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The Shadow AI Threat: Unveiling the Hidden Risks of SaaS Security


Reco, a pioneering SaaS security solution, is now tackling the rising threat of Shadow AI in cloud applications. Discover how this innovative tool uses AI-based graph technology to uncover unauthorized use of AI tools and improve overall SaaS security.

  • The rise of Software as a Service (SaaS) has introduced new security challenges, including the threat of Shadow AI.
  • Shadow AI refers to the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence tools and copilots in organizations.
  • The lack of centralization and oversight can lead to breaches, making it imperative for organizations to adopt proactive measures to safeguard their cloud-based applications.
  • Reco, a SaaS security solution, uses AI-based graph technology to detect and mitigate Shadow AI threats.
  • Reco provides insights into SaaS applications, AI usage, and vendor risk scores to help security teams prioritize risks.
  • The solution offers real-time threat detection, posturing management, and Identities and Access Governance for enhanced security.


  • The world of Software as a Service (SaaS) has experienced tremendous growth and adoption over the years, driven by its flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. However, this shift to cloud-based applications has also introduced new security challenges that were previously unseen. Among these concerns is the growing threat of Shadow AI, which refers to the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and copilots at organizations. This article delves into the world of Shadow AI, its risks, detection methods, and a solution to mitigate this threat.

    The rise of SaaS has enabled businesses to access a wide range of applications and services from anywhere in the world, using various devices and platforms. As more organizations move towards cloud-based solutions, the attack surface for cybersecurity threats also expands. The proliferation of AI-powered tools and copilots, often without IT or security teams' knowledge, presents a significant challenge in terms of SaaS security.

    One of the primary concerns surrounding Shadow AI is its potential to expose sensitive information to unauthorized users or spread misinformation through GenAI models. According to one study, as many as 15% of employees post company data in AI tools. This lack of centralization and oversight can lead to a breach, making it imperative for organizations to adopt proactive measures to safeguard their cloud-based applications.

    Reco, a SaaS security solution, uses AI-based graph technology to discover and catalog Shadow AI. The Reco's approach is multi-faceted: first, by integrating with the organization's Active Directory, such as Microsoft Azure AD or Okta, it gathers a list of approved and known applications and AI tools. Second, it analyzes email metadata from platforms like Gmail and Outlook to detect communications with unauthorized tools. This step filters out internal apps and marketing emails and focuses on usage indicators like account confirmations and download requests.

    Using a proprietary fine-tuned model based on interactions and NLP, Reco consolidates the list, matching identities with corresponding apps and AI tools. Then, it creates a comprehensive list of all SaaS applications and AI tools being used, who is using them, and what authentication mechanisms are being used. This shadow application detection reveals unauthorized applications and Shadow AI tools.

    Reco provides insights such as which SaaS apps are currently in use across the organization, which utilize AI assistants and copilots, and inventories all applications running in the environment associated with business email. It also offers a Vendor Risk Score to help security teams prioritize riskier apps. Additionally, it reveals app-to-app connections, showing how integrations may interact between applications to effectively manage risks. Reco unifies identities across SaaS applications, enabling centralized management of permissions and roles.

    Furthermore, Reco continuously secures the full SaaS lifecycle through posture management and compliance. It identifies misconfigurations that could put data at risk, such as over-permissioned users, publicly exposed files, stale accounts, and weak authentication mechanisms. Its 'How to Fix' feature provides instructions on how to clean up risks. The solution delivers posturing management and Identities and Access Governance for enhanced security.

    Lastly, Reco offers real-time threat detection and response capabilities. It delivers alerts for unusual activities that may indicate malicious intent, integrating with SIEM or SOAR so organizations can remediate SaaS risks efficiently within existing workflows. With its cutting-edge AI-based graph technology, Reco is equipped to address the rapidly evolving landscape of Shadow AI threats.



    Related Information:

  • https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/product-review-how-reco-discovers.html


  • Published: Thu Jan 9 13:29:21 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M













         


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