If everything is moving to the cloud, why are some companies still using on-premises infrastructure?

While cloud platforms offer speed and flexibility, some businesses keep specific workloads on premises as part of their infrastructure management. This is typically required to satisfy stringent regulatory standards, keep information within defined geographic locations, or keep highly sensitive systems in control at all times. Older software applications are typically not cloud-compatible and may be costly or problematic to relocate. For these reasons, on-premises infrastructure remains critical to many organisations' technology strategies.

Is there a smart way to use both on-premises and cloud infrastructure together?

Indeed. More companies opt for a hybrid model where cloud environments and on-premises systems coexist. This enables them to deploy agile workloads in the cloud and maintain critical or sensitive functions in local environments. Making informed decisions about where each workload best fits based on performance, compliance, and cost requirements is a matter of making informed decisions. Organisations can get flexibility and control without compromising on good infrastructure management and integration tools.

How does Infrastructure as Code help with DevOps automation?

Infrastructure as Code enables teams to resource their entire infrastructure through Code in infrastructure management. This makes creating servers, networks, and other components much quicker and more reliable. It is also compatible with deployment pipelines, meaning infrastructure and applications can be upgraded seamlessly.

How does Infrastructure as Code support hybrid setups?

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) helps teams manage cloud and on-prem resources using the same code, making bridging the gap between the two easier. Even though some workloads stay on local servers because of regulations or sensitive data, IaC ensures consistent infrastructure management across both environments, helping DevOps, CloudOps, and ITOps teams collaborate more efficiently.

How Sectona Cloud Access Management Solution can help?

This solution can: - Enhances cloud security by substituting always-on access with temporary, just-in-time permissions. - Streamlines compliance through granular logs and session recordings for simple audits. - Synchronises access across AWS, Azure, and GCP in real-time. - Saves on cloud expenses by eliminating unused roles and over-provisioned access. - Protects automated workflows with passwordless machine authentication.

Sectona at Infosecurity Europe 2025 | June 3–5 | ExCeL London

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Blogs Technology Cloud Access Management: Taming SaaS Access Chaos

Cloud Access Management: Taming SaaS Access Chaos

The adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) ecosystems has transformed the way organisations operate. Teams can access powerful cloud-based tools without relying on complex on-premises infrastructure. In such modern environments, cloud access management has become essential for securing modern environments.

Without proper oversight, organisations risk inconsistent access policies and struggle to demonstrate compliance.

Cloud Access Management (CAM) extends the principles of PAM into SaaS ecosystems and cloud environments. It allows organisations to monitor, control, and streamline elevated access across multiple platforms. Hence, it improves security, simplifies audits, and reduces operational burden.

Let’s start by understanding the current challenges organisations are facing managing cloud infrastructure.

Understanding the Challenges in Cloud Access Management

Before improving access management, it is important to identify where the gaps exist. This makes it easier to address them effectively. Let’s look at some of them:

Fragmented Identity Data

Each SaaS application typically manages its own roles, permissions, and user accounts. Over time, this can lead to fragmented identity data. A user may have different levels of access in different systems, and records of approvals may be inconsistent or lost. When IT teams try to reconcile accounts across multiple platforms, they often encounter discrepancies, making it hard to know who has access to what.

Privilege Accumulation

As employees change roles or leave teams, their existing permissions often remain active. This privilege accumulation, or “permission creep,” gradually increases the organisation’s exposure. In worst-case scenarios, former employees may retain access to sensitive systems. Even when no malicious intent is involved, this scenario complicates security monitoring and increases risk during audits.

Limited Visibility

Most SaaS platforms provide logs of login attempts but rarely offer insight into what users do once they gain access. Without detailed session monitoring, security teams cannot easily determine if privileges are being misused. This lack of visibility also slows down incident responses, making it harder to contain breaches or investigate suspicious activity.

Strong cloud access management is required to ensure activity is properly monitored across SaaS ecosystems.

Integration and Operational Complexity

Managing access manually is time-consuming. IT teams may need to track permissions in spreadsheets and audit them periodically. This process is error-prone and increases dependency on manual reviews, which are often delayed or missed due to operational workload. Small changes in user roles or project assignments may not be updated across all systems immediately. Over time, this creates gaps that can be difficult to identify without dedicated tools or automation.

Effective Strategies for SaaS PAM

Modern cloud access management requires a combination of automation, visibility, and control across SaaS ecosystems. Some of the core capabilities of CAM include:

Just-in-Time Access

One of the most effective strategies for controlling privilege is granting elevated permissions only when necessary. Just-in-Time (JIT) access limits the time a user holds administrative rights, reducing the potential for misuse.

JIT access ensures that privileges are available precisely when needed and automatically revoked once the task is complete. This approach reduces permanent high-level accounts, simplifies audits, and helps prevent privilege creep. It also allows security teams to enforce stricter controls without slowing down operations, maintaining a balance between productivity and protection.

Centralised Identity Management

A consistent identity layer is essential for managing SaaS access effectively. Organisations should be able to:

Discover accounts across all platforms and map the roles associated with each user.
Standardise access policies while allowing flexibility for platform-specific requirements.
Automatically provision and de-provision users through industry standards such as SCIM, keeping identity data synchronised.
Implement single sign-on through SAML, simplifying login while improving security.

Centralised identity management ensures that changes to a user’s role are reflected across all systems promptly. It also makes it easier to identify orphaned accounts or excessive privileges before they become a risk.

Context-Aware Authentication

Not every access attempt carries the same risk. Adaptive authentication evaluates context, including the device being used, location, and time of access.

For example, a login from a corporate laptop during normal working hours may require no additional verification. However, an attempt from an unusual location or device triggers extra checks, such as multi-factor authentication or approval from a manager. This approach enhances security while minimising disruption to legitimate users, making it practical for daily operations.

Visibility and Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of privileged activity is critical for security and compliance. Organisations should track who is accessing which systems, when, and what actions they take.

Advanced systems can provide real-time session visibility and store tamper-proof logs, enabling rapid detection of anomalies. Alerts can be configured for unusual activity, and sessions can be terminated if necessary. This visibility not only strengthens day-to-day monitoring but also ensures that detailed records are available for audits or compliance reporting.

Audit and Compliance

Auditing privileged access in a SaaS environment can be difficult if information is scattered across multiple platforms. Cloud Access Management simplifies this process by providing centralised reports detailing who requested access, who approved it, and what actions were performed.

Reports can be exported in standard formats to support compliance with frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, and CIS benchmarks. Keeping a clear record of access decisions ensures that auditors can verify compliance efficiently, reducing the time and effort required during reviews.

Considerations for SaaS-focused PAM Implementation

Implementing SaaS-focused PAM requires thoughtful planning. Organisations should consider:

Platform Diversity: SaaS ecosystems often include a mix of cloud-native applications, legacy software, and custom solutions. The PAM system must be capable of integrating across these platforms, including agentless deployments.
Policy Governance: Policies should balance security with user experience. Overly strict controls may frustrate users, while lenient rules could increase risk. Access reviews should be regular and aligned with organisational processes.
Cost and Effort: Subscription-based PAM solutions reduce upfront infrastructure costs, but ongoing management and integration require internal resources. Organisations must account for both financial and operational commitment.
Scalability: As SaaS adoption grows, the PAM solution should handle an increasing number of users, multiple environments, and hybrid cloud setups without performance degradation.

Conclusion

Cloud Access Management for SaaS ecosystems is no longer a secondary concern. Organisations must adapt to a world where identities are distributed across multiple platforms; permissions accumulate silently, and monitoring is often limited.

By combining time-limited access, centralised identity management, adaptive authentication, and continuous monitoring, organisations can maintain strong security without slowing operations. Integration with broader security systems ensures that privileged access contributes to overall threat detection and response.

Although the implementation process requires planning, the benefits are substantial. Organisations can reduce risk, improve compliance, streamline audits, and maintain operational flexibility. SaaS-focused PAM is an essential component of any modern, cloud-first security strategy.

Take control of cloud access with Sectona CAM. Enforce Zero standing privileges, enable JIT access, and gain complete visibility over privileged activity across cloud and SaaS environments.

Book a demo to see CAM in action -> CAM – Sectona

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