TL;DR: Essential Preparation Steps for AI-Powered Search

Before deploying Glean's AI-powered workplace search platform, CISOs must secure their SaaS data infrastructure. While Glean offers enterprise-grade security features including SOC 2 Type II compliance, GDPR adherence, and strict permission controls, the platform can only be as secure as the data it ingests. 96% of security executives identify SaaS security as a high or top priority, yet 31% of organizations experienced a data breach in 2024 (State of SaaS Security Report, CSA 2025). Critical preparation involves auditing existing SaaS permissions, implementing robust access controls, and establishing data governance frameworks before Glean begins indexing your organisational knowledge.

Why Must Organisations Secure SaaS Data Before Glean Deployment?

Glean's power lies in its ability to search across your company's entire digital ecosystem—from Google Drive and Dropbox to Slack conversations and Jira tickets. The platform connects to 100+ applications out-of-the-box, creating a unified search experience that can surface any information you're authorised to access. However, this comprehensive access makes pre-deployment security critical.

Think of Glean as a powerful magnifying glass for your organisational data. While the platform includes robust security measures—enterprise authentication, real-time permission enforcement, and data encryption—it will amplify existing security gaps in your SaaS environment. If sensitive documents are overshared in Google Drive or if former employees still have Dropbox access, Glean's search capabilities will make these vulnerabilities more discoverable and potentially more dangerous.

By 2025, experts predict that 85% of all business apps will be SaaS-based (SaaS Statistics 2025, Meetanshi), creating an expanded attack surface that requires proactive security measures before AI integration.

What Security Challenges Do Organisations Face in Current SaaS Environments?

The Shadow IT Problem

55% of employees adopt SaaS without security's involvement (State of SaaS Security Report, CSA 2025), creating blind spots that become critical when deploying comprehensive search tools. These unauthorised applications may contain sensitive company data that Glean could potentially index if proper discovery and governance aren't in place.

Permission Sprawl and Access Control Gaps

Most organisations struggle with basic access management. 58% of organisations struggle to enforce privileges and 54% lack automation for lifecycle management (State of SaaS Security Report, CSA 2025). When Glean indexes data from these poorly governed systems, it inherits and potentially amplifies these access control weaknesses.

Data Oversharing and Exposure

63% of organisations report external data oversharing and 56% say employees upload sensitive data to unauthorised SaaS apps (State of SaaS Security Report, CSA 2025). Before Glean begins searching across these platforms, organisations must identify and remediate data exposure risks.

How Does Glean's Security Architecture Work?

Glean was built from the ground up with enterprise security in mind. The platform includes several key security features:

Permission Inheritance: Glean enforces the same permissions set in your source applications, ensuring users only see data they're already authorised to access. If permissions change in the source system, Glean's results reflect those changes immediately.

Enterprise Authentication: All access requires authentication via your enterprise identity provider, leveraging existing SSO infrastructure.

Data Protection: Glean offers SOC 2 Type II compliance, GDPR adherence, and HIPAA support, with options for deployment in your private cloud tenant or Glean's managed SaaS environment.

Content Controls: Organisations can control what data Glean crawls and indexes, preventing the platform from surfacing results for certain search terms or document types.

However, these security measures only work effectively when your underlying SaaS data is properly secured. Glean's security is additive, not corrective—it won't fix existing vulnerabilities in your data governance.

What Pre-Deployment Security Steps Are Essential?

Comprehensive SaaS Application Discovery

Before connecting Glean to your systems, conduct a complete inventory of all SaaS applications in use. This includes both IT-sanctioned tools and shadow IT applications that employees may have adopted independently. The average organisation uses 130+ SaaS applications, making comprehensive discovery essential for security planning.

Focus on applications that contain sensitive data:

• Document storage: Google Drive, Dropbox, SharePoint, Box
• Communication platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams, email systems
• Development tools: GitHub, Jira, Confluence
• Customer systems: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk

Data Classification and Sensitivity Mapping

Implement data classification frameworks before Glean indexing begins. This involves:

• Identifying sensitive data types: Personal information, financial records, intellectual property, customer data, and regulatory-protected information across all connected systems.
• Establishing data handling policies: Clear guidelines for how different data classifications should be accessed, shared, and protected within AI-powered search results.
• Mapping data relationships: Understanding how information connects across applications to prevent sensitive data correlation through search queries.

Access Control Audit and Remediation

Review and clean up permissions across all systems that Glean will access:

• User access review: Identify dormant accounts, over-privileged users, and inappropriate access grants. Remove access for former employees and contractors who may still have system permissions.
• Group and role validation: Ensure security groups and roles accurately reflect current organisational structure and job responsibilities.
• External sharing audit: Review documents and folders shared with external parties, particularly in cloud storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox.

How Should Organisations Implement Multi-Factor Authentication?

The 2024 Snowflake incident provides a stark reminder of MFA's importance. Snowflake itself was not breached, but over 150+ of its customers were impacted due to vulnerable users who failed to enable multi-factor authentication (Top 5 SaaS Governance Best Practices, BetterCloud 2025). Before deploying Glean, ensure MFA is enforced across all connected systems.

• Universal MFA deployment: Implement MFA for all applications that Glean will access, prioritising systems containing sensitive data.
• Conditional access policies: Configure smart authentication that requires additional verification based on location, device, or behaviour patterns.
• Emergency access procedures: Establish secure bypass procedures for critical situations while maintaining security standards.

What Data Governance Framework Should Be Established?

Glean-Specific Governance Considerations

When establishing governance frameworks for Glean deployment, consider these platform-specific elements:

• Search result governance: Define policies for what types of information should be searchable and discoverable through AI-powered queries.
• Query monitoring: Establish guidelines for monitoring search patterns to identify potential data fishing attempts or inappropriate access.
• Content exclusion rules: Use Glean's customisable content exclusion capabilities to prevent indexing of highly sensitive or legally protected information.

Automated Compliance Monitoring

Implement automated tools that can track data lineage and monitor compliance across systems before and after Glean deployment. This includes understanding how data flows through AI systems and ensuring audit trails meet regulatory requirements.

How Can Organisations Prepare for Secure Glean Integration?

Pre-Deployment Security Checklist

System Integration Planning: Document all applications Glean will connect to and validate their security configurations.

Permission Testing: Use Glean's permission inheritance features to test that access controls work as expected across integrated systems.

Data Sensitivity Review: Identify and potentially exclude the most sensitive data from initial Glean indexing while governance frameworks mature.

Incident Response Preparation: Establish response procedures for AI-related security events, including inappropriate data discovery or access attempts.

Phased Deployment Strategy

Consider implementing Glean in phases:

Phase 1: Start with low-sensitivity systems and well-governed data sources to test security controls and user adoption.

Phase 2: Gradually expand to include more sensitive systems as governance frameworks prove effective.

Phase 3: Full deployment across all approved systems with comprehensive monitoring and governance in place.

What Ongoing Security Measures Are Required?

Continuous Monitoring and Maintenance

Regular permission audits: Quarterly reviews of access controls across all systems connected to Glean.

Search pattern analysis: Monitor for unusual query patterns that might indicate inappropriate data access attempts.

Data governance updates: Regular review and updates of data classification and handling policies as organisational needs evolve.

Security Metrics and KPIs

Track key indicators of security effectiveness:

• Permission accuracy rates across connected systems
• Time to detect and remediate access control violations
• Compliance audit success rates
• User adoption rates balanced with security incident frequency

What Does Success Look Like?

Successful Glean deployment achieves the balance between comprehensive data access and robust security. Organisations should expect to realise significant productivity gains - Glean users report saving 2-3 hours per week - while maintaining or improving their security posture through better data governance and access control.

The key is treating Glean deployment as a catalyst for broader SaaS security improvements. The platform's comprehensive data access requirements force organisations to address governance gaps they might otherwise overlook, ultimately creating a more secure and better-governed data environment.

The Bottom Line

Glean's enterprise security features provide a strong foundation, but the platform can only be as secure as the data ecosystem it operates within. By proactively securing SaaS applications and implementing robust data governance before deployment, CISOs can enable their organisations to safely harness AI-powered search capabilities while maintaining enterprise security standards.

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