Implementing Zero Trust for SaaS Applications

When to Use

• When securing access to SaaS applications (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack)
• When implementing conditional access policies requiring MFA and device compliance for SaaS
• When deploying CASB for shadow IT discovery and unsanctioned app blocking
• When enforcing session-level controls (DLP, download restrictions) for sensitive SaaS data
• When governing OAuth application permissions and detecting excessive consent grants

Do not use as a replacement for SaaS-native security controls (configure those first), for applications with no SAML/OIDC support, or when SaaS vendor does not support API integration for CASB/SSPM.

Prerequisites

• Identity provider with conditional access: Microsoft Entra ID P1/P2, Okta
• CASB solution: Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Netskope, or Zscaler CASB
• SaaS applications configured with SSO via SAML 2.0 or OIDC
• MDM enrollment for device compliance signals (Intune, Jamf)
• DLP policies defined for sensitive data categories