Top 10 Use Cases for Salesforce Shield’s Event Monitoring

Every interaction in Salesforce – every click, login, and data update – holds the potential to either drive your business forward or expose it to significant risk. With data breaches, compliance lapses, and insider threats at every turn, the urgency to secure your Salesforce environment has reached an all-time high.

For Security and Ops leaders, the challenges that come with securing your Salesforce Org are glaring:

• How do you gain real-time visibility into high-risk activity without drowning in noise?
• How do you shift from reacting to risks after they occur to proactively mitigating them?
• And how do you balance security and operational priorities in one shared CRM system without constant friction?

These are not small problems, and while Salesforce Shield’s Event Monitoring offers a powerful solution, its high costs and complexity can make it feel out of reach. But here’s the truth— the potential cost of inaction can lead to much bigger problems– data loss, compliance fines, operational breakdowns to name a few.

This blog is your guide to bridging that gap. We’ll explore 10 impactful use cases that show how Event Monitoring can protect your Salesforce environment, streamline operations, and align with your business’s unique challenges. 

If even one of these use cases speaks to your pain points, it might be time to rethink the value of Salesforce Shield. 

10 Use Cases for Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring

Mitigating Salesforce risks begins with one fundamental requirement: visibility. Without clear insight into your Salesforce environment, threats can escalate, compliance gaps can widen, and sensitive data may be inadvertently exposed.

This is where Event Monitoring proves to be invaluable. Acting as a comprehensive lens into your Salesforce ecosystem, it provides the critical transparency needed to preempt risks, maintain compliance, and protect your most sensitive information.

For Security and Operations leaders, Event Monitoring serves as a transformative tool, directly addressing the challenges that pose the greatest risk to business continuity and data security. To illustrate its impact, here are 10 practical use cases that highlight why implementing Event Monitoring is an essential investment for your organization.

1. Detecting Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Data

Unauthorized attempts to access sensitive data are a critical security risk. Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring provides detailed logs of login activity and access patterns, offering the context necessary to identify potential breaches or insider threats before they escalate.

• Scenario: Imagine an unauthorized user attempting to access customer records or critical business data. Event Monitoring acts as a 24/7 surveillance system for your Salesforce environment, offering real-time visibility into such activities.

• Capabilities: Event Monitoring logs provide granular insights, capturing failed login attempts, unusual access patterns, and detailed user interactions. This includes data on who accessed Salesforce, when and where the access occurred, and the specific actions taken. This depth of information ensures that security teams have the necessary context to pinpoint and investigate suspicious activity.

• Why It Matters: Whether it’s a login from an unexpected location or an insider attempting to view restricted data, Event Monitoring helps detect unauthorized access and mitigate insider threats promptly
  

2. Monitoring Data Exports to Prevent Data Loss

Controlling access to your Salesforce data is only half the battle—monitoring how that data is being exported is equally critical. Unauthorized or unexpected data exports can present significant security risks, including potential data exfiltration.

• Scenario: Imagine a large-scale data export initiated by a compromised account or an insider with malicious intent. These events can signal a serious security breach, putting your organization’s sensitive data at risk.

• Capabilities: Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring tracks key activities like report exports and API calls that involve large data transfers. By providing a comprehensive view of what data is being exported and how, it equips your team to quickly identify potential issues.

• Why It Matters: Proactively monitoring data exports ensures sensitive information isn’t leaving your system unnoticed. This is not only critical for data protection but also for maintaining governance and compliance standards, ensuring your organization meets regulatory requirements.
  

 3. Tracking Login Activity to Detect Suspicious Behavior

Monitoring login activity is one of the most effective ways to identify potential security threats early. Unusual behavior, such as logins from unfamiliar locations or devices, often indicates compromised credentials or insider threats.

• Scenario: Imagine a login from a country where your organization doesn’t conduct business, or an account suddenly becomes active during off-hours. These anomalies can serve as early warning signs, allowing your team to intervene before a small issue escalates into a significant security breach.

• Capabilities: Event Monitoring captures detailed login data, including geographic locations, IP addresses, and devices used. This creates a digital trail that enables your team to quickly detect irregularities, such as logins from unknown regions or devices that don’t match normal usage patterns.

• Why It Matters: Compromised credentials often result in unusual login behavior, making it essential to identify these patterns promptly. Detecting suspicious activity early allows you to take immediate action, such as locking accounts or resetting passwords, thereby preventing unauthorized access and mitigating risks.
  

4. Detecting API Issues and Anomalies 

APIs are the backbone of Salesforce integrations, seamlessly connecting your CRM to the rest of your tech stack. However, excessive or unusual API activity can signal potential risks such as misuse, misconfigurations, or even data breaches. Proactively monitoring API behavior ensures your system remains secure and efficient.

• Scenario: Imagine an API suddenly making an unusually high number of calls or running at odd hours. These anomalies could indicate a misconfigured app or even a malicious integration attempting to access sensitive data. Identifying such patterns early is crucial for safeguarding your environment.

• Capabilities: Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring provides deep visibility into API activity, allowing you to track usage patterns and detect unusual spikes or unexpected access attempts. With this level of insight, your team can quickly pinpoint and address problematic behavior before it disrupts your operations.
• Why It Matters: Misbehaving APIs or unauthorized integrations can lead to data breaches and system downtime. By spotting anomalies early, you can prevent these issues from escalating, ensuring the stability and security of your Salesforce environment.
  

5. Auditing Record Access and Field-Level Changes 

Monitoring access to sensitive records and tracking changes to critical fields are essential for maintaining control over your Salesforce environment. Unexpected modifications or unauthorized access can indicate deeper issues, such as insider threats or system misconfigurations, and must be addressed swiftly.

• Scenario: Imagine a sensitive customer record being modified without clear justification or a critical data field being accessed by an unauthorized user. These actions could compromise data integrity and potentially expose your organization to compliance risks or insider threats.

• Capabilities: Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring enables detailed auditing of record access and field-level changes, providing visibility into who accessed or updated specific data and when. This level of granularity ensures that no unusual activity goes unnoticed, empowering your team to maintain data integrity and enforce compliance.

• Why It Matters: Monitoring access and changes to critical data helps prevent unauthorized modifications and safeguards against insider threats. By staying vigilant, you ensure your Salesforce environment remains secure and trustworthy, with all actions aligned to governance standards.
  

6. Tracking Changes to Permission Sets

Monitoring changes to permission sets is essential for maintaining control over data access in Salesforce. Unauthorized or accidental adjustments to user permissions can lead to data exposure, privilege misuse, or security gaps. Proactively tracking these changes ensures that every user has the appropriate level of access—no more, no less.

• Scenario: Imagine a user gaining elevated access to sensitive data due to an unauthorized or mistaken modification to their permission set. This could result in unintended data exposure or even privilege abuse, putting your organization at risk.

• Capabilities: Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring acts as a vigilant watchdog, tracking every change to permission sets and profiles. It provides comprehensive details on who made the change, what was altered, and when it occurred. This insight enables your team to detect and address any discrepancies before they escalate.
• Why It Matters: Maintaining a least-privilege access model is critical for minimizing security risks and reducing the likelihood of accidental or malicious data exposure. By ensuring users only have access to what they truly need, you not only enhance security but also support compliance with industry standards and regulations.

7. Preventing Data Loss Through Change Tracking

Staying on top of changes in your Salesforce setup is crucial for preventing data loss and minimizing disruptions. Modifications to workflows, automations, or integrations can unintentionally introduce vulnerabilities or cause system issues if not properly tracked and managed.

• Scenario: Imagine an automation being altered or a new integration added without proper oversight. These changes could disrupt critical business processes or expose your system to security risks. Proactively monitoring such updates is essential to maintaining a stable and secure environment.

• Capabilities: Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring provides detailed logs that capture every modification to workflows, automations, and integrations. These logs offer a clear record of what was changed, who made the change, and when it occurred, ensuring full visibility and control over your system.

• Why It Matters: Monitoring changes helps you catch potential issues early, avoiding downtime or process disruptions. It also enables you to maintain system integrity by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities introduced by unauthorized or unintended updates.
  

8. Ensuring Compliance and Strengthening Data Security 

Maintaining compliance with industry regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS is essential—not only to avoid penalties but also to build trust with customers and stakeholders. Demonstrating that your Salesforce environment aligns with these standards shows your commitment to protecting sensitive data and minimizing organizational risk.

Scenario: Regulatory requirements can seem complex and overwhelming, but having clear, audit-ready event logs simplifies the process. These reports provide a detailed account of how your Salesforce environment meets compliance standards, reducing the stress and time involved in audits.

• Capabilities: Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring serves as a comprehensive record-keeping tool, capturing critical data such as who accessed specific records, when, and how. These event logs provide the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance with data governance requirements, whether for internal reviews or external audits.
• Why It Matters: Compliance isn’t just about avoiding fines—it’s about showing that your organization values data security and accountability. By confidently demonstrating adherence to regulations, you reduce liability and strengthen trust with customers and stakeholders.
  

Protecting Against Insider Threats 

Insider threats, whether due to intentional misuse or accidental mistakes, can pose significant risks to your Salesforce data. These threats are often subtle and difficult to detect, making early identification and intervention crucial for safeguarding your organization.

• Scenario: Imagine an employee downloading sensitive customer data without authorization or an admin making risky changes that compromise system integrity. These actions may not immediately raise alarms but could lead to serious data breaches or operational disruptions.

• Capabilities: Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring provides the visibility needed to detect unusual user behavior, such as excessive record views, unexpected data downloads, or logins during unusual hours. These red flags help your team quickly identify and investigate potential insider threats.

• Why It Matters: Insider threats can be incredibly challenging to detect without the right tools, often going unnoticed until significant damage has been done. By monitoring user activity and gaining clear insights, you can mitigate these risks proactively, ensuring your data remains secure.
  

9. Enhancing Incident Response 

In the event of a security incident, swift and informed action is critical. Every second spent searching for answers can delay recovery and increase the impact. Event logs provide the detailed insights your team needs to respond effectively, minimizing downtime and preventing further damage.

• Scenario: Whether it’s unauthorized access or a misconfiguration, pinpointing the root cause of an incident quickly is essential. Event logs act as your incident response plan, offering a clear trail of what went wrong, who was involved, and how it unfolded.
• Capabilities: Event logs answer key questions: Who accessed sensitive data? What changes were made? When and where did the activity occur? This comprehensive visibility helps your team isolate the issue, contain the damage, and take corrective action with confidence.
• Why It Matters: In a crisis, time is of the essence. Fast access to event logs eliminates the guesswork, enabling quicker investigations and faster resolutions. By reducing response times, your team can minimize the incident’s impact and restore normal operations promptly.

Maximizing Your Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring Investment 

While Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring provides a wealth of valuable data, making sense of those logs can often lead to a reactive approach to security.

This is where Sonar shines. By complementing Event Monitoring, Sonar empowers Ops and Security teams to shift from reactive to proactive security. It transforms raw event logs into actionable insights, helping organizations take swift and informed steps to protect their data. Sonar provides a holistic view of your Salesforce environment, offering continuous visibility into access patterns, configuration changes, and potential vulnerabilities—all in one intuitive platform.

With Sonar, Security and Ops teams can confidently:

• Monitor and manage risks in real time.
• Quickly address misconfigurations and anomalies.
• Enforce a least-privilege access model.
• Stay audit-ready with detailed, visual reports.

Conclusion: Maximizing the Power of Salesforce Event Monitoring

Securing your Salesforce environment requires more than just visibility—it demands actionable insights and a proactive approach. From tracking login activity and monitoring data exports to auditing record changes and responding to incidents, Sonar transforms the wealth of data provided by Salesforce Shield Event Monitoring into a clear roadmap for protecting your organization.

By bridging the gap between Security and Operations, Sonar empowers your team to not only detect potential risks but also take swift, informed action to safeguard sensitive data and maintain compliance. It provides a holistic, always-on view of your Salesforce environment, ensuring you’re maximizing your investment while staying one step ahead of evolving threats.

Ready to see how Sonar can enhance your Salesforce security strategy? Learn more about Sonar today and discover how it can help your organization achieve simplified security and uncompromised data integrity.