App Discovery Policy in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Implementation Effort: Medium
Creating and tuning app discovery policies requires IT and Security teams to analyze traffic logs, define thresholds, and maintain alerting rules, but it does not require ongoing user training or infrastructure changes.
User Impact: Low
These policies operate in the background and are managed by administrators; end users are not directly affected or required to take action.
Overview
An App Discovery Policy in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (MDA) helps organizations detect and respond to the use of unsanctioned or risky cloud applications—commonly referred to as Shadow IT. These policies analyze traffic logs and trigger alerts when new or high-risk apps are detected based on customizable thresholds like number of users, data volume, or IP addresses. Admins can tag apps as sanctioned, unsanctioned, or monitored, and apply governance actions accordingly.
This capability supports the Zero Trust principle of "Assume Breach" by continuously monitoring for unauthorized or risky app usage, helping reduce the attack surface and improve visibility into cloud activity. If not implemented, organizations risk blind spots in cloud usage, which can lead to data exfiltration, compliance violations, or exposure to malicious services.