Software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology is increasingly popular in the business world. Reduced deployment time, lowered costs, and improved scalability are all excellent reasons for a company to use cloud-based software. No technology comes without risk, and there are things you should do to get the most out of your purchase order software while keeping sensitive data secure.
What You Should Know About Purchase Order Software and Data Security
A company’s SaaS solutions are a valuable part of its IT environment. A cloud-based app may seem like just another website, but it is a powerful tool that requires the same attention and care as any other enterprise software solution. At SourceDay, we do what we can to protect client data when it is in our care, but there are several things your company needs to do to keep its data safe in a cloud-based IT environment.
Develop a Detailed SaaS Security Guide
Your company’s IT department is your first line of defense again cyber attacks and other dangers to the security of your data. Work with your IT team to evaluate your software environment. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each software implementation and how it interacts with the rest of your information ecosystem.
Use the information gained in this analysis to develop a detailed security policy for your organization. Reevaluate and revise this policy whenever you add new IT solutions to your ecosystem. If necessary, hire an external security consultant to help with this.
Building, maintaining, and enforcing a detailed security plan may solve many of your company’s most damaging security issues.
Eliminate Shadow IT
Every industry is different, and every company has different needs. The solutions built for these needs often leave real and imagined flaws in a company’s IT environment. This makes it very tempting for a tech-savvy workforce to adopt new software without consulting the IT department. This is known as “shadow IT.”
The problem here is that shadow IT has not been vetted before adoption. Such software solutions can contain malware or other security hazards, but it’s just as likely that shadow IT can create software interactions that create holes in a company’s data security. Eliminating unvetted software goes a long way toward promoting your company’s data security.
Secure Software Deployment
When implementing external SaaS solutions, you often have two options for deployment: cloud deployment and self-hosted deployment.
Cloud-based deployment puts the responsibility of the software’s secure deployment in the hands of the vendor. This is often the simpler solution. The provider’s team knows the software inside out and can maintain it while helping you integrate it into your solution.
If you are self-hosting, your organization is responsible for deployment and security. While this puts the burden on people who may be less familiar with the software, some companies find that the improved control better suits their needs.
Whichever model you choose, it is considered a SaaS best practice to automate as much of the deployment as possible.
Automate Backup Procedures
Getting caught without data backups in a crisis can devastate a company. Configuring an automated backup system should never be ignored. Setting up an automatic process takes very little time, but the ability to recover data that was deleted or destroyed can save your business in an emergency.
Implement Security Controls
Well-established security controls can detect and mitigate risks like data breaches or cyber-attacks. Data encryption, malware prevention, and Identity and Access Management are three common controls you can use to protect your data.
Many communication channels used by SaaS applications, like purchase order software, use transport layer security (TLS) to protect the data while in transit. Data that is not in transit is not covered by TLS protocols. Data “at rest” can be just as vulnerable to cyber-attacks. End-to-end data encryption is an effective way to prevent data from being read by unauthorized parties. An increasing number of SaaS providers offer encryption capabilities that protect data in transit and at rest.
Malware prevention relies on some of the oldest data security measures in use. Firewalls are the classic example of malware prevention, but while the concept is venerable, the technology continues to progress. Keeping your company’s firewalls updated is an effective way to combat malware. Limiting application privileges and using strong, unique passwords are also tried and true ways to protect your IT ecosystem from malware.
While strong passwords are the first step in data security, they are often insufficient by themselves. Data leaks and phishing attacks are two ways a password can be compromised. Additional measures like two-factor authentication can help keep data restricted to authorized parties.
Utilize Safe Purchase Order Software
Purchase order software and other SaaS solutions are growing in popularity. The best strategy for protecting your data in an increasingly cloud-based environment is to take a proactive approach to software security. Carefully review your SaaS providers and contact our team at SourceDay to learn more about how we are protecting your software and data.