Stealth applications, a fragment of Shadow IT, are SaaS platforms acquired without the security team’s awareness. Although these applications may be valid, they function in the obscured areas of the corporate security apparatus and unveil the organization to attackers.
Shadow apps might comprise software instances already in operation within the company. For instance, a development team could introduce its version of GitHub to segregate their tasks from other developers. Justifying this acquisition by specifying that GitHub is an endorsed application, as it is currently utilized by other teams. Nevertheless, since the new instance operates beyond the purview of the security team, it lacks oversight. It could harbor confidential corporate data without critical safeguards like enabled Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), enforced Single Sign-On (SSO), or susceptible access controls. These misconfigurations can effortlessly lead to perils such as pilfered source code and other complications.
Categories of Hidden Apps
Unseen applications can be sorted based on their engagement with the company’s systems. Two prevalent categories are Isolated Shadow Applications and Integrated Shadow Applications.
Independent Shadow Applications
Independent shadow applications are software that operates autonomously from the organization’s IT ecosystem. They function as a separate entity isolated from other corporate systems and frequently cater to distinct purposes like task coordination, file storage, or communication. Devoid of insight into their operation, corporate data might be mishandled, potentially resulting in the loss of sensitive information as data gets fragmented across multiple unauthorized platforms.
Incorporated Shadow Applications
Incorporated shadow applications pose greater hazards as they link or interact with the company’s authorized systems through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) or other integration points. These applications might automatically synchronize data with other programs, exchange data with approved applications, or extend access across various platforms. As a consequence of these integrations, malevolent actors could infiltrate the entire SaaS network, with shadow applications serving as an entry point to infiltrate the integrated systems.
Impact of Hidden Applications on SaaS Security
Data Security Vulnerabilities
One of the key perils of shadow applications is non-compliance with the organization’s security guidelines. Employees utilizing unsanctioned applications could store, share, or process sensitive data without adequate encryption or other protective measures. This absence of oversight and control might lead to data breaches, leaks, or unauthorized entry.
Regulatory and Compliance Risks
Several industries adhere to stringent regulatory frameworks (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA). When employees leverage shadow applications not vetted or sanctioned by the organization’s IT or compliance units, the organization may inadvertently breach these regulations. This violation could culminate in substantial fines, legal ramifications, and harm to the organization’s reputation.
Expanded Attack Surface
Hidden applications broaden the attack surface of the organization, creating additional vulnerabilities for cybercriminals to exploit. These applications might lack robust access controls, facilitating hackers in exploiting them and infiltrating corporate networks.
Lack of Oversight and Management
IT departments necessitate oversight of the applications used within the organization to adeptly govern and safeguard the organization’s data. With the deployment of hidden applications, IT teams might be unaware of potential threats, incapable of detecting unauthorized data transmissions, or oblivious to risks emanating from outdated or insecure applications.
Detection Techniques for Hidden Applications
Security Posture Management for SaaS (SSPM) tools are imperative for SaaS security. These tools not only supervise configurations, users, devices, and other SaaS elements but also play a crucial role in pinpointing all non-human identities, including shadow applications.
SSPM platforms identify any SaaS applications connecting to another app (SaaS-to-SaaS), allowing security teams to spot integrated shadow applications. They also oversee logins via Single Sign-Ons (SSOs). Whenever users log into a new application via Google, SSPMs document that access. Existing device agents linked to your SSPM serve as a third method to demystify new applications that have been introduced.
Furthermore, SSPMs embrace innovative techniques for uncovering shadow applications. A pioneering method involves integrating SSPM with prevalent email security systems. Upon the introduction of new SaaS applications, they usually generate a flurry of welcome emails encompassing confirmations, webinar invitations, and onboarding guidelines. Certain SSPM solutions directly retrieve all emails, accumulating extensive permissions, which can be intrusive. Conversely, cutting-edge SSPMs integrate seamlessly with existing email security systems, selectively extracting only essential data to pinpoint shadow applications accurately without overreaching.
Email security solutions routinely scan email traffic, searching for malicious URLs, phishing endeavors, malware attachments, and other email-based hazards. SSPMs capitalize on permissions already granted to an email security system to expose shadow applications without necessitating the conferral of sensitive permits to an additional external security tool.
Another method for uncovering hidden applications entails integrating the SSPM with a browser extension security tool. These utilities monitor user actions in real-time, flagging suspicious behavior.
Secured browsers and browser extensions document and issue alerts when employees engage with unfamiliar or questionable SaaS applications. This data is relayed to the SSPM platform, cross-referencing it against the organization’s endorsed SaaS roster. Upon detection of a shadow SaaS app, the SSPM triggers an alert, empowering the security team to either properly integrate and safeguard the shadow application or remove it.
As organizations increasingly adopt SaaS applications to enhance efficiency and collaboration, the prevalence of shadow applications represents a burgeoning apprehension. To mitigate these threats, security teams must proactively identify and administer shadow applications, harnessing the capabilities of their SSPM equipped with shadow application discovery functionalities.
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