Not long ago, we wrote about user adoption and the importance of good training when new tools are rolled out in the workplace. One of the reasons it is so important is to avoid and prevent threats you may not know about. One of them is shadow IT.
Everyone experiences it
Shadow IT is something most companies experience during the year. It is difficult to avoid, and at a time when IT is so important and many people are in the home office, people may have resorted to shadow IT solutions without knowing it. It can quickly become costly and cumbersome for the people involved and of course for the business.
What is shadow IT?
Shadow IT is short and sweet when you or your colleagues use other solutions than what is specified IT solution in the workplace. There can be several reasons for this, and one of them is often that you are not well enough known or used to the tools that are actually to be used. Then it is easier and perhaps more efficient than "steering" around in these new tools the company has rolled out.
An example might be that you have been told to finish writing a document to be sent internally. The workplace has just used the cloud, and all documents are therefore a Wifi line away, and it is recommended to work in the browser when sitting on a PC other than the work PC. You like to download and work with it on your private PC, so you do it and paste your changes afterwards.
Read more about user adoption and why it is important to spend time on training.
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Why is it a threat?
When shadow IT occurs, it does not necessarily have to be dangerous, and many can probably recognize themselves in the example above. However, the problem already occurs when the file or files are downloaded. Then the company has been exposed to potential dangers, which they now have no control over because it happens on your private PC and has left the cloud.
What threats exist:
- There is unknown terrain for the IT staff. The information, ie the value of your company, is now on an unknown PC and in unknown terrain over which the IT department or IT staff of your company have no control. This will also make them dependent on you as a person, preferably in connection with private passwords. In addition, the problem that arises may never reach those who can solve it.
- The information may go astray. Your private PC may be filthy. Like a virus you do not know or maybe you are several users? Then the information can quickly get lost and create difficult situations.
- The security has been removed. All PCs have some degree of security, but they will not measure up to the cloud your business has. Therefore, information you have downloaded is now more readily available to hackers or other interested parties with bad intentions.
- Weakened privacy. You as an individual are now a potential victim of attacks, in addition to the fact that what is downloaded can reveal names, numbers or the like that can create consequences for others.
- Danger of malpractice. With shadow IT, potentially more processes will also rush down and back home. This may apply to the treatment and handling of external customers, internal employees or others involved.
So how do we prevent shadow IT?
I Braathe Gruppen we are concerned with ensuring good enough training of employees in all programs and tools that are rolled out. Make sure that employees understand, are comfortable with and adopt it in their everyday work.
Make your employees aware of their everyday work. Explain to them what shadow IT is and why it can have consequences for them as a private person and for the workplace. Teach them how to avoid it together. Encourage asking questions about the new tool, asking for more information and having both 1 to 1 and joint rounds of in-house training. It is most likely cheaper than the alternative.
Do you need assistance with the training? We can always help with that, and we have several experts who know exactly what is needed. Send us an email to find out more!
