In today’s interconnected enterprise and cloud ecosystem, Salesforce is a powerful, secure platform that offers significant benefits for managing strong, lasting customer relationships. However, Salesforce’s success makes it a target for cybercriminal activity. Now used at over 150,000 enterprises worldwide, Salesforce and your Salesforce customer-related data are prominent marks for bad actors and cybercriminals. Let’s discuss how WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce complements Salesforce for organizations of any size.
Shared Responsibility is the first step towards securing Salesforce
Salesforce follows the Shared Responsibility Model, which emphasizes that security is a joint effort between Salesforce and its customers. Other cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, also utilize this model. Simply stated, the Shared Responsibility Model means the cloud provider is responsible for securing their cloud services and the underlying infrastructure. Customers are responsible for protecting their data, even though it is stored in the cloud environment.
Accordingly, customers must understand what security measures Salesforce does not provide to address these gaps. Recognizing the security limitations of what Salesforce offers is an essential first step in developing a comprehensive security strategy for Salesforce.
Scanning for malware, phishing, spam and ransomware is left to the customer
Salesforce is dedicated to establishing standards in SaaS (software-as-a-service) and being a reliable partner in customer security. To enhance the security of a Salesforce instance, Salesforce offers various recommendations for customers to implement. One of the key suggestions is to use security solutions like WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce, which provides spam filtering and malware protection.
Haven’t we solved the malware problem?
Malware, viruses, spam, trojans, etc., continue to wreak havoc on enterprises. According to the recent IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, the average cost of a malware attack in 2024 is around $5.24 million globally, up 10 percent from 2023. Specific organizational losses have been much higher when factoring in the additional ransomware costs.
There are many effective server, desktop and mobile scanning solutions to thwart malware. However, the rise of cloud-provided applications has further complicated malware detection because, in the case of Salesforce, documents, files, etc., often legitimately bypass enterprise scanning systems.
When a user uploads a file or attachment to Salesforce, no native file scanning is applied. These documents almost always, by their nature, bypass the normal enterprise-level scanning mechanisms. Further, the lack of automatic scanning allows an external user to attach a malicious file, putting Salesforce data at risk.
Today, enterprises need a broad defense and in-depth approach to thwart these threats and complement Salesforce security.
How WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce works
The WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce solution is the simplest way to stop file, URL and QR code-based cyber threats like malware, ransomware and phishing attacks on your Salesforce cloud. Here is how it works:
1. A user, unwittingly or knowingly, uploads malicious files, attachments, URLs or QR codes to a Salesforce platform. It might be from web forms, partner portals, emails, or third-party applications.
2. WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce intercepts and scans all content entering and leaving Salesforce in real-time for threats using a multi-stage threat analysis process. Content can also be scanned retrospectively on-demand.
3. All data stays in the Salesforce cloud. Only suspicious files that cannot be detected as threats based on global threat intelligence checks are evaluated for a deeper behavioral analysis. The files are sent to the WithSecureSecurity Cloud, where they are analyzed in an isolated sandboxing environment to detect even the stealthiest and most sophisticated cyber threats.
4. When a threat is detected, administrators are automatically alerted. The end-user is advised on what to do next, and further use of the content is prevented.
5. Advanced security analytics with full audit trails speed up the incident response. Relevant data, alerts, and workflows can be easily integrated into SIEM or other centralized security systems.
WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce: Designed with and for Salesforce
WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce is designed to reduce the risk of advanced cyber threats targeting Salesforce. It offers:
- Real-time protection and immediate visibility into your entire environment
- Seamless integration with your customizations and workflows
- Full support for the infrastructure security controls that Salesforce provides
This solution meets the stringent compliance requirements of modern enterprises and critical public sector organizations, making it an excellent choice for enhancing your Salesforce security.
Developed in collaboration with Salesforce, WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce is used and recommended by Salesforce.
To learn more about WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce:
- Learn more about WithSecure Cloud Protection for Salesforce in our newest video, 60 Seconds with WithSecure.
- Take a test drive and read user reviews on Salesforce AppExchange.
- Book a demo to see Cloud Protection for Salesforce live and learn how it can protect your Salesforce instance.