{"id":116996,"date":"2024-10-28T12:37:25","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T16:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=116996"},"modified":"2024-11-27T15:24:35","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T20:24:35","slug":"shadow-it-hard-to-eliminate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/shadow-it-hard-to-eliminate","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Shadow IT So Hard to Eliminate?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As an IT practitioner, security is never far from your mind. In fact, in a recent JumpCloud survey<\/a>, 60% of IT professionals working at small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) said security was their biggest challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the myriad of influencing factors, shadow IT has emerged as a formidable adversary: 84% of IT professionals said they are concerned about shadow IT. 29% listed it as one of their top three security concerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, eliminating shadow IT is easier said than done, and in many organizations, shadow IT remains unaddressed.This blog will cover the looming challenge of shadow IT, including why <\/em>it\u2019s such a challenge and what makes it so hard to eliminate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless otherwise cited, all info cited in this article comes from JumpCloud\u2019s industry report, <\/em>Detours Ahead: How IT Navigates an Evolving World<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shadow IT Is a Prolific Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shadow IT<\/a> is the use of applications or tools by employees without the explicit knowledge or approval of the IT department. While we often think of threats as malicious, this threat often comes with the best intentions: often, shadow IT stems from employees looking for better ways to do their work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This occurs increasingly often as SaaS tools become more specialized and easier for the layperson to adopt. Gone are the days of the monolith Microsoft suite \u2014 workplaces are filled with dozens (perhaps hundreds) of niche tools, from social media trackers to flowchart creators to personal project management tools. They\u2019re user-friendly, easy to sign up for, and often, free. It\u2019s no wonder users are adopting them left and right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n \"JumpCloud\"\n <\/div>\n
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\n Ready to Solve SaaS Sprawl? <\/p>\n

\n Explore how JumpCloud\u2019s SaaS management solution can give you better visibility and control over SaaS apps across your environment. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n

\n Watch the Webinar<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

While these tools can often boost productivity and streamline processes, they introduce significant security vulnerabilities. For one, shadow resources are not registered with or monitored by the IT department, which means they don\u2019t adhere to the company\u2019s established security protocols. This increases the risk of cyberattacks, data breaches, and noncompliance with regulations and governance policies. Further, because IT can\u2019t view or monitor these resources, the IT team is unable to detect or respond to threats and attacks in a timely manner, which gives attackers more time to infiltrate systems undetected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\u2026 Why Not Address It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the high risk and levels of concern associated with shadow IT, eradicating it is easier said than done. IT professionals cited several reasons that shadow IT continues to proliferate in their environments, from other issues taking higher priority to IT teams feeling ill-equipped to identify all the applications being utilized by employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The reasons IT teams can\u2019t address shadow IT are complex. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

IT Sprawl Is Like a High School Party (Stay with Us Here)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

IT sprawl<\/a> plays a major role in the rise of shadow IT. It\u2019s easy for SME environments to become sprawled: fast decision making, the need for many new tools during growth periods, and a lack of centralized tool management make IT sprawl a common problem. But IT sprawl is a hard thing to face, and a harder thing to think about eliminating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IT sprawl is like a monstrous pile of junk you\u2019ve stuffed into a closet. A classic high school party guest list that\u2019s gotten out of control. A project you\u2019ve taken way too far in the wrong direction and don\u2019t know how to bring it back. It just keeps getting bigger and messier. The easiest thing to do is to not look at it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most IT teams are juggling a lot of competing priorities with very little extra time to spend on them. So, all too often, the result is to ignore it and focus on other problems at hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, like our closet mess or high school guest list, the longer it goes unaddressed, the worse the problem gets. In IT sprawl\u2019s case, your architecture gets increasingly complex, with your teams managing more and more disparate tools with questionable integrations. You end up IT reacting to problems far more often than you\u2019re able to prevent them. And with multiple teams using different solutions, it becomes challenging to have a clear view of what\u2019s being used across the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While stepping back and looking at the mess can be intimidating, the security and operational implications of not<\/em> doing so are far scarier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, there\u2019s a solution to this snowball of a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unified IT Management: A Solution in Sight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Amidst these challenges, a silver lining emerges: unified IT management is gaining traction as a viable solution. Unifying your environment helps wrangle IT sprawl and makes it easier to spot and address shadow IT. The majority of IT professionals favor unified IT: 84% said they would prefer a single platform to manage user identity, access, and security over a mix of best-in-class point solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unified IT doesn\u2019t have to mean getting rid of the tried and true tools you already rely on. The key is to look for a solution that can do two things:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Unify several of the disparate tools you use now.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Integrate with your existing architecture. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    By using tools that play nice with your current infrastructure, you can chart a course toward unification without calling the cops on your own party, so to speak. No need to immediately trash everything you\u2019re working with \u2014 instead, you can introduce the new solution and transition toward it in stages, peeling away old layers without breaking things or disrupting your environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n