CISOs have enormous jobs, making it impractical to keep track of and … To effectively manage Shadow IT, the CISO needs to foster an alliance.
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Shadow IT is a fact of life. You can’t stop employees from using their own devices or services, and you can’t outlaw consumer apps in the office without causing an uproar. But that doesn’t mean you should just throw your hands up and accept it. There are ways to manage shadow IT successfully:
#1 – Accept The Reality Of Shadow IT The first step is simply accepting that shadow IT exists and will continue to exist. Acknowledging this fact means you can move on to the next steps of managing it effectively.
#2 – Understand The Problem Areas Of Shadow IT Once you know that shadow IT exists, you also know where the problems are likely to arise. Some common problem areas include: security, compliance, privacy, network bandwidth and storage space.
#3 – Get Your Boss On Board If you work at a company that doesn’t allow employees to bring their own devices or use personal apps, then this won’t apply. But if you do, there are two main ways to get your boss on board: Talk to them about the problems shadow IT causes. Find out if they have any concerns that can be addressed. (For example, maybe they don’t like how much bandwidth Dropbox uses.) Show them how solutions such as cloud-based management software can solve the problem areas mentioned above. Be sure to show the benefits of preventing shadow IT instead of just banning it outright.
#4 – Be Transparent And Communicative About The Issue The more transparent and communicative you are about shadow IT, the easier it will be to manage it successfully. That means letting people know what they can and cannot do with their own devices and services, and explaining why these rules exist in the first place. Transparency is key to building trust between coworkers and helping them understand why certain policies exist in the first place.
#5 – Use Cloud-Based Management Software For On-Premises Apps And Devices If you’re a small business or work for a company that allows employees to bring their own devices, cloud-based management software is a must. It can help you centrally manage everything on your network, including apps and devices. For example, it can prevent employees from using unauthorized apps, monitor which apps are being used by whom and block risky sites.
#6 – Use Mobile Device Management For Mobile Apps And Devices Mobile device management (MDM) is similar to cloud-based management software in that it lets you centrally manage mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. But MDM goes above and beyond simple app and device control; it also lets you remotely lock/wipe devices in case they get lost or stolen, enforce security policies such as data encryption and more. If your workplace allows employees to bring their own mobile devices, then look into MDM solutions like AirWatch.
What is CISO?
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is the executive responsible for developing and implementing an information security program within an organization. The chief information security officer is responsible for determining the overall strategy that will be used to protect the company’s systems, data, and networks. With the evolution of technology, outsourcing of business processes and increase in cyber threats to businesses, Chief Information Security Officer has emerged as a key position. The CISO is one of the most crucial roles within an organization because they’re responsible for protecting all of their company’s digital assets which includes confidential information about customers, financial records and employee data. CISOs are hired by various types of organizations such as banks and other financial institutions; healthcare organizations; government agencies; education organizations etc. Key Job Responsibilities The primary goals of a CISO are to reduce the risks associated with IT use, develop a solid IT security policy framework and help implement it across the entire organization while keeping up with emerging threats in today’s highly volatile digital landscape. A CISO needs to make sure that all operations carried out by employees or third party service providers are done in adherence with defined standards. The duty of a CISO also includes maintaining risk assessment procedures, disaster recovery plans along with developing contingency plans in case there’s any major breach such as attack on website or loss due to natural calamities like floods etc. They also ensure physical security measures are taken at every location where hardware or electronic storage are present so that it doesn’t get stolen or damaged.