In this episode of the Talking Security Podcast, we sit down with Itai Cohen from the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps team to explore the evolution of SaaS Security — from the traditional CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) model to a broader, more proactive security strategy.
We cover:
- Why CASB isn’t enough anymore and what the future of SaaS Security looks like
- The growing threat of OAuth abuse — and why it’s such a hot target for attackers
- New innovations from Microsoft like Attack Path Analysis and Advanced Hunting for OAuth threats
- How Exposure Management is helping organizations proactively reduce SaaS risk
🎧 Whether you're a security architect, IT decision-maker, or Microsoft 365 enthusiast, this episode will help you rethink how you protect your SaaS environments.
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📬 Got feedback or topics you'd like us to cover? Let us know in the comments or reach out via TalkingSecurity.nl!
Outline of the recording
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - Introduction of this episode
2:05 - Introduction of Itai Cohen - Microsoft
2:29 - What was the original goal of Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps as a CASB solution?
4:10 - Why is Microsoft adding more capabilities on top of the traditional CASB model towards a broader SaaS Security approach?
6:08 - How do you see today’s SaaS threat landscape compared to when CASB solutions first appeared?
10:11 - Why is OAuth has become such an attractive attack vector?
13:53 - What are typical OAuth attack paths, and how do attackers exploit them?
14:50 - Microsoft blog - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftthreatprotectionblog/protect-saas-apps-from-oauth-threats-with-attack-path-advanced-hunting-and-more/4395997-, you announced new capabilities to detect OAuth threats. Can you give us an overview of what’s new?
16:16 - How does Attack Path Analysis help customers better understand and mitigate OAuth risks?
19:10 - Advanced Hunting is now available for OAuth threats — how can security teams leverage this capability?
22:36 - What are some common mistakes you see organizations make when it comes to OAuth permissions and consent management?
26:40 - Exposure Management - How does Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps contribute to a broader exposure management approach, and how can customers use it
31:47 - How do you see the role of SaaS Security evolving within the wider Exposure Management strategy that Microsoft is building?
33:09 - How does SaaS Security fit into Microsoft’s broader security strategy, alongside Defender XDR and Entra ID?
35:33 - SaaS Security is overlooked? Why?
40:42 - If you weren’t working in security, what would you be doing instead?
42:20 - Closing the episode
43:23 - Outro
#SaaSSecurity #MicrosoftDefender #OAuth #CASB #CloudSecurity #TalkingSecurityPodcast