As identity-based attacks continue to rise, organizations are increasingly vulnerable to compromised credentials, hijacked authentication methods, and misused privileges. The problem lies in the fact that many threat detection solutions focus primarily on cloud, endpoint, and network threats, leaving SaaS identity ecosystems exposed. This oversight is having a devastating impact on organizations of all sizes that rely heavily on SaaS applications.
The question on everyone’s mind is: what can security teams do to mitigate these risks?
Fortunately, Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) is here to provide the necessary visibility and response mechanisms to stop attacks before they escalate into breaches.
The following essential components make up the ultimate lineup for combating SaaS identity threats:
#1 Comprehensive Coverage: Fortify Every Angle
A robust defense should cover every possible angle, just like Captain America’s shield. Traditional threat detection tools, such as XDRs and EDRs, often fail to cover SaaS applications, leaving organizations vulnerable to attack. SaaS identity threat detection and response (ITDR) coverage should include:
- Extending beyond traditional cloud, network, IoT, and endpoint security to encompass SaaS applications like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Jira, and Github.
- Seamless integrations with identity providers (IdPs) like Okta, Azure AD, and Google Workspace to ensure no logins slip through the cracks.
- Deep forensic investigation of events and audit logs for a detailed report of logging and historical analysis of all identity-related incidents.
#2 Identity-Centric Approach: Uncover Hidden Threats
Spider-Man’s web allows him to ensnare enemies before they strike, and a comprehensive ITDR should detect threats in an identity-centric timeline, ensuring no one slips through the cracks. When security events are only listed in chronological order, abnormal activity by a single identity can go undetected.
Key aspects of an identity-centric ITDR include:
- Visibility into the complete attack story by one identity across the entire SaaS environment, mapping lateral movements from infiltration to exfiltration.
- Authentication events, privilege changes, and access anomalies structured into attack chains.
- Leveraging User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to identify deviations from normal identity activity, eliminating the need to hunt through events to find suspicious ones.
- Continuous monitoring and flagging of both human and non-human identities, such as service accounts, API keys, and OAuth tokens, for abnormal activity.
- Detection of unusual privilege escalations or lateral movement attempts within SaaS environments for rapid investigation and response.
#3 Advanced Threat Intelligence: Unmask Hidden Threats
With Professor X’s Cerebro, complete ITDR should be able to detect the undetectable. ITDR threat intelligence should:
- Classify darknet activity for easy investigation by security teams.
- Include IP geolocation and IP privacy (VPNs) for context.
- Enrich threat detection with Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) like compromised credentials, malicious IPs, and other suspicious markers.
- Map attack stages using frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK to identify identity compromise and lateral movement.
#4 Prioritization: Focus on Genuine Threats
Daredevil’s heightened senses enable him to filter through overwhelming noise and detect hidden dangers. Similarly, ITDR prioritization cuts through alert fatigue, highlighting critical risks. SaaS ITDR threat prioritization should include:
- Dynamic risk scoring in real-time to reduce false positives and highlight the most critical threats.
- A complete incident timeline connecting identity events into a cohesive attack story, turning scattered signals into high-fidelity, actionable alerts.
- Clear alert context with affected identities, impacted applications, attack stage in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, and key event details like failed logins, privilege escalation, and behavioral anomalies.
#5 Integrations: Unleash Unstoppable Power
Just as the Avengers combine their powers to be unstoppable, an effective SaaS ITDR should have integrations for automated workflows, making the team more efficient and reducing heavy lifting. ITDR integrations should include:
- SIEM & SOAR for automated workflows.
- Step-by-step mitigation playbooks and policy enforcement guides for every application and every stage of the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
#6 Posture Management: The Dynamic Duo (BONUS TIP!)
Black Widow and Hawkeye form a dynamic duo, and comprehensive ITDR relies on SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) to minimize the attack surface as the first layer of protection. A complimentary SSPM should include:
- Deep visibility into all SaaS applications, including Shadow IT, app-to-app integrations, user permissions, roles, and access levels.
- Misconfiguration & policy drift detection, aligned to the SCuBA framework by CISA, to identify misconfigured authentication policies like lack of MFA, weak password policies, and excessive role-based permissions to ensure policies are consistently enforced.
- Dormant and orphaned account detection to flag inactive, unused, or orphaned accounts that pose a risk.
- Tracking of user lifecycle events to prevent unauthorized access.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
This lineup of must-haves fully equips organizations to face any SaaS identity-based threat that comes their way. Not all heroes wear capes… some just have unstoppable ITDR.
Learn more about Wing Security’s SaaS identity threat detection and response here.
