Shadow Apps vs. Sanctioned Apps: What Your Endpoint Data Is Telling You
What Are Shadow Apps and Why Do They Matter?
Shadow apps are any software installed or used outside of IT’s control or approval process.
They bypass visibility, compliance, and sometimes even data governance policies, creating exposure points across your IT, OT, IoT, and IIoT landscape.
According to Gartner, by 2027, 75% of security incidents will be attributed to shadow IT and misconfigurations.
In today’s hybrid work landscape, visibility is everything—but most IT teams are seeing only part of the picture. What’s missing? The unauthorized, unsanctioned, and often risky apps silently operating in your environment: Shadow Apps. These aren’t malicious by design.
They’re often tools that employees install out of convenience—file converters, messaging apps, task managers. But their lack of vetting makes them a major risk to security, compliance, and IT hygiene.
How OpenIY Detects Shadow Activity
- At OpenIY, our Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution tracks app usage across devices in real time. Here’s how we help:
- Application Discovery: See every app—approved or otherwise—across devices.
- Usage Patterns: Know who’s using what, how often, and from where.
- Policy Enforcement: Create allow/block lists with automated triggers.
- Risk Scoring: Flag apps based on access privileges, update frequency, and known vulnerabilities.
Sanctioned ≠ Secure Without Visibility
Even sanctioned apps can pose a risk without continuous monitoring. Is your CRM using an outdated plugin? Is your video conferencing tool logging sensitive info? Analytics bring context, not just detection.
The Outcome: Better Security, Better ROI
With app analytics:
- You avoid license bloat by deprecating unused apps.
- You prevent data leakage by eliminating rogue tools.
- You ensure employees stay within compliance boundaries.
If you’re not measuring it, you’re not managing it. App and content analytics help you reclaim control, reduce risk, and create an efficient, transparent digital workplace.
Want to see what’s hiding in your stack? Request a demo to help uncover the shadow apps in your ecosystem