Discover, control, and protect SaaS usage with a modern CASB approach - govern shadow IT, reduce risky behaviour, and enforce real-time session controls.
As organisations adopt SaaS at speed, security teams often lose visibility into what cloud apps are being used, which data is being shared, and how third‑party apps connect to corporate identities. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps is a cloud access security broker (CASB) solution designed to help discover cloud services, assess risk, and provide governance and control over cloud app usage.
LW IT Solutions delivers Defender for Cloud Apps as a practical SaaS security capability. We implement cloud discovery, connect key SaaS platforms, configure policies for risky behaviour and data exposure, and enable governance actions. Where required, we implement Conditional Access App Control (session controls) so access and sessions can be monitored and controlled in real time, and we align the solution with your operating model for investigations and response.
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Service Overview
Highlights
- Cloud discovery: establish visibility into cloud app usage and risk (shadow IT discovery and prioritisation)
- App risk assessment: use risk indicators to identify high-risk or non-compliant apps and drive rationalisation
- Connected app governance: connect key SaaS apps and implement governance actions over files and activities
- Policy framework: implement policies for risky behaviour, suspicious activity, and data exposure
- Session controls (Conditional Access App Control): enforce real-time monitoring and controls for access and sessions via Entra Conditional Access integration
- App governance (where applicable): enable app governance capabilities to manage app-to-app risk and third‑party app connections
- Operationalisation: alert triage model, investigation workflows, reporting cadence, and change control
Business Benefits
- Gain visibility into SaaS usage and reduce shadow IT risk through discovery and risk ranking
- Reduce data exposure by governing risky activities and enforcing policy-based controls
- Improve control over third-party apps and OAuth connections that can increase attack surface
- Improve security operations with clear alert triage and repeatable investigation workflows
Typical use cases
- Establishing visibility into SaaS usage and risk across the organisation (shadow IT discovery)
- Governing high-risk apps and enforcing acceptable use controls
- Implementing real-time session controls to prevent risky actions (download, upload, copy/paste) in web sessions where supported
- Reducing risk from OAuth app consent and third‑party app connections
- Strengthening compliance posture for data handling in SaaS platforms through monitoring and governance actions
Objectives & deliverables
What Success Looks Like
- A production-ready Defender for Cloud Apps deployment providing SaaS visibility, governance, and policy enforcement
- A policy and alert model aligned to your risk priorities and operational capacity
- Operational handover with runbooks and a governance cadence to control drift and improve posture over time
What You Get
- Readiness and design pack (scope, prerequisites, rollout plan, operating model)
- Cloud discovery setup and baseline report (apps, users, risk ranking, and priorities)
- Connected app configuration for in-scope SaaS platforms (where applicable) and governance actions enablement
- Policy set aligned to agreed risk scenarios (risky behaviour, suspicious activity, data exposure)
- Session control design and implementation (Conditional Access App Control) where required
- Runbooks and handover session covering operations, triage, investigations, and change control
How It Works
- Discovery and readiness - confirm SaaS landscape, objectives, and constraints; validate licensing and prerequisites.
- Design - define discovery approach, connected apps in scope, policy framework, and operating model.
- Implement and pilot - enable discovery, connect priority apps, deploy policies to a controlled scope, validate alert quality and user impact.
- Scale - expand coverage, refine policy tuning, implement session controls where required, and operationalise governance actions.
- Handover - deliver runbooks, reporting cadence, and continuous improvement recommendations.
Engagement Options
- Visibility Assessment (shadow IT discovery + risk ranking + recommendations)
- Pilot Deployment (priority SaaS connectors + initial policy framework + triage model)
- Rollout Programme (phased connectors, governance actions, session controls, tuning, and reporting)
- Operate (ongoing tuning, policy optimisation, and SaaS risk governance support)
Additional Information
Prerequisites & licensing
Defender for Cloud Apps requires appropriate licensing for the users you want protected. Microsoft also documents prerequisites for getting started, including access through the Microsoft Defender portal and ensuring required Entra ID applications are not disabled. Session controls (Conditional Access App Control) depend on Microsoft Entra Conditional Access integration and supported app scenarios.
- We confirm licensing and feature availability, including the scope of discovery, connectors, and governance actions.
- We confirm which SaaS applications can be connected for deeper controls, versus discovery-only visibility.
- We validate Conditional Access App Control prerequisites if session controls are in scope.
Common Bundles
Customers who use this service often bundle with these services
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Frequently Asked Questions
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