What is SaaS Security? Key Cloud Security Challenges for Retailers in 2023

SaaS security involves a wide range of measures, strategies, and protocols aimed at protecting data, user identities, and the infrastructure of SaaS applications from potential threats or breaches. As more retailers shift from on-premise solutions to cloud-based SaaS, new security challenges emerge. Tackling these challenges is crucial as the migration to the cloud accelerates. This article explores the primary security issues confronting retail systems in the cloud today.

Key SaaS Security Challenges

Data Breaches

Data breaches represent a significant challenge for SaaS security in the retail sector. Sensitive information, including customer personal details, credit card numbers, and other transactional data, is stored and processed in the cloud. A breach of this information can lead to substantial financial losses and severely damage the retailer’s reputation. This challenge is compounded by the growing sophistication of cybercriminals, who are constantly developing new methods to exploit vulnerabilities in cloud systems.

A report by Check Point Research highlights a 38% increase in global cyberattacks in 2022 compared to 2021. In the United States, the retail/wholesale sector experienced an average of 124 daily cyberattacks, a 66% increase since 2021. Additionally, IBM’s “Cost of a Data Breach 2022” report indicates that 45% of data breaches occur in the cloud, with an average global cost of $4.35 million per breach, up 2.6% from 2021.

Consequently, Gartner reports that 68% of companies plan to increase their cybersecurity investments in 2023, thereby strengthening their SaaS security strategies.

Cloud Compliance 

Cloud compliance involves adhering to regulatory standards, industry guidelines, and legal requirements for cloud technologies. Retailers operating across multiple jurisdictions must comply with various regulations, such as GDPR, CCPA, and PCI DSS. The ever-changing nature of cloud environments makes achieving consistent compliance a challenge. Conducting comprehensive risk assessments allows security teams to create tailored policies and governance models, enabling the continued adoption of advanced cloud technologies.

Growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) 

According to IoT Analytics’ “State of IoT — Spring 2023” report, the number of global IoT connections increased by 18% in 2022, reaching 14.3 billion active endpoints. In 2023, this number is expected to rise by 16%, reaching 16.7 billion active endpoints.

The rapid proliferation of connected devices in the retail sector, such as RFID tags and smart mirrors, further complicates the SaaS security landscape. Each connected device represents a potential entry point for cybercriminals. Ensuring robust security protocols for these devices without compromising their functionality is a significant challenge. A related risk is shadow IoT, where devices are deployed without the support or authorization of IT or security departments.

Multi-Tenant Architectures

 Multi-tenant architectures are a fundamental feature of most SaaS platforms. In a multi-tenant environment, multiple customers share the same computing resources. While this model optimizes resource usage and reduces costs, it also increases the risk of user interference, known as “noisy neighbors,” where other users can access or impact your data.

Hybrid Cloud Environments

 Managing security in a hybrid cloud environment is a complex challenge. Many retailers favor a hybrid cloud model for its flexibility and efficiency, storing some data in the public cloud and other data in the private cloud. However, ensuring consistent security across these varied environments can be time-consuming and difficult to manage.

To effectively tackle these SaaS security challenges, retailers must embrace a comprehensive, proactive, and integrated approach to cloud security. This strategy should be reinforced by clear policies and standard tools provided by SaaS software vendors specializing in retail, such as Orisha Retail Chains, through their cloud offerings. Strong and well-designed security measures are crucial to protecting sensitive data and maintaining customer trust.