Browser-based SaaS platforms like Google Drive offer standout capabilities for businesses—but they also come with hidden security risks that many organizations overlook. From unmonitored file sharing and stale sessions to malicious extensions and lingering employee access, these vulnerabilities can quietly expose sensitive data and leave the door open for bad actors.
The good news? Most of these risks can be mitigated with the right mix of tools, policies and user awareness. Below, Forbes Technology Council members highlight security risks of browser-based tools and share practical steps your business can take to balance ease of use and convenience with safety.
1. Shadow Data Sprawl
Shadow data sprawl occurs when users create or share files in SaaS tools like Google Drive without proper visibility or governance. These files can be publicly accessible or shared beyond intended audiences without expiration or monitoring. This creates a security risk, as sensitive data can leak or remain exposed indefinitely without detection. – Siranjeevi Dheenadhayalan
2. Unauthorized, Unrestricted External Sharing
One overlooked risk is unauthorized data sharing. Employees may accidentally or unintentionally share sensitive files externally. To mitigate this, companies should enforce strict sharing permissions, enable audit logs and use tools like a cloud access security broker to monitor and control access in real time. – Amit Samsukha, Emizen Tech
Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
3. Long Session Lifetimes
Browser-based SaaS tools often have long session lifetimes, which can lead to risks such as stale sessions and account takeover attacks. Enforcing multifactor authentication at login alone isn’t enough. Organizations require continuous access evaluation to detect changes in user security posture (location, device posture, access permissions and so on) and maintain robust protection. – Venkat Viswanathan, Okta
4. Session Hijacking Via Token Theft
An overlooked risk with browser-based SaaS tools like Google Drive is session hijacking via token theft, often bypassing MFA entirely. Attackers exploit browser vulnerabilities or extensions to hijack authenticated sessions. Mitigation requires enforcing client-side hardening, real-time session monitoring and zero-trust access controls that reauthenticate dynamically based on risk signals. – Jason Nathaniel Ader, Qryptonic, Inc.
5. Malicious Browser Extensions
One overlooked security risk is malicious or overpermissioned browser extensions. These extensions can silently access, exfiltrate or manipulate data, bypassing security controls and going undetected by endpoint or network monitoring tools. Closing this critical gap requires extension management, continuous monitoring, user education and browser-native security controls. – Arpna Aggarwal, Labcorp
6. Cross-Organizational File Sharing
Specific to Google Drive, file sharing is an oft-overlooked security risk that leads to data leakage. It can be mitigated by properly instituting data loss prevention policies (so a user’s credentials cannot create documents in another organization’s Google Drive and vice versa). The root cause of this risk is a network perimeter security mindset. In reality, the focus should be on securing the data. – Altaz Valani, DevSecOpsMentor.com
7. Neglected Data Retention And Deletion Policies
It’s easier than ever to share information and data over browser-based SaaS tools. However, effective data retention and deletion (by design) are often never considered up front. When there is a data breach, significant amounts of retained data that was no longer needed are lost, exacerbating the breach and incident impact. – Gladwin Mendez, GEC Prudentia
8. Added Layers And Expanded Malware Exposure
SaaS solutions often take on a life of their own, with processes operating within your infrastructure but outside your scope. For example, there may be a need for strict confidentiality, requiring an added layer on top of SaaS tools to monitor what can be shared and when. Further, because these tools are browser-based, malware, viruses and ransomware gain another potential entry point through any browser vulnerabilities. – WaiJe Coler, InfoTracer
9. CSRF Attacks Enabled By Cookies
Browser-based SaaS tools can be vulnerable to cross-site request forgery attacks, especially if they rely on cookies for authentication without proper security measures. To mitigate this risk, implement secure cookies, use anti-CSRF tokens, enforce strict cross-origin resource sharing policies and carefully manage HTTP methods, safeguarding against unauthorized actions and maintaining user trust. – Anoop Gupta, Capital One
10. Third-Party Extensions With Excessive Permissions
A major but often ignored risk is the misuse of third-party browser extensions that can access cloud content. Organizations should have browser-based security policies, conduct extension reviews or audits, and provide training for teams to help prevent unintentionally exposing sensitive data to third-party extensions. – Asad Khan, LambdaTest Inc.
11. Accidental Exposure Of Regulated Health Data
An overlooked health risk in SaaS tools like Google Drive is accidental sharing of health data due to wrong or lax settings, risking HIPAA breaches. Prevent unauthorized health data transfers with tight access controls, end-to-end encryption, regular audits of share settings, employee training on secure practices and data loss prevention tools. – Gaurav Mehta, JPMorgan Chase
12. Phishing Risks
One overlooked security risk with browser-based SaaS tools is data breaches from phishing attacks. Employees can accidentally share sensitive information with external parties. Companies can mitigate this by training staff on security practices and implementing two-factor authentication. – Ajit Sahu, Walmart
13. Persistent Public Links And Unmonitored File Sharing
Unmonitored file sharing is a silent risk. Public links often remain active long after they are needed, creating hidden exposure. Mitigation starts with automated link expirations, regular audits and building a culture where data stewardship is a shared responsibility across the organization, not just a task for IT. – Satpreet Singh, Pinnacle Digital Advisors
14. Placing Too Much Trust In Browser Security
The overlooked risk is overreliance on browser trust. Browser-based SaaS tools expose companies to threats like session hijacking and unauthorized data access. Leaders must adopt a zero-trust approach, implement robust access controls and ensure continuous monitoring to safeguard critical information. – Oleg Sadikov, DeviQA
15. Residual Data In Browser Caches And Temporary Storage
Data persistence in browser caches and temporary storage is often overlooked when using tools like Google Drive. Even after logging out, sensitive information can remain accessible to anyone with physical access to the device. To mitigate this issue, companies should disable Google Drive’s Offline feature, automate cache-clearing and enable full-disk encryption whenever possible. – Chongwei Chen, DataNumen, Inc.
16. Careless Sharing Practices
One big risk is poor password sharing and careless file permissions. People often share whole folders instead of single files or give full editing rights without thinking. SaaS tools are cheap and easy, but without clear rules, it’s easy to lose data or control. Always double-check what and with whom you’re sharing, and set strict access policies. – Adrian Stelmach, EXPLITIA
17. Lingering Access For Former Employees
One sneaky risk with browser-based SaaS tools? Logged-in ghosts—former employees whose access lingers like forgotten luggage at baggage claim. It’s less “hacker breach” and more “HR oops,” but just as dangerous. Fix it by auto-expiring logins and tying access to active single sign-on sessions. Because in security, it’s not the break-in—it’s the open door you forgot to close. – Joel Frenette, TravelFun.Biz
18. Operational Disruptions Due To Storage Limits
Storage limits on SaaS tools can be concerning, especially if they’re shared among teams. If storage runs out on Google Drive during a crucial event like a major new release, communications can be hampered! To ideally lessen overages, it’s best to allocate fair amounts of data for each user instead of using team logins. – Syed Ahmed, Act-On Software
19. Autofill And Cached Forms
One often-missed risk is data leakage through browser autofill and cached form data. Employees unintentionally expose sensitive internal links or credentials when browsers auto-populate fields on shared or public devices. Companies should disable autofill for business domains, enforce the use of secure enterprise-managed browsers and regularly clear browser caches on corporate machines. – Umesh Kumar Sharma
