A common phenomenon in many businesses, both large and small, is the prevalence of shadow IT. This refers to employees using unauthorized software or tools to enhance their productivity while waiting for official IT solutions to be provided. It could be the sales team investing in a specialized software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, or the finance team opting for an unapproved tool due to usability issues with the sanctioned option. At times, shadow IT emerges as a way to circumvent stringent security protocols, such as forwarding work emails to personal accounts for easier mobile viewing.
While some may believe shadow IT is primarily a concern for large enterprises with complex organizational structures, the reality is that even smaller startups grapple with this issue. In my experience managing a small business, we faced dilemmas when selecting productivity tools, aiming to strike a balance between user satisfaction and operational control. Despite implementing Google Workspace for our operations, many employees continued using Microsoft Office out of familiarity. Similarly, while Google Drive served as our official file sharing platform, some preferred iCloud for personal convenience.
Personal preferences greatly influence the proliferation of shadow IT within organizations. Employees prioritize getting tasks done efficiently over learning new tools, leading them to adopt multiple applications simultaneously. Moreover, the dominance of certain platforms exacerbates this trend, as users become locked into ecosystems before encountering licensing requirements. For instance, filing documents on Windows or Mac often entails saving data to cloud services linked with Microsoft or Apple.
Although larger enterprises may possess more robust security measures to counter unauthorized software usage, the array of tools available complicates the situation. Different business units within a sizable corporation operate semi-autonomously, further diversifying the software landscape. Traditional security strategies involve monitoring every software purchase and restricting endpoint installations, but these measures have limitations. In some cases, users resort to self-funding to acquire desired software, bypassing official procurement processes.
An unexpected consequence of approved software deployment is the emergence of unapproved applications. By unlocking additional features within sanctioned platforms, businesses inadvertently empower employees to create custom solutions using no-code/low-code development tools bundled with mainstream software. This practice not only evades SaaS usage controls but also enables data transfers to unauthorized systems through legitimate channels like Microsoft or Salesforce.
Discovering these unauthorized systems presents a challenge for security teams, who must decide whether to block or integrate them within official frameworks. Regardless of the approach, it becomes a perpetual game of containment with new tools cropping up regularly. While some detection tools exist, they often lack contextual information on usage patterns and business relevance.
One proposed solution involves leveraging citizen development, where non-technical employees craft applications tailored to their workflow using user-friendly tools. By interfacing directly with existing data and processes, these bespoke applications bridge the gap between formal and shadow IT. In practice, citizen developers seamlessly connect their tools to approved services without requiring IT intervention, shedding light on hidden IT ecosystems.
Nonetheless, the adoption of citizen development introduces its own set of security risks that must be addressed to prevent vulnerabilities. Despite these challenges, embracing this approach enables organizations to gain insight into their operational software landscape and identify critical shadow IT components. By guiding business users through secure development practices, companies can navigate the shadow IT network effectively while promoting innovation at the grassroots level.