May 26, 2025
Your employees might pose the greatest cybersecurity risk in your business, and it's not just because they tend to click on phishing emails or reuse passwords. The real issue is that they are using applications your IT department isn't even aware of.
This phenomenon is known as Shadow IT, and it represents one of the fastest-growing security threats for businesses today. Employees often download and use unauthorized apps, software, and cloud services with good intentions, but in doing so, they inadvertently create significant security vulnerabilities.
What Is Shadow IT?
Shadow IT refers to any technology used within an organization that has not been approved, reviewed, or secured by the IT department. Examples include employees using personal Google Drive or Dropbox accounts to store and share work files, teams signing up for unapproved project management tools like Trello, Asana, or Slack without IT oversight, workers installing messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram on company devices to communicate outside official channels, and marketing teams using AI content generators or automation tools without verifying their security.
Why Is Shadow IT So Dangerous?
Because IT teams lack visibility and control over these tools, they cannot secure them, leaving businesses vulnerable to various threats. These include unsecured data sharing, where employees using personal cloud storage, email accounts, or messaging apps might accidentally leak sensitive company information, making it easier for cybercriminals to intercept it; lack of security updates, since IT departments regularly patch approved software but unauthorized apps often go unchecked, exposing systems to hackers; compliance violations, where using unapproved apps can lead to noncompliance with regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, or PCI-DSS, resulting in fines and legal issues; increased risks of phishing and malware, as employees might unknowingly download malicious apps disguised as legitimate ones; and account hijacking, since unauthorized tools without multifactor authentication can expose employee credentials, granting hackers access to company systems.
Why Do Employees Use Shadow IT?
Most of the time, employees do not intend harm. For instance, the "Vapor" app scandal uncovered by IAS Threat Labs revealed over 300 malicious apps on the Google Play Store downloaded more than 60 million times. These apps disguised themselves as utilities and health tools but were designed to display intrusive ads and, in some cases, phish for credentials and credit card information. They hid their icons and bombarded users with full-screen ads, making devices nearly unusable. This example shows how easily unauthorized apps can infiltrate devices and compromise security.
Employees may also turn to unauthorized apps because they find company-approved tools frustrating or outdated, want to work faster and more efficiently, are unaware of the security risks, or believe that IT approval takes too long and choose shortcuts instead. Unfortunately, these shortcuts can have severe consequences when a data breach occurs.
How To Stop Shadow IT Before It Hurts Your Business
Since you cannot stop what you cannot see, addressing Shadow IT requires a proactive strategy. Start by creating an approved software list in collaboration with your IT team, ensuring it is regularly updated with trusted, secure applications employees can use. Implement device policies that restrict unauthorized app downloads, requiring employees to seek IT approval before installing new tools. Educate employees about the risks associated with Shadow IT through regular training, emphasizing that unauthorized apps are not just productivity shortcuts but security threats. Use network-monitoring tools to detect unapproved software use and flag potential threats early. Finally, deploy strong endpoint security solutions like endpoint detection and response (EDR) to monitor software usage, prevent unauthorized access, and identify suspicious activity in real time.
Don't Let Shadow IT Become A Security Nightmare
The best defense against Shadow IT is to address it proactively before it leads to data breaches or compliance issues.
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