Six Dangers of Shadow IT and How to Avoid Them
Sergey Stelmakh | 10/11/2021
Paul Kirwan
Paul Kirwan
and software that are not approved by the IT department, they create security vulnerabilities. Independent IT consultant and auditor Paul Kirwan talks about the risks they pose and how to prevent them on TechTarget .
Shadow IT is an invitation to hackers everywhere. Using unauthorized devices and software without IT permission poses a number of risks that no one should take lightly. Employees turn to shadow IT israel mobile database they are frustrated with IT, such as slow response times to issues or refusal to implement a particular application. But losing control of IT operations can wreak havoc, causing problems for CIOs and other IT leaders. Here are six dangers of shadow IT and tips to help prevent them or mitigate the damage they cause.
1. Unauthorized access to data
A key audit issue is to control access to IT systems and resources only for authorized users. There are many different access control tools and technologies available to ensure compliance with regulations and standards, as well as to pass an audit. However, if unauthorized access to production systems occurs, there may be risks of data loss, application damage, information theft, malware introduction, and other threats.
2. Unauthorized changes to data
A person with unauthorized access can alter critical data—customer data, databases, and content used in the daily operations of a company—with potentially catastrophic consequences. For example, changing a single character in a customer’s medical record could lead to a misdiagnosis of a disease or the wrong medication being prescribed.
3. Injection of malicious code
The spread of shadow IT can lead to unpredictable consequences, with the introduction of malicious code into production systems, whether accidental or intentional, being particularly dangerous.