Shadow IT: how to face the invisible threat?

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Working with personal electronic devices or installing an application may be common practices, but beware: there are dangers lurking! Shadow IT is one of these dangers and brings to light multiple challenges, especially in the business context.
Knowing the risks and being aware of the threats are ways to reduce the impact of this phenomenon on your company, leading to a more conscious use of the digital resources you have at your disposal. Find out everything in this article!

What is Shadow IT?

In the business world, more and more employees are embracing the cloud. New systems and applications are being installed at a much faster pace than companies can control. Meanwhile, cybersecurity issues are arising that plague those responsible for the IT department of companies, many of them resulting from Shadow IT.
Shadow IT is a term used to describe the improper use of software or kenya whatsapp number database by a department or individual, outside the control of the IT department.

Shadow IT: what are the risks for companies?

The truth is that, currently, Shadow IT management is one of the main concerns of the IT department, representing a real source of risks for companies, namely:

1. Breach of safety rules
Security rules, often established by specialized departments, are threatened when you decide to install a new application or use a personal device to perform work-related processes. Furthermore, the implementation and use of technological resources not authorized by the IT department is a violation of the usual corporate security rules, jeopardizing the normal functioning of authorized systems and devices.

2. Data loss
Any system or application installed without supervision will not be covered by the backup normally provided by the IT department. This means that if the company's critical data is lost in the event of an incident, it cannot be recovered. Furthermore, in these types of situations , data security
is compromised , since, without even knowing about the existence of a given application or system, the IT department cannot track the flow of information or the accounts that may have access to it.

3. Productivity losses
The Shadow IT phenomenon forces your company’s IT department to make a redoubled effort to ensure the security of the company’s data and internal systems. Any software or hardware that falls under the Shadow IT spectrum cannot be subjected to any type of testing. In other words, if you take the liberty of installing a system or solution to speed up your individual processes, a number of other business processes may come to a standstill. In the worst case scenario, you could put at risk technological resources that are critical to the activity of your colleagues, leading to a loss of overall productivity for the company.

Shadow IT: how to avoid it?

While installing an application or using a personal device may serve as a way to streamline your usual workload, the truth is that without the knowledge of the IT department, there is no guarantee that its use is safe and harmless.
Simply installing a simple application in your workplace can open the door to a number of unseen threats. The truth is that, unless purchased correctly, there is no guarantee that free solutions found online are legitimate. Therefore, in order to mitigate the problem of Shadow IT, you need to understand the consequences and consult your company’s IT experts before deploying new applications, systems or devices.

Don't compromise your company's cybersecurity, rely on someone who knows what they're doing and follow their instructions to the letter! These precautions are even more important at a time when teleworking has taken on a new dimension and has become part of many of our daily lives.