Shadow IT discovery for security and IT teams

Find and secure every shadow IT app, account, and integration in your organization.

Find every AI app, account, and data integration
Review vendor security profiles for every AI tool
Monitor for risky activities like file uploads
Monitor for risky activities like file uploads
Monitor for risky activities like file uploads
Trusted by modern teams. Built for what's next.
What you'll get on Day One

A single read-only integration to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace delivers your initial analysis—typically in under an hour.

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Grid of SaaS and AI app tiles representing complete inventory

Complete SaaS & AI inventory

Discover all SaaS apps, AI tools, users, and authentication methods—including shadow apps that network and endpoint controls typically miss, and apps added in the past.

OAuth integration risk scoring panel with high, medium, and low meters

OAuth and integration risks

See every OAuth grant and app-to-app integration across your SaaS estate, complete with risk scoring, scopes, context, and one-click revocation workflows.

Security posture finding card with severity badges and remediation guidance

Security posture findings with remediation guidance

Surface identity, access, and configuration risks across Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace—with clear steps to fix each issue.

Attack surface mapping illustration showing identity, tech context, and risk tables

SaaS attack surface mapping

See what attackers can see, including cloud infrastructure, repositories, domains, and supply chain dependencies.

SaaS spend insights illustration with cost-per-app card and historical spend

SaaS spend insights

Reveal unapproved paid apps, duplicate tooling, and up to two years of historical spend to support cost optimization decisions.

We’re helping our customers to modernize AI governance and security.

other platforms
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Employees are frustrated by archaic IT policies that block AI altogether. They find workarounds, leaving your data at risk.

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Spreadsheets are used to track compliance scope, access reviews, SSO enrollment, and more.

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AI policies are difficult to build up and maintain at pace that keeps up with AI, if they're even drafted at all. Third-party vendor risk assessments are conducted infrequently with stale vendor data.

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Employees grant privileged access to AI tools and agents without any oversight.

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SaaS and AI assets are discovered and categorized as soon as they are created, anywhere, any device.

Risks and misconfigurations are continually surfaced, prioritized, and assigned to the right people for fast resolution.

SaaS and AI vendor risk, supply chain, and breach data is gathered continuously and independently.

Empower your workforce to use new SaaS and GenAI technologies without losing oversight or adding overhead.

Employee offboarding is streamlined and secure, with automated workflows to transition accounts and owned resources.

How Nudge Security works

A complete shadow IT inventory—delivered in minutes, maintained automatically.

01

Discover all shadow IT on Day One.

Nudge connects via read-only API to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace email.
Analyze email metadata to find every SaaS account ever created—including before Nudge was deployed.
Finds apps on any device, on or off network.
Nudge Security SaaS asset discovery
Nudge Security SaaS asset discovery

02

Understand context, not just app names.

See who adopted each app, when, and whether it’s still active.
Surface OAuth grants and review scopes/risk scores.
AI data privacy and model training policies

03

Govern without blocking productivity.

Automated nudges guide employees toward approved tools.
83% comply with nudges vs 32% with firewalls.
Real-time alerts for new accounts. Automated playbooks for reviews and offboarding.
Nudge Security SaaS asset discovery

See Nudge Security in action.

From zero visibility to a full shadow IT inventory in hours, not days.

Security teams who finally got control of shadow IT

Why modern security teams ❤️ Nudge Security

"Nudge Security has been a big win for our security program at Reddit. Within hours of deployment, we gained complete visibility into our SaaS footprint across the organization. It's rare to find a solution that's both incredibly powerful and remarkably easy to use."
Fredrick Lee
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CISO
Reddit
“Nudge is now being used by Security, Workforce Productivity, and Finance as the record of what apps employees are using.”
Director of Workforce Productivity
Netflix
"Shoutout to Nudge Security! Shadow IT used to be one of our biggest blind spots — until we brought in Nudge Security. In less than a day, we had full visibility into every SaaS tool in use, along with smart nudges that actually helped our team close gaps faster. The platform’s simplicity and automation have turned SaaS governance from reactive to proactive."
Dan Kummer
‍
Director, Information Security & IT
Scaled Agile
All-in-one platform pricing
$5 per month
per active user account for teams with 150 - 2500 accounts
<150 active user accounts: $750 flat monthly fee
>2500 active user accounts: Contact us for ELA pricing
Start a free trial
Every org deserves great security.
That’s why all customers get:
Continuous SaaS and AI discovery
Identity governance
Vendor risk insights & breach alerts
SaaS sprawl / cost optimization
SaaS security posture management

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Nudge Security's shadow IT solution

How quickly can I see results with Nudge Security?

Nudge Security is designed for rapid deployment and fast time-to-value. Within minutes of activation, your SaaS inventory begins to populate automatically. Historical billing and usage data can be ingested immediately, giving insights into adoption patterns, unapproved tools, and spend anomalies even before a full discovery cycle completes. Many organizations identify potential savings or risky applications within days of deployment.

Does Nudge Security block access to unauthorized applications?

No. Nudge Security does not prevent employees from using shadow IT. Instead, it provides visibility and actionable insights so organizations can guide employees toward approved tools, educate them on security risks, and enforce governance policies. This approach balances security and productivity, allowing teams to make informed decisions without interrupting workflows.

What alternatives to Nudge Security should I consider for AI governance?

Nudge Security is often compared to tools that fall into a few specific categories. The comparison pages listed below will help you understand important differences to consider:

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Nudge Security vs. AI Security Solutions

Nudge Security vs. SaaS Management Platforms (SMP)

Nudge Security vs. Traditional SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) Solutions

Nudge Security vs. Browser-based SaaS security solutions

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What is shadow IT?

Shadow IT refers to the use of technology systems, devices, software, applications, or services without the explicit knowledge or approval of an organization’s IT department. This often happens when employees adopt third-party tools—especially cloud-based or SaaS applications—to improve productivity, bypassing formal approval processes. While shadow IT can accelerate workflows, it introduces risks because these tools may not comply with security policies, data governance standards, or licensing agreements.

What types of Shadow IT does Nudge Security detect?

Nudge Security identifies multiple forms of shadow IT, including:

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• SaaS and cloud applications adopted outside of IT oversight

• User accounts and identities created without approval

• Third-party integrations and services that may pose security or compliance risks

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This visibility helps organizations regain control over their technology environment, reduce risk, and consolidate or retire unnecessary tools.

How do I get started with Nudge Security?

Getting started is straightforward. Organizations can sign up for a trial to begin discovering all SaaS apps in use across the environment. Deployment is fast, requiring minimal configuration, and Nudge begins producing insights immediately. From there, teams can automate governance workflows, remediate risky applications, and integrate shadow IT oversight into existing IT and security processes. This allows organizations to secure their technology landscape without disrupting ongoing productivity.

Why is shadow IT a concern for organizations?

While shadow IT can support innovation and productivity, it introduces significant risks. Unapproved applications may expose sensitive data, create regulatory compliance gaps, or increase the likelihood of data breaches. Shadow IT also leads to duplication of tools, inconsistent workflows, and unmonitored spending. Organizations without visibility into shadow IT often struggle to enforce security policies, manage budgets, and maintain operational consistency across departments.

How does Nudge Security handle data privacy?

Nudge Security is built with privacy and security at its core. It typically requires read-only access to accounts, analyzes data in memory, and only stores metadata necessary for reporting and governance. Sensitive content, such as emails or documents, is not retained, and every action is auditable. This ensures organizations can gain visibility into shadow IT while maintaining compliance with internal privacy policies and external regulations. To learn more about how we limit and safeguard our access to your email account, visit our Trust & Security page.

Can Nudge Security assist with compliance requirements?

Yes. By providing visibility into all SaaS applications in use, Nudge Security helps organizations assess compliance with internal security policies and regulatory standards. Teams can prioritize review of high-risk applications, ensure proper provisioning and deprovisioning of accounts, and maintain a documented inventory of all cloud tools. This makes it easier to demonstrate compliance during audits and reduces exposure to regulatory penalties.

How does Nudge Security help identify shadow IT?

Nudge Security provides a unified, comprehensive inventory of all SaaS and cloud applications in use across an organization. It detects apps, accounts, and integrations introduced outside IT oversight, including both approved and unapproved tools. By combining billing, identity, and usage data, Nudge surfaces hidden or unauthorized applications, enabling teams to understand where shadow IT exists and how it impacts both security and spend.

How does Nudge Security help identify shadow IT?

Nudge Security provides a unified, comprehensive inventory of all SaaS and cloud applications in use across an organization. It detects apps, accounts, and integrations introduced outside IT oversight, including both approved and unapproved tools. By combining billing, identity, and usage data, Nudge surfaces hidden or unauthorized applications, enabling teams to understand where shadow IT exists and how it impacts both security and spend.

What makes Nudge Security different from traditional security tools?

Unlike traditional network or endpoint security tools, Nudge Security takes a SaaS-first approach. It focuses on discovering and managing cloud applications and AI tools, including those adopted outside IT’s control. This provides a comprehensive view of both sanctioned and unsanctioned applications, enabling organizations to manage risk, enforce governance, and optimize spend across the entire SaaS landscape—something network-centric tools alone cannot achieve.

Ready to find and secure shadow IT? Let’s get started.
  1. Connect your workspace — read-only API, about 5 minutes. No credit card required.
  2. Your inventory populates — every SaaS account discovered and categorised in <24 hours.
  3. Start governing — review apps, set up nudges, bring shadow IT under control.
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