Shadow IT shaken with a mobile twist
But times have also changed. As Gartner defines it, “shadow IT refers to IT devices, software and services outside the ownership or control of IT organizations.” With everyone suddenly working away from the office, many aspects of everyday work can now fall under those categories. From our home Wi-Fi network to the personal smartphones or tablets we use for work, they are all outside the control of your IT team.
Shadow IT now has a mobile twist
As I write about shadow IT, you’re probably thinking about classic examples related to an office environment. Maybe someone on your marketing, after failing to get IT to set up an internal server for a new software, privately bought cloud computing and storage to stand up new services more quickly. On a more everyday basis, it’s not uncommon for someone to email documents from their locked down work laptop to their personal device so they can print out documents without restrictions.
The reality is productivity has changed, and your IT team does not have ownership of many aspects of the digital workplace. Your employees no longer work in an office, which means your perimeter-based security is obsolete. They are also likely using their personal smartphones and tablets more so they can stay productive while at home.
Here’s an example of how work has changed over the past few months. I recently had a conversation with one of our customers whose company is in retail. They told me a story of how their employees organically and unbeknownst to them started using WhatsApp on their tablets and smartphones to contact clients and keep sales going.
