> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.docontrol.io/docontrol-user-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.docontrol.io/docontrol-user-guide/saas-data-monitoring/shadow-apps.md).

# Shadow Apps

Shadow apps include interconnected internal, first-party and third-party applications. DoControl’s Shadow App module performs discovery, control, and automated remediation for shadow app risks.

The proliferation of software as a service (SaaS) applications facilitate business productivity and efficiency. However, application-to-application connectivity increases the threat vector by introducing machine identities that are often over-privileged, unsanctioned, and not within your Security team’s radar.

DoControl provides full visibility into these shadow apps installed across your organization:

* [Google shadow apps](/docontrol-user-guide/saas-data-monitoring/shadow-apps/google-shadow-apps.md)
* [GitHub shadow apps](/docontrol-user-guide/saas-data-monitoring/shadow-apps/github-shadow-apps.md)
* [Microsoft Entra ID shadow apps](/docontrol-user-guide/saas-data-monitoring/shadow-apps/microsoft-entra-id-shadow-apps.md)

## Industry challenge

When machine identities become compromised, they can provide unauthorized access to sensitive data from the connected application. These shadow apps, or “non-human” identities, can gain permission to read, write, and delete sensitive data – all of which can negatively impact an organization's security, business, and compliance rating.

‍Supply-chain based attacks involving machine identities and their associated credentials have become a common occurrence. Modern businesses need to prevent the compromise of risky interconnected applications - such as, unsanctioned, abandoned, vulnerable, malicious, and over- privileged apps - in order to protect business-critical apps and data within the SaaS estate. To remediate the risk of supply chain-based attacks, organizations need to establish full visibility, including an inventory of all sanctioned and unsanctioned SaaS applications, and enforce strong governance controls to automatically close compliance gaps.

## Key benefits

The DoControl Shadow Apps module allows your organization to:

* Gain end-to-end visibility through a comprehensive inventory of multiple SaaS applications and environments.
* Assess organizational posture through risk scoring and classification assignment across all business critical applications.
* Establish pre-approval processes and workflows to onboard new applications through end-user engagement.
* Reduce the attack surface through automated suspension or removal of potentially malicious applications.
* Alert on rogue, high-risk or vulnerable (i.e. excessive permissions or privileges) applications through smart analytics.

{% hint style="info" %}
For frequently asked questions, see [Shadow app FAQs](https://docs.docontrol.io/faqs/shadow-apps).
{% endhint %}


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