What is SaaS Sprawl?

SaaS sprawl refers to the uncontrolled and unmonitored proliferation of Software as a Service (SaaS) applications within an organization. SaaS sprawl occurs when employees independently adopt and use various SaaS tools without centralized oversight or governance. SaaS sprawl introduces many organizational hazards, including:

Unmanaged Applications: Employees can easily sign up for and use SaaS applications without going through IT approval processes, leading to a multitude of untracked and unapproved software being used within the organization.

Increased Security Risks: With many SaaS applications in use, each with its own set of credentials and access points, the attack surface for cyber threats expands. This increases the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.

Compliance Challenges: Uncontrolled use of SaaS applications can lead to difficulties in maintaining regulatory compliance, as sensitive data may be stored in applications that do not meet the necessary compliance standards.

Data Silos: Different SaaS applications may store data independently, leading to fragmented and siloed information that can be difficult to integrate and analyze across the organization.

Cost Management: The cumulative cost of multiple SaaS subscriptions can become significant, especially when there is overlap in functionality between different tools. Unmanaged SaaS usage can lead to inefficiencies and unnecessary expenses.

Productivity and Collaboration Issues: While SaaS applications can boost productivity, the lack of standardization and integration between various tools can hinder effective collaboration and workflow management.

Difficulty Managing SaaS: IT departments may struggle to keep track of all the SaaS applications in use, making it challenging to manage software licenses, ensure data security, and provide user support.

To address SaaS sprawl, organizations often implement SaaS identity risk management (SIRM) platforms or adopt policies and practices to better govern the use of SaaS applications. This includes creating approval processes, consolidating tools with overlapping functionalities, and regularly auditing the SaaS applications in use to ensure they align with organizational standards and security protocols.

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Related Blog Posts

How to Address and Manage the SaaS Sprawl

Why Security Leaders are Concerned About the SaaS Sprawl and How to Get a Grip on It

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