SaaS technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing patient care, drug development, and health and wellness practices. Today, AI processes massive datasets of biological and chemical information to identify potential drug candidates, and machine learning algorithms analyze diverse data sources to predict the efficacy and safety of new compounds. Yet, the healthcare and BioTech industries are cautious towards employees using GenAI tools—and rightly so.
From administrative to marketing to medical teams and support staff, GenAI tools boost productivity and drive outcomes. But while technology is fueling innovation, it’s also introducing new risks and expanding the organization’s attack surface. Previously, IT departments had control over software procurement and deployment, ensuring security measures were firmly in place. Now, SaaS and GenAI technology have changed the game.
The Growth of SaaS, Identities, and Risks
In the past, IT environments were closely managed, with IT departments controlling software procurement and deployment. The rise of SaaS (Software as a Service) has significantly changed this dynamic. While core SaaS applications usually go through a formal purchase and security review process, many SaaS tools are now being adopted by individual employees on their own. SaaS applications are easy to acquire and deploy—employees can sign up and start using them with just an email and a few clicks, often bypassing traditional IT oversight.
When employees independently adopt SaaS tools, IT departments lose visibility into which applications are used, how they are used, and by whom. This occurrence, known as shadow IT, increases the risk of data breaches, as unvetted applications may not meet the organization’s security standards or regulatory requirements.
Each new SaaS application expands the organization’s attack surface. Identity risks grow because each account can become a target for cybercriminals, who can use it to gain access to other corporate resources, leading to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and other malicious activities. Recent high-profile breaches like Change Healthcare, Broward Health, and L’Assurance Maladie highlight the importance of protecting and securing identities and the costly consequences when compromised.
SaaS Identity Risk Management: A More Modern Approach for Healthcare
The shift from a closely governed IT environment to one where every employee can independently adopt technology requires rethinking SaaS security. To safeguard biotech and healthcare organizations effectively, the focus must be on enhancing visibility, control, and security compliance across all applications used within the organization. Enter SaaS identity risk management (SIRM), a strategic approach tailored to address the unique challenges posed by the widespread adoption of SaaS.
Traditional IT security frameworks fall short in a decentralized IT environment; however, SIRM provides a comprehensive framework designed to secure access, maintain compliance, and protect data within a decentralized and rapidly evolving IT ecosystem, ensuring that an organization can safely leverage the benefits of SaaS while mitigating the associated risks. A SIRM framework addresses the entire lifecycle of a SaaS and GenAI tool:
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The foundational elements of a SIRM program include:
- Identity Lifecycle Risk Governance: Establish and enforce policies for managing the digital identity lifecycle, including discovering and revoking user access to SaaS applications as necessary.
- Access Management: Involves implementing and managing secure access controls such as single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and robotic process automation (RPA) to ensure that only authorized users can access SaaS applications.
- Compliance Management: Ensure adherence to relevant regulatory and industry standards, such as HITECH, HIPAA, NIST, SOC2, ISO27001, ISO/IEC 2382:2015, and others, particularly concerning securing access to applications and data.
- Security Incident Management and Response: Establishes comprehensive procedures for detecting, analyzing, and responding to security incidents affecting SaaS applications.
- Enterprise Risk Management: Evaluate and control risks posed by a SaaS application to the enterprise, distinct from assessing the risk profile of the SaaS vendor.
SaaS Identity Risk Management Outcomes
The objectives of a SIRM program are designed to address the unique challenges and risks associated with using SaaS and GenAI applications in an organization. These goals are critical for ensuring the security, compliance, and efficient management of identity-related aspects in a SaaS environment. The primary outcomes typically include:
- Implementing Robust Access and Identity Risk Management: Enforce strong access control mechanisms such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Single Sign-On (SSO) to manage user access to SaaS applications securely. Efficiently manage the lifecycle of user identities from onboarding to offboarding.
- Mitigating Risks Associated with SaaS Usage: Identify and address security risks unique to SaaS environments, including those stemming from shadow IT, where employees use unapproved but tolerated SaaS applications.
- Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: Align SaaS usage with regulatory and compliance requirements, ensuring organizational adherence to relevant standards and legal mandates.
- Improving Visibility and Control: Gain comprehensive visibility into SaaS application usage across the organization. Establish control over who accesses what applications, when, and how.
- Adapting to Evolving Threat Landscape: Develop the agility to quickly adapt to new threats and changes in the SaaS ecosystem to ensure ongoing protection and risk management.
- Enhancing Operational Efficiency: Streamline identity risk and access management processes for SaaS applications to improve operational efficiency and reduce administrative overhead.
SIRM takes a programmatic approach to discovering and managing risks from Gen AI services and SaaS applications. By focusing on identifying and mitigating threats related to identity sprawl, shadow IT, and shadow AI, SIRM supports regulatory compliance and ensures effective management of identity-related risks, providing the most comprehensive approach for securing SaaS applications in today’s rapidly shifting technology environment.
About the Author
Lior Yaari is one of Israel’s most esteemed cybersecurity experts. Before founding Grip Security, he served as CTO for YL Ventures and was a member of the YL Ventures Insiders Network. Lior also led as the Chief of Cyber Training for the Israeli Intelligence Corps, Unit 8200. Learn more about Grip Security.
Lior can be reached online at our company website https://www.grip.security
