SaaS

What is SaaS?

Software as a Service

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a model in which software applications are hosted in the cloud and accessed over the internet, usually by subscription, instead of being installed and maintained on local computers.

Definition

Software as a Service explained

SaaS is the cloud model most people use every day. Applications like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Salesforce run on the provider's infrastructure and are accessed through a browser or app — no installation, servers, or manual updates required. You subscribe, sign in, and use the software, while the provider handles hosting, maintenance, and upgrades.

SaaS sits at the top of the cloud stack, above IaaS: the provider manages almost everything technical. That convenience is why SaaS dominates modern business software — but it doesn't remove your responsibility entirely. Your data, your user accounts, and how access is configured remain yours to protect.

Why it matters

Why SaaS matters for your business

SaaS makes powerful software accessible without infrastructure or IT overhead, enabling remote work and rapid adoption. But it also concentrates enormous amounts of sensitive business data in cloud accounts — and those accounts are a top target. Most SaaS breaches stem not from the provider being hacked, but from weak passwords, missing MFA, over-shared data, and misconfiguration on the customer's side.

There's also a critical, widely misunderstood gap: most SaaS providers secure their platform but don't fully back up your data the way you'd assume. Protecting SaaS means securing identity and access, configuring it correctly, and backing up the data within it — responsibilities that fall to you.

How Scalogic helps

Scalogic secures and manages your SaaS

Scalogic secures and manages your SaaS applications — with deep Microsoft 365 expertise as a Microsoft partner — as part of our cloud and cybersecurity services. We enforce MFA and SSO, lock down sharing and configuration, manage user access through their full lifecycle, and add proper third-party backup so your cloud data is genuinely protected.

With monitoring from our SOC, suspicious account activity is caught early. Your team gets the convenience of SaaS with the security and data protection it actually requires. See our cloud services.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does my SaaS provider back up my data?

Usually not the way you'd expect — most secure their platform but don't fully protect your data against accidental deletion or compromise. Scalogic adds proper third-party backup for SaaS like Microsoft 365.

Who is responsible for SaaS security?

The provider secures the platform; you're responsible for your data, user accounts, and access configuration. Most SaaS breaches stem from the customer side. Scalogic manages that for you.

How do I secure Microsoft 365?

Enforce MFA and SSO, lock down sharing and settings, manage access, and back up the data. Scalogic implements all of these as standard.

Keep learning

Related terms

Put SaaS to work for your business

Secure and back up your cloud apps and data with SaaS management from Scalogic.