Shadow IT refers to IT applications and infrastructure that are managed and utilized without the knowledge of the enterprise’s IT department. Shadow IT risks exists in most organizations but most IT leaders and CISOs underestimate about its reach.

Problems: Shadow IT will open up to many security risks of business such as enterprise security risks, data privacy risks and compliance risks.

Whenever the organization purchases and uses third party services (Software) without ITs knowledge, they might put sensitive data at risk.

Shadow IT Discovery
Identifying the needs unmet
Giving the users the tools, they needed
Creating awareness to Users

1. Shadow IT Discovery:

Steps in reducing the Shadow IT risks

Survey your employees
Track Network traffic

First find out what all services and software, your employees regularly use, and you will uncover the unauthorized tools they have been using.Second usage of scanning techniques will help in identifying unauthorized systems and software that are using your network.

2. Identifying The Needs Unmet:

Once you have identified the unauthorized systems and software, you must understand why employees are not getting solutions they need from the business. If you want to eliminate the Shadow IT risk, you must address the real issues.

3. Giving The Users The Tools They Needed:

Best ways to reduce Shadow IT risks is by making shadow IT completely unnecessary. Shadow IT occurs when the business users are not getting the solutions they need from IT. If you deliver these solutions successfully, you will eliminate the driving force behind the Shadow IT problem.

The goal of this step is controlled, self-service solutions. Any software you provide must meet two important criteria:

Self-service: Users must use the solution without bothering IT.
Control: IT must be able to control data and user access.

When you deliver controlled, self-service options, your business gets the best of both. Users get the solutions they needed quickly, and IT can still secure the data and applications.

4. Creating Awareness To Users:

Employees aren’t practicing Shadow IT intentionally but are trying to solve a problem. Most of them don’t realize the security risks of their actions. To reduce the security risks, employees/users must be educated and make sure they will understand the risks involved, and create awareness about unauthorized systems and software, which must be avoided.

Reference:

https://www.mrc-productivity.com/blog/2016/07/6-ways-to-reduce-shadow-it-security-risks/