Shadow IT-busting cloud app from Microsoft

The Adallom-powered technology is aimed at helping businesses discover unauthorised usage of SaaS applications and cloud services.
Cloud computing’s ascent in recent years has provided CIOs and IT managers with yet another security headache to contend with: shadow IT. Microsoft’s new Cloud App Security, officially released today, helps take the mystery out of this vexing problem. Shadow IT generally refers to the unsanctioned use of public software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and cloud services by an organization’s users. Lacking visibility into these apps and control over their usage, enterprises are at risk of data leakage, intentional or otherwise. Last year, the Logicalis Global CIO survey revealed that 90 percent of CIOs worldwide have had their IT purchasing decisions bypassed by their line-of-business colleagues. A recent analysis by Cisco found that CIOs and IT managers vastly underestimate the amount of shadow IT consumed by their workforces. The average large enterprise uses more than 1,200 public cloud services, roughly 25 times more than the typical IT department’s conservative calculations. Microsoft’s own data, also released today, shows that 80 percent of employees in corporate settings use unapproved SaaS apps for work. In addition, each employee uses 17 cloud apps on average, posing a challenge for IT administrators in terms of data security, privacy and compliance.
Further, Microsoft found that 70 percent of enterprise organizations allow cloud administration tasks to be performed from noncorporate networks with lax security. Ninety-one percent of organizations also permit their users to access their cloud storage with personal accounts.

Seeking to improve visibility into cloud app usage in enterprise environments, Microsoft acquired Adallom last year. The cloud security startup’s software acts as a security broker that enables IT departments to place cloud access controls on users and keeps tabs on corporate data stored on third-party clouds. It works with popular cloud applications, including Box, Dropbox, Salesforce and Microsoft’s own Office 365. As promised back in February, Microsoft announced the general availability of its Adallom-powered Cloud App Security product today, priced at $5 per user per month. “The solution provides a set of capabilities to help companies design and enforce a process for securing cloud usage; from discovery and investigation capabilities, to granular control and protection,” wrote Microsoft’s Cloud App Security team in a Cyber Trust Blog post. “It is easy to deploy, setup and use and provides out-of-the-box value immediately, as well as rich tutorials for unlocking advanced capabilities.” Cloud App Security offers app discovery, helping IT administrators sniff out cloud application usage from all devices in a network. The feature is complemented by a set of risk assessment, scoring and analytics capabilities. Configurable data loss prevention (DLP) and data sharing policies and controls enable organizations to control the movement of sensitive corporate information on sanctioned apps. According to Microsoft’s research, each organization externally shares 13 percent of its files, on average. Of those files, 25 percent are shared publicly. The product also employs anomaly detection and behavioral analytics to provide threat protection for cloud apps, further reducing the risk of public cloud application usage in the enterprise.

About Security Buyer

Security Buyer is the leading authority in global security content, delivering expert news, in-depth articles, exclusive interviews, and industry insights across print, digital, and event platforms. Published 10 times a year, the magazine is a trusted resource for professionals seeking updates and analysis on the latest developments in the security sector.

To submit an article, or for sponsorship opportunities, please contact our team below.

Rebecca Spayne picture 2025

Rebecca Spayne

Managing
EDITOR

Georgina Turner image

Georgina Turner

Sales
Manager

Afua Akoto image - Security Buyer

Afua Akoto

Marketing Manager

Read the Latest Issue

Follow us on X

Follow us on X

Click Here

Follow us on LinkedIn

Follow us on LinkedIn

Click Here

Advertise here

Reach decision makers and amplify your marketing

Advertise here

Click Here

Related News

Dallmeier - securitybuyer.com

Dallmeier presents the MK4 revision of the DMS 2400

With the new MK4 revision of the DMS 2400, Dallmeier introduces an even more powerful version of its proven video appliance.
security Institute - securitybuyer.com

Security Institute Announces New Directors

The Security Institute held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 8th of July at the Millennium Hotel & Conference Centre…
ASSA ABLOY - securitybuyer.com

BG100 Speedgate Recognised with Red Dot Award

Combining an Aesthetically Appealing Design, Function and Innovation, the BG100 Speedgate Sets New Benchmark for …
Product Spotlight - Videx - securitybuyer.com

Product Spotlight – Era Series

VIDEX presents its new series of outdoor compact video door entry systems, Era Series, and showcases their durability, configuration…
Security Institute - SecurityBuyer.com

The Security Institute Hosts Second Young People’s Skill Building

The Security Institute was honoured to host its second annual Young People’s Skill Building Event on Monday 23rd June, held …
Hanwha Vision - Security Buyer

Hanwha Vision unveils powerful AI remote-head camera

Hanwha Vision, the global vision solution provider, launches the AI remote-head camera, featuring a single-body…
Christina Alexander Judge - SecurityBuyer

Christina Alexander Announced as Security Buyer Awards Judge

Security Buyer is proud to announce Christina Alexander as the latest addition to the distinguished judging panel for the Security…
Milestone - SecurityBuyer

Milestone Systems updates across XProtect, BriefCam, Arcules

Milestone Systems today announced updates across its complete security technology portfolio with releases for XProtect
Big Interview Abdullah Tanoli

Big Interview – Hero of Leicester Square

Rebecca Spayne of Security Buyer has the privilege of speaking with a real-life hero, Abdullah Tanoli, the hero of Leicester Square..
SentinelOne & AWS - Security Buyer

SentinelOne Teams with AWS to bring Cloud Security Protection

SentinelOne announced that it is a launch partner for the new AWS Security Hub. The new collaboration builds on a long standing..
Scroll to Top