More employers are allowing workers to "BYOD"—bring your own device—into the workplace. But some downloaded apps, shared between work and personal devices, can cause trouble. Just this month, the popular Evernote app was hacked, requiring a reset of more than 50 million passwords.
The term "shadow IT" refers to the proliferation of solutions and systems downloaded by employees and used in the workplace without the knowledge or support of IT. These apps can be for work or personal use, and can be loaded on PCs, smartphones or tablets connected to corporate networks. PricewaterhouseCoopers' "Digital IQ" survey estimates that among top performing companies, IT controls less than 50 percent of corporate technology expenditures.
"It's typically cost efficient to allow employees to bring their own devices and use them at work rather than supplying them with expensive devices and contracts," said Michael Born, VP and account executive, Lockton Global Technology & Private Practice. "But with this loosening of IT control comes the potential for oversight over how these devices can be used. When employees mix personal and business use on a device, there are obviously vulnerabilities, as personal-use apps could bleed over into confidential business on devices."
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