Software as a Service: Analyzing Security Issues

TL;DR

This paper reviews security challenges in SaaS across various environments, analyzes existing solutions, and proposes integrated techniques for enhancing SaaS security in cloud, mobile, SDN, and IoT contexts.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of SaaS security issues and reviews current solutions, proposing integrated techniques for improved security.

Findings

Identifies key security challenges in SaaS environments.

Reviews mainstream solutions for SaaS security issues.

Suggests combined techniques for a more secure SaaS platform.

Abstract

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is a type of software service delivery model which encompasses a broad range of business opportunities and challenges. Users and service providers are reluctant to integrate their business into SaaS due to its security concerns while at the same time they are attracted by its benefits. This article highlights SaaS utility and applicability in different environments like cloud computing, mobile cloud computing, software defined networking and Internet of things. It then embarks on the analysis of SaaS security challenges spanning across data security, application security and SaaS deployment security. A detailed review of the existing mainstream solutions to tackle the respective security issues mapping into different SaaS security challenges is presented. Finally, possible solutions or techniques which can be applied in tandem are presented for a secure SaaS platform.