Schadow-IT: Combating it quickly & effectively

Due to the advance of browser-based applications and the increased use of the Internet in everyday business, a problem has quietly and secretly crept into organizations: shadow IT.

An invisible danger

Shadow IT describes the use of hardware and software that has not been approved by IT and its internal regulations. However, unauthorized processes can also be included, as these pose a major threat, considering the requirements for personal data processing under the GDPR. The latter in particular poses a major risk of data leaks and incorrect processing of data records.

The rapid development of browsers and their ability to map applications and much more in them increases the desire of IT managers to gain more control over this use.

But how to balance security with employee productivity?

Until now, unknown URLs have simply been blocked, especially in large organizations. This is usually based on a digital catalog that divides websites into categories. Unfortunately, this is not very accurate. This is intended to put a stop to the indiscriminate and sometimes private use of browsers. Understandably, threats from malicious websites are also growing. Unfortunately, however, this has so far only been a desperate stopgap measure.

Constant monitoring

Considering the initial situation, a system is needed that firstly measures the applications and the use of browsers, but initially allows neutral employees to do their work.

Only in the second step should those responsible weigh up which applications and URLs represent a threat or even a hindrance to productivity on the basis of internal regulations and applicable external laws. Moreover, they should check which applications have not been approved, are being used illegitimately or which software is simply being used too little.

Appropriate measures can then be taken and transformation programs can be initiated to guide employees to use the approved applications and processes.

Complete transparency with AppNavi App Discovery

With the new AppNavi Insights integration, AppNavi also offers AppNavi App Discovery.

In a corresponding analysis, all browser applications and URLs in the organization are recorded fully automatically and their usage intensity is measured at the same time. The whole process is completely anonymized and therefore 100% GDPR-compliant.

At the same time, whitelisting can be used to focus on certain applications, e.g. those relevant to the company, or blacklisting can be used to directly exclude certain everyday applications and websites.

At the end, IT receives a list of all applications (and URLs) used during a specific analysis period. We recommend at least 30 days to record all applications, even if they are only used periodically. This can then be compared with the official software list to quickly identify unwanted applications and remove them from circulation.

If there is no official list, IT now has a corresponding list and can go through it point by point.

If employees then need to be assigned to the right software, this can be done very easily with the digital adoption options of AppNavi Guidance.

Do you also want to bring transparency to your application landscape? Then get in touch with us or test App Navi App Discovery for 30 days free of charge and get a direct insight into the software used in your company.