4. Incorrect installation of patches
Patching is a critical activity that ensures that all production systems, utilities, and other code-based resources are up-to-date with new and updated features and security provisions. This is especially important to minimize the likelihood of cyber-attacks. External shadow activities that affect patch schedules can lead to unexpected performance and security issues.
Organizations operating in regulated markets, such as financial institutions and those under government scrutiny, such as healthcare providers, utilities, or nuclear power plants, must adhere strictly to regulatory compliance. Shadow IT can inadvertently create problems, such as system failures, that result in compliance violations. In situations where compliance is regularly monitored and reported, shadow IT activity can result in fines and even litigation if discovered.
6. Cybersecurity risks
Perhaps the most important challenge in IT israel mobile database today is combating cybersecurity breaches. Again, because shadow IT activity involves the use of unauthorized systems, it can expose security holes in systems such as firewalls. Internal shadow IT can compromise existing security software or hardware responsible for virus detection and intrusion detection.
Preventing Shadow IT Risks
Thoroughness and awareness are two important management attributes that help identify potential shadow IT activity. For example, if the number of IT support calls increases, technology teams can carefully review each report and complaint, especially those that are repeated by employees. If teams find any noticeable issues with IT performance, they should address them as soon as possible. They can also monitor help desk activity to see if the number of complaints has decreased.
Indirect causes may indicate possible shadow IT activity. These may include issues related to slow response times and application execution, network throughput delays, missed batch job dates and times, and short system outages of less than 10 minutes. While these may be normal performance issues, they may also be the result of shadow IT activity.