Get Visibility and Control Over What's Running on Your Endpoints
Shadow IT creates blind spots that attackers exploit. Admin By Request gives you the tools to bring unauthorized software and unsanctioned access under control, without blocking the work that matters.
THE HIDDEN COST OF UNSANCTIONED TECHNOLOGY
of employees use SaaS applications without obtaining IT permission
Electroiq Shadow IT Statistics, 2025
of IT spending in large enterprises is taken up with shadow IT
Zluri Shadow IT Statistics, 2024
the number of unknown cloud services the average enterprise runs
Electroiq Shadow IT Statistics, 2025
the average cost of cyber-attacks from Shadow IT
JumpCloud, 2024
What You Can't See, You Can't Protect
Shadow IT doesn’t require malicious intent to create serious risk. Employees install tools to get work done. Contractors bring familiar software. Someone downloads an app that IT never reviewed. Each one is a potential vulnerability, a compliance gap, and a blind spot in your audit trail. Admin By Request brings these actions under control.
Block or gate executable downloads across all endpoints
Require justification or approval before unauthorized software can be run
Audit every download attempt, whether approved or blocked
Integrate with Endpoint Privilege Management to prevent installation without elevation
Why Shadow IT Keeps Growing
Shadow IT is rarely malicious. It’s a symptom of friction that goes unaddressed.
Employees can't get approved tools fast enough, so they find their own
Remote work removed visibility that physical offices once provided
Contractors bring familiar software from previous environments
No download controls mean unapproved executables reach endpoints silently
What isn't logged can't be audited, and what can't be audited fails compliance
Close the Gap Between What IT Knows and What's Actually Running
Admin By Request reduces shadow IT through a combination of access control, download governance, and visibility. Applied at the endpoint level, without requiring changes to your network infrastructure.
Download Governance Layer
Web Access Management prevents unapproved software from reaching endpoints in the first place. Executable downloads can be blocked, held for approval, or require a user-provided justification before release. Administrators can maintain pre-approved lists of sanctioned tools, so legitimate software installs are frictionless while everything else is gated.
Privilege Control Layer
Endpoint Privilege Management ensures that even if an executable reaches an endpoint, it cannot be installed without elevation. Users who attempt to install unapproved software must request elevated access, which triggers an approval workflow and creates an audit event. This adds a second control layer that doesn’t depend on download controls alone.
Visibility and Logging Layer
Every download attempt, blocked access event, and elevation request is logged in full detail, including who made the request, what they were trying to install, and the outcome. This audit trail supports compliance reporting, helps IT teams identify patterns in unauthorized tool adoption, and gives security teams the evidence they need for investigations. Secure Remote Access extends this visibility to contractor and vendor sessions.
Bringing Shadow IT Under Control Without Blocking Productivity
Admin By Request gives you options. You don’t have to choose between total lockdown and no visibility. Policies can be configured to reflect the real risk profile of different teams and roles.
Security First
For compliance-heavy environments, regulated industries, or endpoints handling sensitive data:
- All executable downloads require approval or are blocked outright
- Installation attempts without elevation are prevented
- Pre-approval lists restricted to IT-sanctioned tools only
- All download and elevation events logged and alerted on
- Ideal for healthcare, finance, and critical infrastructure
Productivity First
For technical teams, senior staff, or phased rollout environments:
- Sanctioned tools and trusted sources pre-approved for frictionless access
- Users can submit justified requests for tools outside the approved list
- Logging runs in the background, alerts limited to high-risk events
- Flexible approval workflows that don’t slow down legitimate work
- Ideal for developers, power users, and teams with fast-moving tool requirements
Seamless Integration. Minimal Disruption.
No infrastructure overhaul required. Rapid rollout, immediate protection.
Windows and macOS endpoints
Hybrid and cloud-first environments
Azure AD, OKTA and other IAM solutions
Ready to Manage Your Shadow IT?
Let us show you how easy we can make it to lockdown endpoints, speed up productivity, and stay complaint. Get in touch for a free, 30-minute demo or quote.
FAQs
What is shadow IT and why is it a security risk?
Shadow IT refers to software, applications, or services used within an organization without explicit IT approval. It is usually adopted by employees trying to work more efficiently, not to cause harm. The risk is that unapproved tools bypass security vetting, aren’t monitored by IT, may not meet compliance requirements, and can introduce malware or data exposure without anyone realizing it. Admin By Request addresses this by controlling what can be downloaded and installed, and logging everything that is attempted.
Can Admin By Request tell me what shadow IT already exists in my environment?
Admin By Request’s audit logs capture all download attempts, elevation requests, and software install events going forward. This gives IT teams an ongoing, detailed view of what users are trying to install and run on their endpoints. For a full inventory of what’s already present, this data can be exported to a SIEM or IT management platform for broader analysis.
How does Admin By Request prevent new shadow IT from being introduced?
Web Access Management controls whether executable files can be downloaded at all. When combined with Endpoint Privilege Management’s just-in-time elevation model, users cannot install unapproved software without triggering an approval workflow, even if a file has already been downloaded. The combination of download control and privilege control means two independent gates must be passed before unauthorized software can be installed.
What if employees genuinely need a tool that isn't approved?
Admin By Request supports approval workflows that allow users to request access to tools outside the approved list, providing a justification. This gives IT teams visibility into demand for new tools while maintaining control over what actually runs in the environment. It also reduces the frustration that drives shadow IT in the first place, by providing a fast, structured path to get legitimate tools approved.
Does this help with compliance requirements around unauthorized software?
Yes. Many compliance frameworks, including ISO 27001, CIS Controls, NIST SP 800-53, and SOC 2, include requirements around software control and change management. Admin By Request’s download governance, approval workflows, and audit logging directly support these requirements by ensuring that software installations are authorized, documented, and traceable.
How does this work for contractors and third-party vendors?
Secure Remote Access extends controlled, monitored access to external parties. Contractors operate within the same policy framework as internal users, subject to the same download controls and elevation requirements. Session logs capture their activity in full, giving IT teams visibility into what external parties are doing on company endpoints, including any attempts to introduce unauthorized software.
