Taming Shadow SaaS: A Look at Grip Security’s Approach to Identity Risk

SaaS has transformed the enterprise. It’s never been easier for teams to onboard a new tool with a credit card and a few clicks. But this convenience comes with a cost: shadow SaaS, unmanaged accounts, and identity sprawl that put organizations at risk. Security teams are often left asking the same question: who is using what — and is it secure?

This is where Grip Security comes in.

The SaaS Identity Problem

The traditional security perimeter has dissolved. Employees are spinning up apps faster than IT can catalog them, leading to:

• Shadow SaaS & Shadow AI: tools adopted without IT oversight.

• Duplicate and orphaned accounts: employees creating multiple logins or leaving accounts behind after offboarding.

• Excessive privileges & misconfigurations: leaving sensitive data exposed and compliance controls weak.

The result? Growing identity risk and governance headaches across the enterprise.

Grip’s Approach: Identity as the Control Point

Grip Security positions itself around an “identity-first” philosophy. Rather than focusing only on network traffic or device-level controls, Grip zeros in on the connection between people and SaaS apps.

Their SaaS Security Control Plane (SSCP) provides visibility into all SaaS usage — sanctioned or not — while their SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) continuously checks for misconfigurations and compliance drift. Together, these capabilities give security leaders a unified view of their SaaS estate.

Key highlights include:

• Discovery of shadow SaaS/AI: uncovering apps outside the sanctioned portfolio.

• Risk prioritization: focusing security teams on what matters most.

• Automated remediation: reducing manual effort with workflows that fix issues at scale.

• Fast deployment: no heavy agents, designed for quick time-to-value.

Why It Matters

Identity has become the new perimeter. Attackers target misused credentials and weak SaaS security settings because they’re often the easiest path to data. By managing SaaS at the identity layer, Grip helps enterprises:

• Reduce breach risk tied to SaaS sprawl.

• Strengthen compliance against frameworks like NIST CSF, ISO, and SOC 2.

• Free up security teams with automation instead of endless alerts.

Differentiators and Considerations

What sets Grip apart is its identity-first lens on SaaS risk and its ability to uncover what’s otherwise invisible — shadow SaaS and AI tools. Unlike some competitors, Grip goes beyond reporting and offers built-in remediation.

That said, organizations evaluating Grip should ask:

• How well does it integrate with existing IAM, ITSM, and SIEM tools?

• Can it filter noise effectively to avoid overwhelming teams?

• What does pricing look like as SaaS usage scales?

These questions are important in ensuring Grip’s platform delivers measurable value.

Final Thoughts

SaaS isn’t slowing down. With AI tools adding to the sprawl, security teams need a way to see and control their full SaaS footprint. Grip Security offers a compelling, identity-first approach that helps organizations tame shadow SaaS and mitigate risk before it becomes a headline.

For enterprises grappling with SaaS chaos, Grip may be worth a closer look.