Shadow IT can lead to cybersecurity concerns, misuse of IT resources, inefficiencies in productivity, even cyberattacks. Some of the most significant risks include:
Data Exposure
Shadow IT is a significant avenue for data breaches and data loss. Unsanctioned apps, especially when used on smartphones or personal laptops, can easily lead to exposure or inappropriate sharing of sensitive data, whether the user means to do so or not.
Productivity Loss
Using an unsanctioned app—one for social media, for example—can impact collaboration and productivity due to its incompatibility with other apps, and because coworkers may not have access to it or knowledge of how to use it effectively.
Malware
CIOs and CISOs constantly worry about malware and ransomware penetrating their organization—and shadow IT often enables those threats. An unsanctioned app can easily house malicious files uploaded from unsecured personal devices (BYOD) or third parties.
Vulnerabilities
According to ZDNet, 60% of Android apps have security vulnerabilities, with 39 bugs per app on average. In some cases, these bugs allow attackers to hijack devices in secret and, once on an organization’s network, infect IT systems, and steal sensitive information.
Noncompliance
Shadow IT introduces the possibility of moving regulated information to places in the cloud that IT can’t see or secure. This can lead to compliance issues around regulations such as GDPR and result in fines as well as a loss of trust.
An Increased Attack Surface
If an employee chooses to use an application without consulting IT, they open the organization up to an increased risk of attack. The data flowing to and from the shadow IT applications or software in question isn’t tied to the baseline IT infrastructure, making it vulnerable.
