BetterCloud Launches Chrome Browser Extension to Combat AI-Accelerated Shadow IT and De-Risk Resulting SaaS Sprawl

BetterCloud, the leading platform for SaaS management, announced the launch of its new Chrome Browser Extension, a powerful tool that gives IT teams expanded visibility into their organization’s SaaS ecosystem. The extension directly addresses the growing challenges of shadow IT and shadow AI by discovering unmanaged applications and providing actionable insights to optimize costs and enhance security.

According to a recent survey by Ernst & Young, 97% of technology executives view autonomous AI pursuits as a “high” or “essential” priority. However, the report also revealed that AI adoption is far outpacing the ability to manage it: 78% of respondents confirmed that AI adoption is growing faster than their organization’s ability to effectively manage the associated risks, and over 52% reported that department-level AI initiatives are operating without formal approval or oversight.

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This unchecked enthusiasm for AI is accelerating the very shadow IT and SaaS sprawl that IT, security, and finance teams have been battling for years, as employees bypass traditional controls by signing up for applications outside of SSO and approved procurement channels. This behavior results in hidden risks, wasted budgets, and limited oversight.

Now, if employees can browse it, IT can manage it. BetterCloud’s Chrome Browser Extension delivers SaaS visibility that follows the user, not just the API. The extension is a key component of BetterCloud’s multi-layered discovery approach, which combines data from Single Sign-On (SSO) providers, financial systems, and now, the browser. This provides a complete, 360-degree view of an organization’s entire SaaS portfolio.

“Shadow IT isn’t just a security risk, it’s a major financial drain,” said David Bean, Chief Product and Technology Officer at BetterCloud. “End users move fast, often adopting unsanctioned AI tools or browser-based SaaS without IT involvement. Our Chrome Browser Extension gives IT admins a proactive line of defense, transforming every browser into a trusted visibility point. It’s enterprise-grade visibility without the friction – designed to stop guessing and start governing.”

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BetterCloud Chrome Browser Extension features include:

• Comprehensive app discovery: Identifies all SaaS applications being used, including managed, unmanaged (Shadow IT), and the recent influx of AI tools, by monitoring URLs, domains, and session activity.
• App discovery dashboard: Centralizes intelligence within the BetterCloud platform, categorizing discovered apps and providing key metrics like Daily and Monthly Active Users (DAUs/MAUs), frequency of use, and recency.
• Smart filtering and privacy: Uses Google native allow/block lists to ensure data collection is focused on corporate-related web use, maintaining a crucial balance between security and user privacy.
• Actionable, automated workflows: Transforms insights into action by triggering automated processes, such as license reclamation which detects inactive users and initiates workflows to ask if they still need their license, automatically deprovisioning access if the answer is no.