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SaaS Security Audit Checklist

A comprehensive checklist for auditing security across your SaaS tool stack.

6 sections · 42 items

Your company uses dozens of SaaS tools — but how secure is your overall SaaS environment? This checklist helps you audit security across your entire tool stack, from identity management to data sharing controls. Use it for internal audits, compliance preparation, or vendor security assessments.

1

Identity & Access Management

Audit how users authenticate and what they can access.

Verify all SaaS tools are connected to your identity provider (SSO/SAML)
Confirm MFA is enabled and enforced for all users on all tools
Review admin access — limit admin roles to the minimum necessary users
Check for shared accounts or generic credentials (support@, admin@)
Audit guest and external user accounts across all tools
Verify that former employee accounts have been disabled in all tools
Review service accounts and API keys — ensure they follow least-privilege principles
Check that password policies meet your compliance requirements
2

Data Sharing & Exposure

Identify where company data might be exposed through SaaS tools.

Audit public sharing links in Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Notion
Review Slack Connect channels with external organizations
Check for publicly accessible Confluence or Notion pages
Audit GitHub repositories for accidental public visibility
Review third-party app integrations that have access to company data
Check for OAuth apps granted broad permissions by individual users
Audit file sharing settings in all collaboration tools
Review API access and webhooks that transmit data externally
3

Authentication & Session Security

Ensure authentication controls are properly configured.

Verify SSO is the primary authentication method (disable password-only login where possible)
Check session timeout settings — ensure sessions expire after reasonable inactivity
Review conditional access policies (IP restrictions, device trust, location-based access)
Audit login logs for suspicious patterns (off-hours access, unusual locations)
Verify that password reset flows require proper identity verification
Check for accounts with remembered/persistent sessions on unknown devices
4

SaaS Vendor Security

Evaluate the security posture of your SaaS vendors.

Verify each critical vendor has SOC 2 Type II certification
Review vendor data processing agreements (DPAs) and privacy policies
Confirm vendors encrypt data at rest and in transit
Check vendor incident response policies and breach notification timelines
Review vendor subprocessor lists for data handling concerns
Verify vendors support your required authentication methods (SAML, SCIM)
Assess vendor data residency — confirm data is stored in acceptable regions
5

Compliance & Documentation

Ensure your SaaS usage meets compliance requirements.

Document all SaaS tools in a central inventory with owner, purpose, and data classification
Verify access review logs exist for the current compliance period
Confirm offboarding records include SaaS access revocation evidence
Review and update your acceptable use policy for SaaS tools
Check that data retention policies are configured in applicable SaaS tools
Verify that audit logging is enabled in all critical SaaS tools
Document any exceptions to security policies with justification and approver
6

Incident Readiness

Verify your team can respond quickly to SaaS-related security incidents.

Document the process for disabling a compromised user account across all SaaS tools
Verify you can export audit logs from critical SaaS tools within 24 hours
Test your ability to revoke OAuth tokens for compromised third-party apps
Confirm you have emergency admin access to all critical tools (break-glass accounts)
Review and test your SaaS-specific incident response playbook
Verify notification channels for security alerts from SaaS vendors

Pro tips

Start with identity management — if SSO and MFA are properly configured, you've addressed the most common SaaS attack vectors.

Don't forget about shadow IT. Ask team leads if their teams use any tools that aren't officially sanctioned.

Prioritize tools that handle sensitive data (code, customer data, financial data) over general productivity tools.

Run this audit quarterly, not annually. SaaS environments change fast — new tools are adopted and configurations drift.

Consider using ViglaFort to automate SaaS discovery and access auditing — replacing manual checklists with continuous monitoring.

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