Your Users Are Using Apps You Haven't Approved.
Do You Know Which Ones?
Shadow IT in Google Workspace is not just a rogue Dropbox account. It is AI tools processing company data, OAuth apps with persistent access to Gmail and Drive, Chrome extensions pulling file content, and SaaS tools your teams signed up for with their work email. None of it vetted, none of it visible in the Admin console.
GAT Labs gives you the visibility to find it and the tools to act on it.
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What Is Shadow IT in Google Workspace?
In practice, this includes:
- OAuth apps connected via “Sign in with Google”
- Chrome extensions with access to Gmail and Drive
- AI tools processing company data
- Browser-based SaaS tools outside IT visibility
This creates a layer of activity that exists outside your Admin console and outside your control.
Google's native tools don't show you
what's running in the shadows.
The Admin Console shows you what users do inside Google’s own apps. It does not show you the hidden edge:
OAuth Blind Spots:
- Which third-party apps have Full Drive Access and what permissions they actually hold.
The Browser Gap:
What files users are downloading and uploading to unapproved services via Chrome.
Shadow AI:
Which AI tools are your team pasting company source code or customer data into right now.
Extension Sprawl:
Which browser extensions are installed across your fleet, and what data they can see.
Every one of those gaps is a potential data breach, compliance violation, or policy failure waiting to happen.
The risk isn't always malicious.
It's usually invisible.
Shadow IT usually starts with a user trying to be productive. They connect a note-taking app. They paste a doc into a free AI tool. They install an extension to save time.
They’re not trying to cause a problem. They just don’t know they’re creating one.
The issue for you as an admin: those actions happen outside your control. The app holds an OAuth token with access to Drive. The AI tool stored that data on an external server. The extension has permission to read page content, including credentials.
And you have no log, no alert, and no record.
Full shadow IT coverage across Google Workspace
OAuth App Auditing
See every third-party application connected to your domain. Filter by permission scope, user count, and last activity date. Revoke access in bulk. Set real-time policies to ban high-risk apps across specific OUs or groups. When a user tries to install a banned app, GAT+ blocks it the moment Google notifies the system. See how it works in the knowledge base.
Browser-Level Visibility
Track file downloads, site visits, extension installations, and file uploads across every Chrome session. Block risky transfers in real time. Send warning messages before a user uploads sensitive data to an unapproved service. The only Google-native Chrome DLP on the market.
Automated Response:
Build workflows that act when new third-party apps are detected: alert the security team, flag activity for review, or trigger an approval process. Reduce the manual effort between discovery and response.
Why GAT Labs is Built for Shadow IT Control
in Google Workspace
01
We see what is hidden:
While other tools only see official API connections, we see every action inside the Chrome browser. We catch the risks that happen in the “Shadows” of a web session.
02
We stop "Shadow AI":
Prevent sensitive data from being exposed to unapproved AI tools. With GAT Shield, you can detect and block sensitive inputs in real time at the browser level using page content inspection.
03
We fix it for you:
Do not just detect threats. Remove them. Set application policies with GAT+ and automate remediation with GAT Flow.
GAT gives us visibility into things the Admin console simply doesn't show. We caught three OAuth apps with excessive permissions in the first week.
Learn More on Shadow IT & OAuth App Security
Shadow IT: What the Google Admin Console Doesn't Tell You
Read the blog
OAuth App Security: The Invisible Backdoor in Google Workspace
Read the blog
Enterprise Resources: How can GAT help with OAuth App Security
Download the GuideFrequently Asked Questions about Shadow IT
Use GAT+ to audit all third-party apps with OAuth access to your domain. Our platform categorizes apps by risk level based on the scopes they request.
- GAT Shield provides visibility and control over user activity in the Chrome browser. You can monitor behavior, detect risky actions, and enforce policies such as blocking downloads or restricting access to specific websites in real time.
- Yes. GAT Shield lets admins see when files are uploaded from their domain to external websites such as ChatGPT, file-sharing platforms, web apps, or unknown destinations.
Ready to see what’s hidden in your domain?
Get a comprehensive look at every app, extension, and user action in your Google Workspace environment. See how GAT can tackle Shadow IT for your organization.
