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AI Agents Are The New Shadow IT

AI Agents Are The New Shadow IT

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 Shadow IT didn’t die — it automated.Your “helpful” agents are quietly moving data like interns with keys to the vault, while you assume Purview, Entra, and Copilot Studio have you covered. Spoiler: they don’t. In this episode, we expose how agents become Shadow IT 2.0, why delegated Graph permissions blow open your attack surface, and how to redesign your governance before something breaks silently at 2 a.m. Stay to the end for the single policy map that cuts agent blast radius in half — and a risk scoring rubric you can deploy this month. 🧨 The Mess: How Agents Become Shadow IT 2.0Business urgency + IT backlog = bots stitched together with broad Graph scopes.Agents impersonate humans, bypass conditional access, and run with rights no one remembers granting.Browser-based tools and MCP bridges create hidden exfil paths your legacy allowlist can’t see.Overshared SharePoint data fuels “leakage by summarization.”Third-party endpoints mask destinations, leaving you blind during incidents.Result: autonomous smuggling tunnels disguised as productivity. 💡 The Case For Agents (When They’re Built Right) Agents crush toil when:They have narrow scope and clear triggersThey run under Entra Agent ID, not a humanThey operate on labeled data with Purview DLP enforcing the boundariesThey’re monitored with runtime visibility via Global Secure AccessThey live inside solution-aware Power Automate environmentsDone right, agents behave like reliable junior staff — fast, predictable, auditable. ⚠️ The Case Against Agents (How They Break in Real Life)Delegated Graph becomes “tenant-wide read.”Shadow data in old SharePoint sites surfaces through Copilot.Unmanaged browsers ignore DLP entirely.Zombie flows run without owners.Third-party connectors hide egress, killing investigations.No access reviews = identity drift.Every one of these expands your blast radius — silently. 🏗️ Reference Architecture: Governed Agents on Microsoft 365 Your governed stack should include: IdentityEvery agent gets an Entra Agent IDBlueprint-based permissionsConditional access per agent typeAutomatic disable on sponsor departurePermissionsGraph app roles, not delegatedSharePoint access scoped to named sitesExplicit connector allow/deny listsDataPurview auto-labelingEndpoint + browser DLP for AI/chat domainsEncryption-required labels for sensitive dataNetworkGlobal Secure AccessURL/API allowlistsMCP server controlsLifecycleSolution-based ALMQuarterly access reviewsDeprovision on inactivityThis is the skeleton you operate — not duct tape. 🛠️ Operational Playbook: Policies, Auditing & Incident FlowInventory all agents + connectors weeklyEnforce a registry-first modelPeer-review flows before promotionManaged solutions in test + prodDLP, SIEM, and Insider Risk integratedDefined incident flow: triage → isolate → revoke → postmortemNo more “we discovered the blast radius after the blast.” 🔥 Risk Scoring Rubric (0–30) Score agents across:IdentityData classificationPermissionsNetwork controlsMonitoringLifecycle governance0–8: High risk — fix now9–16: Medium — 30-day sprint17–25: Low26–30: Model agent — template it Numbers end arguments. ⚡ Counterpoints & Rebuttals“This slows innovation.” → Blueprints make it faster.“Delegated Graph is simpler.” → So is leaving the server room open.“Network inspection breaks agents.” → Only the brittle ones.“Users route around controls.” → Endpoint DLP meets them where they work.Smart friction beats catastrophic friction. 🏁 Conclusion Agents aren’t the threat — unaccountable access is.The three bolts that keep the wheels on:IdentityLabelsLeast privilegeDo these next:Create your first 3 agent blueprintsPush DLP to endpoints & browsersRun the risk scoring rubric on your top 10 agentsSubscribe for the next episode where we tear down a real agent and rebuild it the right way.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/m365-show-podcast--6704921/support.Follow us on:LInkedInSubstack
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