Shadow IT is a term for all hardware and software solutions that are not supported by the company’s main IT department. Any piece of technology that doesn’t fall under the central IT department of the organization is considered a risk. This can include any devices that employees are using without notifying the IT sector, such as personal computers and mobile phones. Shadow IT puts the company at risk of additional security threats. With that in mind, here are the most concerning risks of shadow IT and how you can avoid them.
#1 Cybersecurity
The goal of the company’s IT department is to ensure optimal cybersecurity across all devices within the organization. However, if there are shadow devices being used without the IT department’s approval, the lack of cybersecurity becomes an instant threat to the entire company. Personal computers and mobile phones that employees might be used without permission are often not secured with a firewall or at least a basic virus scanner. This is a risk that should be dealt with by raising awareness on the importance of cybersecurity and making sure employees are following the IT department’s policies.
#2 Data Loss
Shadow IT devices create a major risk of data loss because they are not a part of the IT sector’s data backup plans and strategies. If employees are using devices outside the data restoring strategy, it is likely that the data on those shadow devices are not backed up. Most of the time, employees don’t plan any data backup strategies in advance because data loss is the last thing that comes to mind during their workday. However, in the event of a hack, it would be too late to save the sensitive data scattered across all those shadow devices.
#3 Data Security
Besides data loss, which can occur for multiple reasons, data security is another big concern tied to shadow IT devices. Without having control over these devices, the IT department cannot properly manage data access, which hinders data security in general. A hacker could breach through a shadow device and easily gain access to sensitive data because there are no permissions or any restrictions in place. That is why it is important for the IT sector to have full control over all the company’s hardware and software to prevent access to abuse and compromise.
#4 Inefficiency
Shadow devices are often far more inefficient compared to the devices registered with the IT department. The IT sector implements special procedures to make sure all the company’s hardware and software solutions are functioning at the highest level of efficiency. Shadow devices, on the other hand, are not optimized in that way and they could be slowing down many individual processes. What makes things even worse is that these devices could put critical IT resources at risk or require double effort in administration and maintenance, which would make the overall system far less efficient.
#5 Compliance
Last but not least, shadow IT goes against all compliance rules within a company because businesses in most cases emphasize the fact that bringing outside devices into the network is not allowed. If an employee violates these rules, they should be met with appropriate consequences. The breach of a company’s compliance rules can put the whole organization at risk and even threaten its existence.
Get Rid of Shadow IT
If you’ve recently found some unwanted shadow IT within your company’s network, there is no reason to panic. There are ways to gain control of the company’s shadow IT, although this cannot be done overnight. If you weren’t able to prevent employees from introducing shadow devices to your organization, make sure to update your company’s policies and make the rules clear to prevent future incidents.
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