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

Workflow

Step 1: Federate SaaS Authentication Through Identity Provider

Centralize authentication for all SaaS applications through a single IdP.

# Configure SAML SSO for Salesforce via Entra ID
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Application.ReadWrite.All"

# Create enterprise application for Salesforce
$app = New-MgServicePrincipal -AppId "SALESFORCE_APP_ID" -DisplayName "Salesforce"

# Configure SAML SSO settings
$samlSettings = @{
    preferredSingleSignOnMode = "saml"
    samlSingleSignOnSettings = @{
        relayState = ""
    }
}
Update-MgServicePrincipal -ServicePrincipalId $app.Id -BodyParameter $samlSettings

# Assign user groups to the application
New-MgServicePrincipalAppRoleAssignment -ServicePrincipalId $app.Id -BodyParameter @{
    principalId = "SALES_GROUP_ID"
    resourceId = $app.Id
    appRoleId = "DEFAULT_ROLE_ID"
}

Step 2: Create Conditional Access Policies for SaaS Applications

Enforce identity and device requirements before granting SaaS access.

# Block access from non-compliant devices to sensitive SaaS apps
$policy = @{
    displayName = "ZT - Require Compliant Device for SaaS"
    state = "enabled"
    conditions = @{
        applications = @{
            includeApplications = @("SALESFORCE_APP_ID", "M365_APP_ID", "SLACK_APP_ID")
        }
        users = @{
            includeUsers = @("All")
            excludeGroups = @("BREAK_GLASS_GROUP")
        }
        clientAppTypes = @("browser", "mobileAppsAndDesktopClients")
    }
    grantControls = @{
        operator = "AND"
        builtInControls = @("mfa", "compliantDevice")
    }
    sessionControls = @{
        cloudAppSecurity = @{
            isEnabled = $true
            cloudAppSecurityType = "mcasConfigured"
        }
        signInFrequency = @{
            value = 8
            type = "hours"
            isEnabled = $true
        }
    }
}
New-MgIdentityConditionalAccessPolicy -BodyParameter $policy

# Block downloads on unmanaged devices
$downloadPolicy = @{
    displayName = "ZT - Block Downloads on Unmanaged Devices"
    state = "enabled"
    conditions = @{
        applications = @{ includeApplications = @("SHAREPOINT_APP_ID") }
        users = @{ includeUsers = @("All") }
        devices = @{
            deviceFilter = @{
                mode = "include"
                rule = "device.isCompliant -ne True -or device.trustType -ne 'ServerAD'"
            }
        }
    }
    sessionControls = @{
        cloudAppSecurity = @{
            isEnabled = $true
            cloudAppSecurityType = "mcasConfigured"
        }
    }
}
New-MgIdentityConditionalAccessPolicy -BodyParameter $downloadPolicy

Step 3: Deploy CASB for Shadow IT Discovery and App Governance

Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to discover and control SaaS usage.

# Query discovered cloud apps via Defender for Cloud Apps API
curl -X GET "https://api.cloudappsecurity.com/api/v1/discovery/" \
  -H "Authorization: Token ${MDCA_API_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"

# Get list of unsanctioned apps
curl -X GET "https://api.cloudappsecurity.com/api/v1/discovery/discovered_apps/" \
  -H "Authorization: Token ${MDCA_API_TOKEN}" \
  -d '{
    "filters": {
      "appTag": {"eq": "unsanctioned"},
      "traffic": {"gte": 1000}
    },
    "sortField": "traffic",
    "sortDirection": "desc"
  }'

# Create session policy for DLP enforcement

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