In this article, you will discover why the use of shadow IT can threaten the security of valuable information and how you, as an organisation, can keep it under control.

When employees use unapproved software, apps and devices to do their work, it is shadow IT. Usually, employees have good intentions and turn to various services (often for consumers) to get their work done.

Since the Corona virus outbreak in 2020, surveys of IT professionals have found that the increase in home working has led to an increase in shadow IT. 

Why is shadow IT a problem?

In surveys by Microsoft, almost three quarters of executives admit that they do not know how many shadow IT applications or devices their employees use. Not surprisingly, even security professionals underestimate the problem. On average, they believe that all employees in their organisation use 30 to 40 unapproved technical solutions, while a more realistic figure is probably closer to double that.

While usually well-intentioned, the use of all these unapproved and unknown apps can cause serious problems for the security and integrity of corporate information and documents. Some critical risks of shadow IT:

1. Lack of visibility
   IT cannot manage resources they are not even aware of. Businesses need tools to monitor their networks and any new devices or applications that connect to them.
   
2. Impossible to enforce compliance rules
   If a company does not even know that a resource exists, there is no way to ensure that it complies with government regulations or internal governance. Especially with sensitive data, organisations should ensure that employees get permission before using third-party solutions.
   
3. High risk of data loss
   Again, there is no way to know if someone uploaded the latest and most correct version of a document to their personal email or cloud service and then fell ill or abruptly left the company or simply had a storage problem with their unapproved device or software. Companies need a way to keep track of additions, deletions and changes to information, and they also need to ensure that these changes are backed up.
   
4. Drastic loss of efficiency
   If one team has decided to share documents on a cloud server, but another team sends email attachments around, the departments fall out of sync. If multiple departments need solutions for things like collaboration and document sharing, the company needs to implement one approved solution.
   
5. Vulnerable to digital threats
   Clearly, this is the 900-pound gorilla in the room. You've probably read enough stories about attacks on popular software such as Zoom and Google Drive. These days, businesses are particularly vulnerable to phishing attempts via an unsuspecting user's email. Tools that can reduce the risk include security software, audit trails and two-factor authentication.

Again, most employees turn to outside solutions out of the best of intentions. A good first step is to survey your employees to find out what features they lack in the current application landscape. 

The organisation needs to translate these needs into one modern and future-proof solution that works for everyone and provides full protection and control.

Future-proof your organisation with M-Files

An enterprise-grade and AI-enabled information management platform like M-Files automatically prevents employees from reaching for proprietary applications to do their jobs.

Some examples:

Anywhere, anytime

M-Files' smart features can give employees everything they need to work, share information and collaborate. Because M-Files provides access to information any time, from any place and on any device, employees no longer need other applications. Remote working is thus fully supported.

Safe

Advanced, certified security ensures that employees get only the access they need. Even better: M-Files provides audit trails and version control. So you no longer have to worry about lost, missing or incorrect information

Efficient

By using this standardised solution, teams, departments and the entire organisation can be kept aligned as they all rely on the same system. This helps improve communication, business processes and efficiency.

Want to see how M-Files prevents shadow IT for your organisation and creates complete control, security and efficiency around information? Download M-Files today.