How to Revoke Third-Party SaaS App Permissions (Before They Become a Security Risk)

How to Revoke Third-Party SaaS App Permissions

SaaS tools make work easier, faster, and more collaborative. But they also introduce one of the most overlooked attack surfaces in your environment: third-party app permissions.

Employees routinely connect SaaS tools to their work accounts—whether to automate workflows, sign documents, or collaborate externally. Over time, these apps pile up. Some are forgotten. Others are tied to employees who’ve since left the company.

Without proper visibility and control, these lingering connections become ticking time bombs for data exposure, insider threats, and compliance failures.

That’s why knowing how to find and revoke third-party SaaS permissions—especially the ones outside your identity provider—is no longer optional.

The Manual Approach: Start with Your IdP

If you’re using an identity provider (IdP) like Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, or Google Workspace, you already have a starting point.

From the admin console, you can:

• View OAuth-connected apps for each user

• Revoke access on a per-user or app basis

• Enforce OAuth policies and app whitelisting

This works well—for managed users and known apps.

But here’s the problem: your IdP only knows what it knows.

If someone:

• Used a personal Gmail account to connect a tool to work email

• Granted access via direct API

• Left the company without having their SaaS connections reviewed

Your IdP won’t see it. And manual review across hundreds of users doesn’t scale.

The Real Risk: Shadow SaaS and Unmanaged Identities

Let’s say a marketing contractor signs up for a SaaS design tool using their company email. They leave. The account remains.Or an engineer uses a free code-sharing tool tied to their personal Microsoft account. Your IdP has no clue.

These “unmanaged identities” live in a gray area:

• Not controlled by IT

• Not visible in corporate systems

• Still holding access to sensitive business data

Worse, many of these apps don’t notify you when they’re connected—or stay connected for years unless revoked.

This is the modern version of shadow IT. And it’s where traditional identity security falls short.

The Smarter Approach: Automate SaaS Permission Management with Waldo Security

Waldo Security goes beyond your IdP to help you discover and revoke every third-party SaaS connection—whether it’s managed, unmanaged, or hiding in plain sight.

Discover What’s Actually Connected

Waldo scans your environment to identify all SaaS applications tied to corporate identities—through OAuth, API keys, or email behaviors. This includes apps your IdP missed and shadow SaaS created with personal credentials.

Explore more: How to Detect Shadow SaaS and Manage Risk

Revoke Access Automatically

When Waldo detects unused, unauthorized, or risky app connections, it allows you to revoke access at scale—even for accounts not tied to your directory.

No need to manually audit user permissions or track down ex-employees.

Enforce SaaS Security Policies

Waldo helps enforce app whitelists, compliance frameworks like SOC 2 or ISO 27001, and internal security policies—so your SaaS usage stays in check, even as your environment grows.

Why This Matters

Prevent Data Leaks

Third-party apps often request broad permissions. Left unchecked, they can become silent pathways for sensitive data to be copied, exported, or exposed.

Close Offboarding Gaps

Even with a solid HR-to-IT process, SaaS app access can persist long after an employee leaves. Waldo ensures access is revoked—whether or not the account was managed.

Read more: How to Make Sure You Remove All SaaS Access of an Employee

Stay Audit-Ready

If your organization is preparing for SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA compliance, SaaS access control is a key requirement. Waldo provides the visibility and automation needed to pass audits with confidence.

Conclusion: Take Back Control of Third-Party SaaS Permissions

The longer third-party SaaS connections remain active, the higher the risk. Whether it's from a forgotten tool or an unmanaged identity, one lingering OAuth token can become the entry point for a breach.

You don’t need to rip out your IdP. You need to extend it.

Waldo Security helps you:

• Discover every third-party SaaS app in your environment

• Revoke access automatically—even for apps outside IT’s control

• Protect your company from hidden vulnerabilities

Want to see what’s connected to your environment right now? Let’s talk.