Shadow IT
Understanding Shadow IT
When a business sets out to add to their IT, they often choose solutions
based on their immediate needs. This is because when trying to look to
the future an organization cannot know what obstacles will pop up. For
this reason your organization's IT department, whether you have in-house
IT technicians or you utilize managed IT services from Argentum IT, has
to be the ones that handle the implementation and management of your
crucial IT.
With so many malignant situations to navigate and threats to squelch,
having a dedicated software deployment strategy for all of your
company's needs is important. Many of today's workers have a layman's
understanding of IT, and a decent understanding of the computers they
use day-in and day-out, as they often use similar products outside of
the office. However, it is not uncommon for an employee to have several
pieces of software on their workstation or device that hasn't been
approved for use by the organization. This is what is known as Shadow
IT, and it can come with significant threats that every business owner,
network administrator, and end-user will need to acknowledge in order to
keep your organization safe.
When a business sets out to add to their IT, they often choose solutions based on their immediate needs. This is because when trying to look to the future an organization cannot know what obstacles will pop up. For this reason your organization's IT department, whether you have in-house IT technicians or you utilize managed IT services from Argentum IT, has to be the ones that handle the implementation and management of your crucial IT.
With so many malignant situations to navigate and threats to squelch, having a dedicated software deployment strategy for all of your company's needs is important. Many of today's workers have a layman's understanding of IT, and a decent understanding of the computers they use day-in and day-out, as they often use similar products outside of the office. However, it is not uncommon for an employee to have several pieces of software on their workstation or device that hasn't been approved for use by the organization. This is what is known as Shadow IT, and it can come with significant threats that every business owner, network administrator, and end-user will need to acknowledge in order to keep your organization safe.
Reasons for Shadow IT
In the continuous race that is business, sometimes end-users will find solutions that may do more harm than good.
Many times, workers will have everything they need to do their stated
jobs. This includes hardware and software solutions. Typically, a
business will buy licensed software that has been vetted by the IT
department as sufficiently secure and reliable for the production needs
of the business. Any other software on the company-owned-and-managed
workstation, tablet, or smartphone is Shadow IT. This can be simple
titles such as third-party weather or traffic applications or games, but
more often than not, they are applications users have downloaded
deliberately to help them stay productive.
Shadow IT is often present in the software development world, where
developers are constantly searching for software that can produce higher
efficiencies in the management process, as well as the testing of new
applications. This extraordinarily complex and time consuming construct
isn't the only place you can find Shadow IT, however. In many
organizations, where there is no true uniformity to a software
deployment strategy, and department heads decide what software works
best for their departments, an organization's IT administrators are
often mistakenly kept out of the loop.
Many times, workers will have everything they need to do their stated jobs. This includes hardware and software solutions. Typically, a business will buy licensed software that has been vetted by the IT department as sufficiently secure and reliable for the production needs of the business. Any other software on the company-owned-and-managed workstation, tablet, or smartphone is Shadow IT. This can be simple titles such as third-party weather or traffic applications or games, but more often than not, they are applications users have downloaded deliberately to help them stay productive.
Shadow IT is often present in the software development world, where developers are constantly searching for software that can produce higher efficiencies in the management process, as well as the testing of new applications. This extraordinarily complex and time consuming construct isn't the only place you can find Shadow IT, however. In many organizations, where there is no true uniformity to a software deployment strategy, and department heads decide what software works best for their departments, an organization's IT administrators are often mistakenly kept out of the loop.
The Detriments of Unauthorized Software
Can an organization's data and network security really be tested by unapproved applications?
For years, the manner in which companies deployed solutions necessitated
them buying software titles and subsequently purchasing licenses for
that software as needed to fill organizational demand. This model has
been used for decades. With the introduction of Software as a Service
(SaaS) offerings, it made available strong software titles that are
often less expensive, service-based, or completely free-to-use. Since
the average computer user today has access to more powerful computing
apparati outside of their office, many users don't see the harm in
trying to improve their productivity by integrating applications they
use outside of the office. Simply put, workers look on gains in
productivity as a benefit for their business, not a detriment.
Of course, this user-implementation can have some pretty serious side
effects. These Shadow IT applications are almost definitely set up
outside the security solutions that protect your network, making them
ripe for infiltration by nefarious entities. Any organizational data
loss prevention strategy will certainly be breached by the
implementation of any foreign application, as it wasn't a core
application identified by your IT administrators. Shadow IT is serious
business to your IT support team. Consider that they are the guards
attempting to protect the gates of a giant, self sustained castle, only
to have the people that work inside the castle order resources from
outside the castle walls. Sure, most of the time the Shadow IT
applications, and the data created with them, will be fine, but what
happens the one time they aren't?
For years, the manner in which companies deployed solutions necessitated them buying software titles and subsequently purchasing licenses for that software as needed to fill organizational demand. This model has been used for decades. With the introduction of Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings, it made available strong software titles that are often less expensive, service-based, or completely free-to-use. Since the average computer user today has access to more powerful computing apparati outside of their office, many users don't see the harm in trying to improve their productivity by integrating applications they use outside of the office. Simply put, workers look on gains in productivity as a benefit for their business, not a detriment.
Of course, this user-implementation can have some pretty serious side effects. These Shadow IT applications are almost definitely set up outside the security solutions that protect your network, making them ripe for infiltration by nefarious entities. Any organizational data loss prevention strategy will certainly be breached by the implementation of any foreign application, as it wasn't a core application identified by your IT administrators. Shadow IT is serious business to your IT support team. Consider that they are the guards attempting to protect the gates of a giant, self sustained castle, only to have the people that work inside the castle order resources from outside the castle walls. Sure, most of the time the Shadow IT applications, and the data created with them, will be fine, but what happens the one time they aren't?
Suggested Solutions
Keep your company from experiencing the detriments associated with Shadow IT
To keep Shadow IT from putting your organization's network and data at
risk, we suggest that your IT administrator consider these four
practices:
-
Consolidate applications when you can - Nearly all
businesses need solutions in which to draft documents, inventory
equipment, and manage finances. If you can find a solution to handle
multiple issues, such as Microsoft Office 365 or the G Suite, it makes
your software (and the data it produces) significantly easier to
manage.
-
Monitor user activity - By assessing what your
employees upload, download, and share, you will be able to ascertain
if you have all of your bases covered. You can also begin to enforce
policies to block risky app activity by eliminating the "share" or
"upload" features within applications, if those functions aren't core
to the success of the application's organizational use.
-
Research applications - Applications themselves will
often tell you what you need to know about where they fit for your
business. Your administrators should try to ascertain the possible
risks an application could have, and choose whitelisted applications
diligently. If there are several applications that fill similar roles,
choosing the one that is most reliable can actually save your
organization time and money.
-
Educate your users - Your organization will
definitely want to have an understanding of every possible task you
will ask of your employees. That way you can find and integrate
solutions that make sense for both users and the network. Then educate
your staff about Shadow IT and their responsibility to clear any
outside applications with their IT administrator. Tell them about the
risks of using software that is outside of the management capabilities
of the organization and the risks associated with deploying client
information.
With all the known threats out there, understanding which software works
best, but also mitigates the most risk is becoming essential for the
modern business. If you are concerned that your staff is running amok
with outside software, the professional IT technicians at Argentum IT
can help. Call us at (502) 473-6407 to set up your comprehensive IT
consultation, today.
To keep Shadow IT from putting your organization's network and data at risk, we suggest that your IT administrator consider these four practices:
- Consolidate applications when you can - Nearly all businesses need solutions in which to draft documents, inventory equipment, and manage finances. If you can find a solution to handle multiple issues, such as Microsoft Office 365 or the G Suite, it makes your software (and the data it produces) significantly easier to manage.
- Monitor user activity - By assessing what your employees upload, download, and share, you will be able to ascertain if you have all of your bases covered. You can also begin to enforce policies to block risky app activity by eliminating the "share" or "upload" features within applications, if those functions aren't core to the success of the application's organizational use.
- Research applications - Applications themselves will often tell you what you need to know about where they fit for your business. Your administrators should try to ascertain the possible risks an application could have, and choose whitelisted applications diligently. If there are several applications that fill similar roles, choosing the one that is most reliable can actually save your organization time and money.
- Educate your users - Your organization will definitely want to have an understanding of every possible task you will ask of your employees. That way you can find and integrate solutions that make sense for both users and the network. Then educate your staff about Shadow IT and their responsibility to clear any outside applications with their IT administrator. Tell them about the risks of using software that is outside of the management capabilities of the organization and the risks associated with deploying client information.
With all the known threats out there, understanding which software works best, but also mitigates the most risk is becoming essential for the modern business. If you are concerned that your staff is running amok with outside software, the professional IT technicians at Argentum IT can help. Call us at (502) 473-6407 to set up your comprehensive IT consultation, today.
