats corporate fraud.
CCPA
California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, applies to businesses that collect personal information of California residents. This compliance framework gives California residents more control over their personal data.
SaaS Compliance Checklist: How to Get Started
Deploying a compatible IAM solution with the organization’s current SaaS environment is half the answer; a robust SaaS compliance framework is essential to protect sensitive customer data and maintain regulatory adherence. This compliance checklist will help you get started whether you are evaluating a new SaaS offering or developing one of your own:
1. Assessing Current Compliance Status
The first step in establishing a robust SaaS compliance framework is to assess the current state of compliance. This involves reviewing existing security practices, data protection measures, and incident response plans. If you are evaluating a new service, the SaaS provider should be able to provide internal and third party reports to validate their compliance measures.
By conducting a gap analysis, organizations can identify any shortcomings or areas where improvements are needed. A thorough risk assessment helps prioritize efforts by evaluating the potential risks associated with non-compliance.
2. Mapping out Compliance Requirements
Once the current state of compliance is understood, the next step is to identify the specific standards and regulations that apply to the SaaS offering and target market. This may include data privacy laws like GDPR or CCPA, security standards such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2, and industry-specific regulations.
By prioritizing these requirements based on their criticality and potential impact, organizations can develop a clear compliance roadmap with specific timelines and responsibilities.
3. Implementation Steps
Implementing a comprehensive compliance program involves a combination of technical, organizational, and procedural measures. This includes developing and enforcing robust policies and procedures, implementing strong security controls like access management and encryption, and establishing a dedicated compliance team.
Additionally, organizations must prioritize third-party risk management by assessing the security practices of vendors and partners. Continuous monitoring and regular audits are essential to maintain compliance and address emerging threats.
Best Practices for SaaS Compliance
SaaS compliance is essential for businesses to protect sensitive data, maintain customer trust, and avoid legal penalties. Here are some key best practices to ensure your SaaS operations are compliant:
Regular Audits and Reviews
Regular audits and reviews are essential to maintain a strong SaaS compliance posture. Organizations should conduct Internal audits to assess the security controls, access permissions, data handling practices, and incident response plans.
External audits, such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA certifications, provide independent validation of compliance efforts and enhance customer trust. Vendor risk assessments are vital to evaluate the security practices and certifications of SaaS vendors, identifying potential risks and ensuring they align with organizational security standards.
Continuous monitoring tools help track system activity, detect anomalies, and proactively identify security threats.
Staff Training, Awareness, and Enablement
Investing in employee training, awareness, and enablement is vital for maintaining SaaS compliance. Regular security awareness training educates employees about common cyber threats, phishing attacks, social engineering tactics, and secure data handling best practices.
Compliance training ensures employees understand relevant regulations and standards, such as GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, or PCI DSS, and their role in maintaining compliance. Incident response training prepares employees to respond effectively to security incidents, including incident reporting, containment, investigation, and recovery procedures.
Phishing simulations test employee awareness and response, identifying vulnerabilities and improving overall security posture.
Automation Tools and Software
Automation tools and software play a crucial role in enhancing SaaS compliance. Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions manage user identities, access permissions, and authentication mechanisms, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data and systems.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools monitor and control data movement, preventing unauthorized data transfers and data breaches. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions collect, analyze, and correlate security event logs, enabling early detection of security threats and facilitating incident response.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tools assess the security posture of cloud environments, identifying misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and compliance gaps.
By implementing these best practices, you can significantly enhance your SaaS compliance posture, mitigate risks, and protect your organization’s sensitive data, just like JumpCloud does.
Ensure SaaS Compliance with JumpCloud
JumpCloud’s open directory platform offers a streamlined solution to manage your organization’s identity and access. By consolidating user and device management into a single, cloud-based platform, JumpCloud empowers you to simplify IT operations, enhance security, and accelerate digital transformation.
JumpCloud’s latest additions pertaining to SaaS management provide IT organizations with a comprehensive and automated method to track SaaS usage across their organization (both sanctioned and unsanctioned), create policies to govern that usage, and gain visibility into SaaS licensing costs.
Ready to achieve SaaS compliance with ease and future-proof your organization? Schedule a demo now or talk to a JumpCloud expert to experience the power of a modern IT platform.
