What it is
Unapproved applications are software components, such as desktop apps, cloud services, internal tools, or scripts, that have not been formally reviewed for security, compliance, or business fit. These often arise through shadow IT, rapid experimentation, or legacy systems that were never properly onboarded.
Why it matters
Unapproved applications can process sensitive data without safeguards, rely on outdated libraries, or expose services to the internet unintentionally. Because they are outside official oversight, incidents involving these applications are harder to detect, investigate, and remediate, increasing both security and compliance risk.
How to reduce risk
- Implement application discovery and asset inventory processes.
- Require security review for new software and services.
- Decommission unused or legacy applications regularly.
- Align application usage with compliance and data protection policies.