What Is Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR)?
Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) is a cybersecurity subcategory dedicated to identifying, detecting, and addressing identity-based security threats. Unlike posture management and risk management tools, which often focus on preemptively identifying misconfigurations, ITDR assumes a breach may already be underway.
As applied to SaaS Security, ITDR focuses on detecting threats by monitoring identity behavior (both human account and non-human identities), flagging suspicious activities, and preventing potential identity-based attacks within SaaS environments.
Understanding ITDR in SaaS Security
With SaaS applications becoming the backbone of many businesses, managing SaaS identity security has grown increasingly complex. In 2023 and 2024, several high-profile SaaS attacks highlighted the need for robust ITDR. ITDR in SaaS security specifically focuses on threats that emerge within SaaS environments, such as:
- Account Takeover: Unauthorized users gaining control of legitimate accounts
- Privilege Escalation: Unauthorized escalation of user privileges, giving attackers elevated access
- OAuth token abuse: Attackers have increasingly targeted OAuth tokens to compromise SaaS accounts without needing direct access to user credentials. For example, malicious actors gained access to sensitive data by abusing OAuth permissions in the Midnight Blizzard breach and several supply chain attacks
- Supply chain risks: High-profile attacks have leveraged compromised third-party integrations, escalating privileges and misusing non-human identities (like service accounts in the case of the Cloudflare breach) to gain unauthorized access to enterprise data
- Data Exfiltration: The unauthorized transfer of sensitive data from SaaS applications to external locations
This focus on SaaS identity threats enables organizations to gain visibility into potentially risky activities that could otherwise go unnoticed within vast, interconnected SaaS environments.
ITDR in Action: Monitoring Human and Non-Human Identities
One of ITDR’s unique advantages is its focus on monitoring the behavior of both human accounts and non-human identities. SaaS environments often contain non-human entities such as OAuth tokens, service accounts, and other automated integrations that can create security risks if misused. ITDR’s role in tracking these identities ensures that all accounts, whether human or machine-based, are evaluated for unusual or risky behaviors.
Non-Human Identity Monitoring
Non-human identities present unique risks due to their elevated permissions and automated nature, making them attractive targets for attackers. An effective ITDR system flags and assesses non-human activities that may indicate suspicious or malicious behavior, such as:
- OAuth activity: Abnormal OAuth application behavior, such as unexpected geographical access or repeated access token requests can signal potential misuse of these tokens
- Service account activity: Service accounts with excessive permissions or those showing unusual access patterns may be manipulated by attackers to access sensitive SaaS data
- Automated API requests: Increases in API call frequency, especially from an application or integration that hasn’t been actively used, may indicate unauthorized data extraction or other malicious activity
By including non-human identity monitoring in its threat detection framework, ITDR enhances visibility across all components of a SaaS environment, helping security teams catch threats that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The Three Pillars of Effective ITDR in SaaS
Successful Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) strategies within SaaS environments rely on three key pillars:
Behavioral Analytics
By monitoring normal user behavior, ITDR tools can detect anomalies that may indicate identity-based attacks, such as unexpected logins, privilege escalation, or unusual access times.
Threat Intelligence
ITDR tools integrate real-time threat intelligence, which helps security teams identify and respond to potential threats based on patterns observed across other SaaS applications and environments.
Automated Response
Swift action is essential to minimize damage from identity threats. Automated responses in ITDR help enforce policies by revoking access or escalating alerts when a potential threat is detected, thereby stopping attackers before they can exploit stolen credentials or escalate privileges.
The Importance of ITDR for SaaS Identity Management and Security
Unlike traditional identity management solutions, which focus on authentication, user access control and privilege management, ITDR emphasizes proactive threat detection within SaaS applications. With ITDR, security teams can quickly respond to emerging threats based on user behavior, privilege misuse, and identity anomalies.
For instance, ITDR tools for SaaS applications monitor for privileged access misuse, inactive account exploitation, and unusual account behaviors, which can indicate the presence of insider threats or external attacks. Given that SaaS applications are highly interconnected, a single compromised identity can jeopardize an entire network of applications, making ITDR essential for comprehensive SaaS security.
How ITDR Differs from SaaS Posture Management
It’s important to differentiate ITDR from SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM). While SSPM is a proactive approach to identifying potential misconfigurations, ITDR operates with the assumption that a breach has already occurred. It looks for behavioral anomalies and suspicious identity-related activities rather than configuration errors. Where SSPM may focus on preventing threats by securing the SaaS environment through detection of misconfigurations and configuration drift, ITDR detects active threats based on identity patterns, access behavior, and potential misuse of credentials.
How Valence Helps with ITDR in SaaS Security
Valence offers advanced ITDR capabilities tailored to address identity threats within SaaS applications. Our platform provides tools for:
- Behavioral Monitoring: Using advanced activity monitoring and analytics, Valence detects and alerts on unusual behaviors, such as unexpected login locations or attempts to access restricted data. Valence identifies suspicious activities in both user behavior and OAuth-based activities to detect identity-based threats, such as unauthorized account access or privilege misuse
- Automated Policy Enforcement: Valence helps organizations implement automated policies to quickly revoke access, block high-risk activities, and manage inactive accounts that could otherwise become attack vectors
Fits Into Incident Response Security Stack: Valence integrates with XDR, SIEM and SOAR for enhanced threat investigations and accelerated response
Why SaaS Identity Threat Detection Is Crucial for Modern Organizations
With the rise of SaaS adoption, SaaS identity management and security have become essential in protecting against sophisticated threats. Without an ITDR solution, organizations risk leaving identity-based vulnerabilities unchecked. By implementing ITDR, security teams can effectively detect and respond to identity threats, reducing the likelihood of data breaches and improving the overall security posture of their SaaS environments.
Frequently Asked Questions About ITDR in SaaS Security
What is ITDR in SaaS security?
ITDR in SaaS security is a specialized approach to detect and respond to identity-based threats within SaaS applications, such as account takeovers, data exfiltration, and privilege escalations.
What are the three pillars of effective ITDR?
The three pillars are Behavioral Analytics, Threat Intelligence, and Automated Response. Together, these components enable ITDR to identify, assess, and mitigate identity-based threats in real time.
Why is ITDR essential for SaaS environments?
SaaS applications often hold sensitive data and are accessible from various locations, creating identity management challenges. ITDR enhances SaaS security by continuously monitoring identities, detecting unusual activity, and stopping identity-based attacks before they can escalate.
