Over the past two years, 85% of companies globally have experienced cyber incidents, with 11% attributed to the unauthorized use of shadow IT. The figures originate from a recent study conducted by cybersecurity company Kaspersky, exposing a concerning pattern in the corporate realm.
According to Kaspersky, firms are encountering a heightened vulnerability to cyber incidents because of the escalating prevalence of shadow IT among employees within the expanding distributed workforce.
The study, published today, highlighted the consequences of shadow IT usage, from the leakage of confidential data to tangible harm to businesses.
Notably, the IT industry bore the brunt of these incidents, with a 16% impact in 2022 and 2023, while critical infrastructure and transport and logistics sectors experienced an impact of 13%. The study also underscored a real-world example of the risks associated with shadow IT, citing a recent case involving Okta.
This breach lasted for 20 days, impacting 134 company customers.
As organizations grapple with the challenges of shadow IT, Kaspersky recommended proactive measures to mitigate risks.
This includes cooperation between business and IT departments to understand and address new business needs, conducting regular inventories of IT assets, implementing access controls for personal employee devices and investing in training programs for both employees and IT security specialists.
This Cyber News was published on www.infosecurity-magazine.com. Publication date: Wed, 20 Dec 2023 16:35:29 +0000