New Services Secure Cloud Applications

Beginning in Apr. 2016, Microsoft Cloud App Security, a hosted cloud access security broker (CASB), will be generally available to protect Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, including Microsoft’s Office 365 and third-party applications such as Box or Salesforce. The service will help organizations enforce policies for use of these online services and identify suspicious activities.

Online Service Monitoring and Access Control

Cloud App Security provides technology to monitor and control access activity across multiple online services, including Office 365 and third-party offerings from Box, Dropbox, Salesforce, SAP Ariba, and ServiceNow. Based on the acquired Adallom technology, the service collects connection details such as user logins and logouts, user locations, session durations, details of uploads and downloads, and sharing privileges.

Cloud App Security does not require changes to applications (which could be impractical) but redirects traffic through a Microsoft-hosted server to collect and analyze information and control access to applications and data.