Shadow IT Has Skyrocketed During the Pandemic. Here's How to Stop It!

The rapid adjustment to remote workers has caused many issues in its wake, from software bloat to unsecure networks. 61% of cybersecurity professionals express concern about the IT security risks associated with that unplanned adjustment to a remote workforce.

One of the big adjustments for Houston businesses was the need to move to cloud solutions to keep work-from-home employees connected to the business applications and data they need to keep the office operations running. 

This combination of the abrupt switch to a home environment, which often meant working from a home PC instead of a work computer, and the need to use the cloud to stay connected has led to an alarming rise in shadow IT.

What is Shadow IT?

Shadow IT describes applications and software that employees use on their own for work without the knowledge of a company’s IT team or IT provider. When this happens, it means that business data is being used in apps that may not be secure and may mean problems for company data compliance.

It usually happens innocently enough. An employee is newly working from home and realizes they need a place to easily share their work files with colleagues. So, they choose a cloud file storage app to use, not realizing that it could mean a risk to their company.

The use of shadow IT has gotten so bad that it’s estimated that between 20% to 40% of technology spending is done outside of the view of the company’s IT team. 

What problems does it cause when employees start using cloud applications without them being approved?

Ways to Address and Stop Use of Shadow IT

When approaching shadow IT use, you have to understand that most of it is not done on purpose. Employees may actually be trying to be more productive and don’t realize the dangers of using an application that hasn’t been reviewed and approved first by their company’s IT team or IT provider.

There are also some advantages to employees seeking out new productivity tools. They could be better than what you’re already using or might fill a gap that moving to a remote workforce has left in your cloud environment.

So, the best way to approach stopping shadow IT is to not be punitive, but to be educational and keep the door open to employee IT suggestions.

Here’s how to approach it.

Identify Shadow IT Use at Your Company

You first need to know what you’re dealing with when it comes to shadow IT. Is it just a few apps here and there or is shadow IT use rampant throughout your company?

There are two ways to identify shadow IT use:

Evaluate Shadow It for Any “Good Apples”

When reviewing the IT employees have noted they are using, look for highly rated apps that might be good replacements for lower rated approved apps.

The CASB can help here as well because it can review cloud apps for security and compliance risk.

Adjust your overall cloud application strategy as needed to incorporate any particularly good shadow IT tools.

Put a Cloud App Use Policy into Place

A lot of shadow IT happens because a business does not have any formal policy on cloud app use. Employees don’t have any way to suggest apps they like, or even know that they have to.

Explain to employees the importance that all cloud apps used for your business data be pre-screened and approved before they can be used. 

Give them a way to suggest cloud applications that they’d like to use, and make sure they’re communicated with during the review process and about the decision to use or not use the app. If you leave employees hanging about an app suggestion, they might just start using it because they didn’t hear anything back.

Get Help with a Secure & Optimized Cloud Strategy 

Digital Crisis can help your Houston area business with smart cloud strategies that will ensure employees have the tools to stay productive and that your data is secure.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Call 713-965-7200 or reach us online.

Is It Time to Consider Moving to Windows Virtual Desktop?

In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns, many Houston area businesses have been rethinking the way they do things.

The need to adjust to virtual operations run by remote working employees quickly uncovered chinks in the armor of certain business processes. Not all can be easily moved from onsite to remote execution.

One example would be landline phone systems, which are tied to a physical location. The pandemic has many companies considering a switch to VoIP phones instead.

Another roadblock that companies quickly faced were employee workstations. They had to choose between the logistics of allowing employees to take these home so they’d have all their files or having them work from their personal PCs at home.

Each option meant different challenges. 

If employees take their workstation home:

If employees work on personal PCs and login remotely to their work PC:

One way to solve all of the above is to not have an employee’s PC tied to a physical device, but instead use Windows Virtual Desktop technology to put it in the cloud, making it accessible from anywhere.

The Benefits of Using Virtual Cloud-Based Desktops

Cloud solutions have become a required part of a business technology infrastructure. Beyond the boost in productivity and flexibility, using cloud computing protects business operations during unexpected events, like a natural disaster or pandemic.

Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) was introduced globally in the fall of 2019, and this virtualization technology helps businesses take the next logical step forward in their cloud transformation.

During the pandemic, 57% of surveyed businesses said their cloud use was higher than originally expected. 

What WVD does is host all the things normally stored on a computer hard drive in a cloud environment. These include the Windows operating system, applications, files, folders, email, settings, etc.

An employee then can use any device (computer, laptop, mobile) to access their computer desktop from any location.

Here are the business advantages of migrating from physical desktops to virtual desktops.

Employees Have their PC Where They Need It

Using WVD solves the problem with remote workers and what to do with their desktop workstations. Since their workstation is in the cloud, employees can simply log into it using any other computer or mobile device. That device is acting as the gateway only.

This makes workflows for employees that work remotely part-time much more efficient, because they’re using the same “computer” from home and work without having to carry around a physical workstation.

Improved Remote Worker Security

Windows virtual desktops for your employees are housed in a virtual environment that you have visibility into. All files are stored in that environment rather than on the physical device used to access the WVD.

Security benefits include:

Solves Accessibility Issues with Non-Cloud Software

Some companies use custom or other non-cloud software that is critical to their business processes. This poses a problem when employees need to work remotely and may not have easy access to that software.

When the software is loaded onto a Windows Virtual Desktop, it becomes cloud accessible because the virtual PC that it is installed on is cloud accessible.

Reduce Hardware Needs for Physical PCs

Memory, processing power, and storage are all handled in the cloud when it comes to virtual desktops. So, the computers being used to access a WVD don’t need to have high-performance specifications.

This solves potential performance problems when employee home PCs are used for work. It also reduces a company’s overall hardware costs because they can purchase lower priced equipment for accessing virtual desktops from the office.

Reduce Time Equipping a New Employee

When you have turnover of employees, the IT department will typically have to go through a process of “cleaning” and securing files from a departing employee’s computer in order to requisition it to a new employee.

This process is both time consuming and can leave preexisting files exposed if they’re not properly secured.

With WVD, everyone gets a brand new “computer” that can be loaded with all the programs they need for their position. You can create WVD templates for each department you have, along with preset permission levels. 

Then, when you have a new employee, simply deploy the appropriate virtual desktop template, and they can be ready to go in just minutes.

Learn More About Upgrading to a Virtual Desktop Workflow

Virtual desktops are becoming the new “must have” cloud technology to keep companies resilient and improve workflows. Digital Crisis can help you with a full migration from physical to virtual desktops.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Call 713-965-7200 or reach us online.