SSPM vs SASE: Why Securing SaaS Takes More Than Just Access Controls

Organizations today are leaning hard into Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to simplify and secure access across distributed users, applications, and environments. And it’s easy to see why: SASE brings together SD-WAN, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Secure Web Gateway (SWG) capabilities under one unified architecture. But there’s a catch. While SASE does a great job protecting access to SaaS apps, it doesn’t protect the SaaS platforms themselves. That’s where SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) comes in. SSPM secures the configuration, posture, and internal behaviors of the SaaS apps that organizations rely on every day. This article dives into why it’s not SSPM vs SASE, but rather, SSPM and SASE that make your SaaS security strategy strong.

Put simply, SASE is your front gate, and SSPM is your house alarm system.

Why this matters now

SaaS usage has exploded, with enterprises managing dozens or even hundreds of SaaS applications across multiple departments. From collaboration tools to CRM platforms, these apps are where sensitive data lives. At the same time, more organizations are adopting hybrid work models, relying on third-party integrations, and experimenting with embedded AI. That makes securing both access to and activity within SaaS platforms more urgent than ever.

Yet many teams falsely assume that once SASE is deployed, their SaaS stack is secure. This assumption leaves critical blind spots that attackers are eager to exploit.

What is SASE, and what does it cover?

Gartner defines single-vendor SASE offerings as those that combine network and Security-as-a-Service capabilities into a cloud-delivered model, typically including SD-WAN, ZTNA, CASB, and SWG. These tools are designed to provide secure, policy-driven access to applications from any location, on any device.

SASE is particularly effective at:

• Controlling access to web, cloud, and private apps based on identity and context
• Protecting users from internet-based threats
• Securing branch office and remote worker connectivity

But its visibility stops at the door of the SaaS app. SASE relies heavily on the security built into SaaS apps by the SaaS provider and is ineffective at mitigating vulnerabilities and other risks. Once inside these apps, things like user roles, permissions, misconfigurations, third-party connections, and embedded AI agents often go unchecked. In addition, SASE can be bypassed in a number of ways: shadow IT, stolen credentials that enable adversaries to gain access to SaaS apps, and data theft through exploitation of unsecured integrations with third-party tools.

Where SSPM picks up the slack

SSPM is purpose-built to secure the SaaS layer. It monitors and manages the security posture of applications like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, and other essential business tools. These platforms contain an enormous amount of sensitive data and are often customized and integrated with other apps, making their security posture both dynamic and complex.

SSPM solutions provide:

• Configuration management to detect drift and misaligned security settings
• Identity and access oversight for human and non-human accounts
• Visibility into SaaS-to-SaaS connections, including shadow IT and third-party integrations
• Continuous monitoring and threat detection inside the app environment
• Governance, risk, and compliance controls mapped to key frameworks

In other words, SSPM secures what SASE doesn’t see.

SSPM vs SASE: A side-by-side comparison

SASE and SSPM serve distinct but complementary roles in a modern security strategy. This quick comparison breaks down how each solution addresses different aspects of SaaS and access security.

SASE provides secure access. SSPM ensures secure operations. You need both.

Real-world scenarios where SSPM adds coverage

Let’s look at some common SaaS security challenges that SASE alone can’t solve:

• A misconfigured Salesforce instance exposes personally identifiable information (PII) to guest users due to an unchecked public-sharing setting. SASE can’t detect this.
• A Slack AI integration is silently pulling data from private channels and forwarding summaries to an external tool. SASE has no visibility into this behavior.
• An abandoned SaaS-to-SaaS integration from a departed employee retains application programming interface (API) access to core systems. SSPM spots this; SASE misses it.
• An intern uses a no-code AI app to automate customer follow-ups via Gmail, introducing shadow AI risk and compliance issues.

These are not edge-based problems. They are app-layer risks that require app-layer defenses.

Together, SSPM and SASE close the loop on Zero Trust

Zero Trust isn’t just a network security strategy. It’s a full-stack mindset. While SASE enforces Zero Trust access at the edge, SSPM ensures Zero Trust behavior and posture inside the application.

This integrated approach is already gaining traction. AppOmni’s partnership with Cisco Secure Access is one example: Cisco provides network-centric Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), while AppOmni brings Zero Trust Posture Management (ZTPM) to the SaaS layer. Together, they deliver true end-to-end visibility and control.

SSPM ensures that:

• Over-permissioned users are flagged and corrected
• Sensitive data isn’t exposed by misconfigured sharing rules
• SaaS-to-SaaS connections are understood and governed

Without SSPM, organizations risk bypassing the very Zero Trust principles they’ve worked to implement.

Buyer guidance: What to ask and watch for

If you’re assessing your SaaS security stack, ask these questions:

• Can your SASE provider monitor in-app behavior and misconfigurations?
• Do you know which third-party apps are integrated into your critical SaaS environments?
• Are you tracking non-human identities like AI agents and OAuth integrations?
• Can your current tools enforce least-privileged access inside your SaaS apps?

If the answer to any of these is “no,” SSPM should be on your roadmap.

Additionally, a strong SSPM solution should:

• Integrate with your identity provider and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)/Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) tools
• Provide guided, role-based remediation options
• Scale to cover both packaged and custom SaaS environments

SaaS security in the age of AI

The rise of embedded AI in SaaS platforms makes SSPM even more essential. AI copilots and agents now access sensitive data, automate tasks, and act independently inside SaaS environments. These non-human identities require the same oversight as human users.

AppOmni treats AI as an identity. It governs what AI can access, monitors how it behaves, and raises a flag when it goes off script. This kind of visibility is completely outside the scope of SASE.

For example, a GenAI copilot in Salesforce might generate new leads using data from external sources. But what happens if its permissions were cloned from a superuser? SSPM helps ensure that even advanced automations respect access controls and least-privileged access controls.

In a world where GenAI is baked into apps like Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft 365, SSPM is the only way to understand and govern how those AI tools interact with your data.

Final thoughts: Why it’s SSPM and SASE, not SSPM vs SASE

This isn’t about choosing one over the other. It’s about recognizing that SASE and SSPM do fundamentally different jobs, and both are required to build a truly secure SaaS environment.

Think of SASE as the highway system that gets users to their apps securely. SSPM is the vehicle inspection that ensures the engine isn’t leaking oil.

If Zero Trust is your destination, you’ll need both.

Strengthen SaaS security from the edge to the app layer

AppOmni delivers the SaaS-layer visibility and control that SASE solutions alone can’t provide. As organizations adopt more SaaS apps, integrate embedded AI, and expand remote access, securing what happens inside those apps becomes just as critical as securing the path to them.

With AppOmni’s industry-leading SSPM platform, security teams can:

• Continuously monitor and remediate SaaS misconfigurations before they lead to breaches
• Identify and manage over-permissioned users, inactive accounts, and hidden SaaS-to-SaaS connections
• Detect anomalous behavior from non-human identities, including GenAI tools and OAuth integrations
• Extend Zero Trust principles into the SaaS layer, ensuring secure access and secure operations

When paired with your SASE architecture, AppOmni completes your Zero Trust strategy, giving you full-stack security from network edge to app layer.

Ready to close the SaaS security gap? Request an AppOmni demo.