What is shadow IT?
The usage and administration of any IT solutions, services, projects, and infrastructure without the formal approval and assistance of corporate IT departments is known as “Shadow IT.”
Shadow IT’s impact on security can give hackers additional entry points. Users might use unofficial IT systems that don’t comply with organization’s standards and guidelines and as such the system may become susceptible target for hackers to take control of it and use it to leak data or conduct a DDoS attack.
Risk Associated with Shadow IT
Risk is introduced by shadow IT (unknown unknowns). Even if employees can effortlessly perform their work via shadow IT systems, the technology brings about hitherto unheard-of hazards, inefficiencies, and costs to the company, including:
Inadequate IT control
Your IT department cannot evaluate whether software on the business network is secure or determine whether it is safe to use if it is not aware of it. The corporate network’s lack of control over its security measures can make it more vulnerable.
Data breaches and data loss
Some employees may gain access to information they shouldn’t when using shadow IT systems. The possibility of losing important data is an additional issue. It’s possible that an unauthorised programme won’t guarantee data backups and that staff members won’t have considered developing a suitable recovery plan. Thus, crucial data could be lost if something unfortunate occurs.
Unpatched defects and vulnerabilities
In order to address vulnerabilities and correct faults discovered in their products, software vendors frequently release new patches. The IT department of a business is typically responsible for monitoring these upgrades and promptly implementing them. Administrators, however, are unable to keep all goods and devices up to date when it comes to shadow IT simply because they aren’t aware of them.
Issues with compliance
Shadow IT may violate a number of rules, norms, and laws, which could result in penalties, legal action, and reputational damage. For instance, corporations are required to process consumers’ personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Companies, however, cannot guarantee that only authorised employees can access sensitive data if they are unaware of all the software used by their employees.
Inefficiencies
Even if increasing productivity is one of the primary motivations for employing shadow IT, there is a good probability that the outcome will be the exact reverse. The IT team must inspect and evaluate any new technology before integrating it into the company infrastructure. This is required to guarantee that new software function properly and be free from major hardware or software problems.
Financial Dangers
Unauthorized software and services frequently replicate the features of those that are, so your business wastes money by using them. In addition, shadow IT risks could result in actual incidents that would cost money for damage management, penalties for failing to comply with cybersecurity regulations, and legal costs.
Responding to Shadow IT
The quickest response is to better manage all IT resources. The best strategy for dealing with shadow IT is to:
- Identify the main hazards that it poses and take appropriate action. In the part after this one, we’ll go over mitigation strategies in more detail.
- Encourage staff to be open about the software they employ. This will first assist in identifying the use of dangerous solutions. Second, new tools used by staff may prove to be more effective than the software you currently use.
- Inform staff members of the potential repercussions of utilising dubious software. People may overlook using additional instruments since they are too busy with their normal tasks to acknowledge them. However, having a clear awareness of the potential risks and repercussions of implementing new solutions will make employees think twice before attempting to install new software without first consulting the IT department,
- Ensure that IT department takes both convenient and secure solutions into account. System administrators and IT professionals may solely focus on the software’s security features while forgetting how convenient it is for users. To ensure agreement on software that satisfies both security standards and employee expectations, establish communication between the IT department, the employees, and both parties.
Mitigate Shadow IT Risks
You should be able to reduce risks associated with the usage of shadow IT if you want to maximise the advantages of your employees’ initiatives.
Here are some steps that can be taken to lessen the need for (and risks associated with) shadow IT.
Work together and communicate
Find out what IT users need. Separate the silos. To better understand the actual needs, experiences, and feedback of end users regarding current and required new technologies, make it simple, convenient, and effective for IT departments and IT users to communicate with one another.
Inform and instruct
Users should be made aware of the dangers posed by shadow IT and the ways in which the company may help them meet their technological needs without circumventing established governance procedures. Employees that share the organization’s commitment & perspective on IT security are more likely to comprehend the dangers of shadow IT and will be motivated to discover suitable solutions to meet their technology requirements.
Improve governance
Create an IT governance system that encourages innovation through the application of novel technologies that are swiftly recognised, examined, made available to, and supplied for IT users. Create user-centric policies and foresee their needs. Maintain a balance between the necessity to enforce policies and the freedom to develop and adapt to end users’ shifting IT needs.
Use Technology to find shadow IT
Utilize technology to track unusual network activity, unforeseen transactions, data and workload migrations, IT consumption trends, and other signs of shadow IT operations. Organizations can reduce the dangers of shadow IT faster with proactive discovery.
Evaluate and reduce the hazards.
Shadow IT techniques don’t all present the same danger. Organizations can plan risk mitigation actions based on the risk-sensitivity of each shadow IT offence with the help of ongoing assessment of the technologies used in the workplace.
Summary
By fostering a culture of security awareness, organizations can embrace shadow IT. IT departments can spend less time and effort pursuing Shadow IT by establishing and adopting an acceptable usage policy. Your users can concentrate on boosting productivity while maintaining data security as a top concern if the proper policies and plans are in place.
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