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The modern workplace runs on SaaS. But much of it runs in the dark. Lack of IT visibility fuels the chaos. 38% of admins admit they can’t even discover all applications in use.
As organizations embrace flexibility and user autonomy, employees increasingly adopt applications without IT involvement. While this enables speed and innovation, it also fragments visibility, dilutes control, and introduces security risks.
As a result, IT teams face a growing landscape of shadow IT, where critical data flows through apps no one officially approved and no one’s tracking.
JumpCloud is designed to lay the groundwork for secure, modern IT through visibility. And discovering the SaaS apps in use is the first step. Let’s break down the core methods JumpCloud SaaS Management uses to illuminate your organization’s SaaS ecosystem.
Each discovery method is designed to meet IT where they are, and help them see what’s been hiding in plain sight.
JumpCloud Go™ Browser Extension
The browser is where SaaS usage begins, and where JumpCloud Go starts delivering visibility. The JumpCloud Go browser extension enables real-time discovery of SaaS applications directly from the user’s browser, offering IT a continuous stream of insight into what tools are actually being used across the organization.
Getting started
To enable this discovery method, you’ll need:
- The JumpCloud Go extension installed in users’ browsers.
- Users logged into the JumpCloud User Portal or any JumpCloud SSO-enabled application.
- Good to know: While JumpCloud Go’s passwordless login enhances user experience, it’s not required for SaaS discovery to function.
How it works
JumpCloud Go detects SaaS applications as users sign up for, log in, or use them in the browser. It monitors app usage patterns, including visit frequency, to provide a dynamic, real-world picture of the SaaS tools in play.
The extension finds:
- A complete view of active SaaS apps, including shadow IT
- Users’ SaaS account information details
- Usage insights to help IT understand which apps are gaining traction, and which are fading out.
Key advantages:
- Catches app usage live.
- Excellent for finding unmanaged “Shadow IT” applications.
JumpCloud SSO Connected Applications
Visibility doesn’t stop at discovery, it extends to what you already manage. JumpCloud SSO-connected apps are automatically monitored, giving IT a reliable view into the organization’s approved SaaS ecosystem.
How it works
When an application is integrated with JumpCloud SSO, it’s instantly recognized and cataloged. These apps are automatically marked as “Approved” and continuously tracked without any additional configuration.
What it finds:
- A centralized list of all SaaS apps managed via JumpCloud SSO.
- Visibility into which users are logging into which apps, and how often.
Key advantages:
- Removes guesswork by automatically identifying trusted, managed applications.
- Simplifies oversight and compliance by consolidating access data in one place and increasing SSO coverage.
- Ensures managed apps are clearly differentiated from unvetted or shadow IT.
Prerequisite: Applications must be set up and active within the JumpCloud SSO solution to be automatically tracked.
Curious how to effectively manage and secure the rapidly expanding use of AI tools in your organization? Why SaaS Management Is the Ultimate Way to Govern AI explains why SaaS management is the ultimate strategy for gaining visibility, ensuring security, and maintaining compliance with your AI initiatives.
Connectors: Deep Data from Your Core SaaS Apps
True control comes from the depth. JumpCloud’s native connectors establish direct API integrations with your most critical cloud applications, enabling rich, app-specific insights that go beyond surface-level visibility.
How they work
JumpCloud offers a growing library of 30+ connectors, including popular platforms like Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, Slack, Zendesk, Opsgenie, Salesforce, Zoom, and many more. Each connector is tailored to pull relevant, high-value data from the specific SaaS tool it links to, offering IT both broad awareness and deep operational insight.
- Detailed user account inventories and activity logs within each connected app.
- For supported platforms (e.g., Slack, Zendesk, Opsgenie), visibility into app-to-app connections and how external tools integrate into your core systems.
- (Coming in Q3) Access to license usage data directly from supported SaaS providers, enabling more informed decisions around spend and optimization.
Key advantages
- Enables granular visibility into your organization’s critical SaaS tools.
- Strengthens security monitoring by surfacing shadow accounts and unused access within individual applications.
- Lays the foundation for license management and optimization, giving IT the insight to reduce waste and right-size usage at the app level.
Spotlight on Key Discovery Engines: Google Workspace & Microsoft Entra ID
Some of the most powerful insights into SaaS usage come from the systems your users rely on to log in every day. JumpCloud’s connectors for Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID (Formerly Azure AD) transform these core identity platforms into rich sources of SaaS discovery, helping you uncover the full extent of apps tied to company credentials.
How they work
By connecting directly to your Google Workspace and Entra ID environments, JumpCloud detects which third-party applications users are accessing with their work accounts. These identity platforms become high-value signals for uncovering both known and unknown SaaS tools used in your organization.
Prerequisite: An administrator must approve the integration between JumpCloud SaaS Management and your Google Workspace or Entra ID environment.
What they find
- A wide range of SaaS apps users log into with Google or Microsoft SSO, one of the fastest ways to map your organization’s actual app usage.
- User account data from your identity provider, linking Saas usage to specific individuals.
- For Google Workspace: Visibility into OAuth permissions, showing which users have granted access to third-party apps and the scope of access. Then, you can choose to revoke access and remediate the security issue.
Key advantages
- Delivers organization-wide discovery of apps connected via company credentials.
- Highlights security gaps, such as risky OAuth permissions or shadow accounts not tied to a known JumpCloud user.
- Provides both current and historical data right from the start from these central systems.
- Lays the groundwork for deeper investigation, risk remediation, and SaaS governance.
Struggling to balance user productivity with robust security in your SaaS environment? How SaaS Management Bridges the Usability and Security Gap reveals how comprehensive SaaS management solutions can bridge that gap, giving you the visibility and control needed to enhance both usability and protection.
Ready to Discover What You’ve Been Missing?
SaaS adoption will only continue to accelerate and with it, the need for visibility, accountability, and smarter oversight. JumpCloud’s multi-layered discovery approach offers a practical, scalable way to understand which applications are in use, how they are accessed, and where potential risks may lie.
If you are looking to bring clarity to your SaaS environment, JumpCloud provides the tools to help you get there, without added complexity.
Try JumpCloud for free to start discovering what’s really in use.
