What is Shadow IT?

Shadow IT is the use of hardware, software, or cloud services by a corporate user or department without the knowledge of the IT security team within the organization. With the shift to the Cloud and the rapid adoption of cloud-based services, the growth of Shadow IT has accelerated, often introducing security and compliance concerns.

As a consequence, a shadow supply chain arises – a complex web of unknown cloud applications, user accounts, data, and permissions scattered across the internet. With so many tools available online that are easy to sign up for and install, users have developed a habit of adopting cloud apps and services to assist them in their work. But this often means engaging with a third-party vendor without involving security teams at all or until the very end of the process.