Shadow IT

Definition - What does Shadow IT mean?

Shadow IT is used to describe IT solutions and systems created and applied inside companies and organizations without their authorization. This is considered a vital foundation for technological advancement and innovation because these efforts can become potential prototypes for IT solutions that are approved in the future. Even though these solutions can help in the advancement of IT innovations, they may not conform to the company’s requirements in terms of reliability, documentation, control, security and more.

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Techopedia explains Shadow IT

There are some complications that may occur with shadow IT other than security risks:

It causes additional expenses and uses up organizations' precious time because they have to deliberate the legitimacy of the source of certain data.
The different versions that are frequently modified from shadow IT data create inconsistencies in business logic. Because of these inconsistencies, misunderstandings of the concepts and misuse of the data usually happens and goes unnoticed.
Shadow IT can also become a hindrance to advancement and innovation in the IT industry because it can block more efficient work processes.