The New Shadow IT Quiz

According to an old proverb, “ignorance is bliss.” In the IT and the business world, this could not be further from the truth. What you don’t know can lead to an increase in spending, higher risk of data breach, and a seemingly endless amount of headache and frustration.

What is Shadow IT?

Shadow IT is the usage of any tech solution — devices, apps, and systems, among others — that are put into place and used without the knowledge and approval of the IT department.

Take this quiz to find out what you really know about shadow IT and how it can affect your organization:

“70% of unauthorized access to data is committed by an organization’s own employees.” (Gigaom)

Today’s workforce is far from naïve when it comes to technology. They know how to use it and have a strong expectation of how technology should be delivered.

When they run into situations where they need to get the job done, and they are not finding the tools or support they need, they often seek workarounds—thus shadow IT was born. Unfortunately, there are far more drawbacks to shadow IT, than there are benefits. And the drawbacks can be extremely damaging to any organization's security and bottom line.

Preventing Shadow IT

Instead of continuously fighting the shadow IT battle:

• Work with your employees and establish a common ground. Understanding why they use a work-around can help you determine a better route, such as more training or new tools to prevent any additional shadow IT problems.
• Survey or audit your employees’ processes. It is human nature for most users to choose the path of least resistance, sometimes trying harder to find a workaround as opposed to complying with internal security policies or best practices.
• Make it easy for employees to follow IT policies. Keep communication open, simple, and clear. Provide security training on a regular basis. The entire company needs to be involved if you hope to reduce your security risks.

“Data loss and downtime costs $1.7 trillion each year.” (EMC)

Solve Shadow IT with Globalscape EFT's Workspaces Module

The Workspaces module gives employees a fast, easy, and secure way to collaborate and share files of any size, even while retaining their existing workflows, all while keeping IT in control.

No user training necessary – Workspaces is a user-friendly way to help ensure your staff can securely send files of any type or size. 

Contact us today to learn more about Workspaces.