Software as a Service (SaaS) is a double-edged sword.
SaaS apps can boost workforce productivity, but they can also be a thorn in the side for those of us on the security frontline, especially when you factor in Shadow IT and zombie accounts. SaaS tools are great until you try to keep tabs on them all—it’s like trying to count snowflakes in a blizzard.
As SaaS inventories expand, so too does the risk to identity security. Today, the average enterprise manages a portfolio of 371 SaaS applications, yet over half of those user licenses aren’t being used. Forgotten and abandoned accounts, AKA “zombie accounts,” leave backdoors for hackers and increase your cyber risks.
The Danger of Zombie Accounts
Between employee turnover rates and corporate reorganizations, accounts that should be dead and buried are still alive and active. Zombie accounts have access to your data and systems, can be easily missed in security checks, and, if not properly deactivated, can become entrances for threat actors.
Most organizations find it challenging or nearly impossible to gain visibility into the access and permissions of internal and external users. As evidence, 31% of former…
