Fig. 01 · Glossary
Shadow IT
Also known as Unsanctioned Software, Rogue IT
Definition
Shadow IT is technology that enters the company outside procurement: a team expenses a tool, a pilot becomes production, a corporate card becomes a renewal. Each instance is individually rational and collectively expensive - duplicate categories, unmanaged data exposure, and renewals nobody negotiates. Discovery (via expense and SSO audits) is the first step of any credible software spend triage.
The point of surfacing shadow IT is not punishment - teams bought the tools because official channels were slower than their problems. The point is consolidation leverage: you cannot negotiate, consolidate, or secure spend you have not found.
Human Renaissance glossary · operator-grade definitions · Research methodology
