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SHADOW Apps

Discover and control shadow apps

Sensitive data can flow into apps you don’t control. Find unmanaged third-party application and secure it before exposure.

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Challenge
Solution
Use Cases
Customer Stories
FAQ
Challenge

Shadow apps sit outside your security controls

Shadow apps amplify breach impact, increase regulatory risk, and drive up operational costs.

Incidents are harder to contain when unknown apps are involved
Audits become slow and difficult without accurate app inventories
Late discovery drives ongoing work and costs; manual searches don't scale
33%
Of breaches involve data sitting in shadow IT
3600
Average number of shadow apps for large enterprises
55%
Shadow apps access sensitive data
Solution

Bring shadow apps under control

Shadow App security starts with discovery. Uncover every app in use, control access and data flows, and reduce risk across the organization.

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Discover every app

Correlate browser, email, and IdP signals for complete app visibility.

Understand risk

Get context on users, activity, and risk factors to prioritize what matters.

Control access in real-time

Federate apps to your IdP or block browser access with one click.

Continuously govern your environment

Track new apps and usage changes automatically, without friction.
Use Cases

Identify, assess, and control unsanctioned third-party application before it puts data at risk

With the Obsidian browser extension, we’ve got a lot of insight of how users are interacting with things like generative AI third-party application solutions out there, potentially going after what documents may be being uploaded.”
Brad Jones, Chief Information security Officer, Snowflake

Related Resources

SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) Checklist 2026

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Shadow Apps Discovery: Email Scanning vs. In-Browser Monitoring

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Shadow AI Risks: How ChatGPT’s New Features Threaten Enterprise Data Security

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are Shadow Apps, and why are they a security risk?

Shadow Apps refer to unauthorized or unmanaged Third-Party Applications used within an organization, often without IT or security oversight. These applications can expose sensitive data, increase compliance risks, and lead to duplicate or unnecessary expenses. They often bypass identity provider (IdP) controls and create unmanaged app-to-app connections.

How quickly does a shadow app inventory grow?

Shadow App inventories are shown to grow by 25% every 60 days. This rapid expansion makes it difficult for organizations to maintain proper security controls and prevent data leakage or unnecessary spend.

How does Obsidian help discover Shadow Apps?

Obsidian integrates with identity providers (IdPs) to deliver a comprehensive inventory of all OAuth integrations and third-party applications in use. It monitors 3 vectors where these apps appear: browser activity, email headers, and third-party application integrations to identify both legitimate and high-risk or unused app-to-app connections.

What are OAuth integrations and why do they matter in third-party application security?

OAuth integrations allow applications to access data or services from other applications on a user's behalf. Unmonitored OAuth connections can grant excessive permissions, making them a common attack vector and a critical focus for security posture management.

Can Obsidian detect unfederated or unauthorized applications?

Yes, Obsidian identifies all applications, including sanctioned, federated, and unfederated apps that bypass your IdP. This enables organizations to detect and address apps that may have unauthorized access to corporate data, even if they avoid standard authentication pathways.

How does Obsidian help organizations manage app-to-app data movement?

Obsidian analyzes and correlates app-to-app interactions, identifying risky data flows and flagging OAuth-enabled apps with elevated permissions or long-lived tokens. This visibility helps organizations govern how data moves between apps, reducing the chances of data breaches and compliance violations.

What actions can organizations take with Obsidian's insights on shadow apps?

Organizations can receive targeted alerts on both active and inactive app integrations, allowing them to quickly deactivate unused or risky connections. This helps minimize the attack surface, control unnecessary expenses, and prioritize risk mitigation based on real-time usage and threat factors.

How does Obsidian impact third-party application security and cost management?

Obsidian helps dramatically reduce the number of unapproved, high-risk applications in use—one customer was able to turn off 91% of 1,964 discovered active apps, drastically minimizing both the attack surface and duplicate third-party application spend. This continuous monitoring supports both stronger security and more efficient third-party application cost management.