Does your organization have a process to identify and manage unauthorized or unapproved technology solutions (shadow IT) being used to meet business objectives?

Shadow IT refers to technology systems, software, devices, or services used within an organization without explicit IT department approval or knowledge. These unofficial solutions often emerge when employees seek to improve productivity or overcome limitations in approved tools. Examples include using personal cloud storage accounts for work files, unauthorized collaboration tools, or employee-developed applications.

Evidence of compliance could include documentation of shadow IT discovery processes, such as network scanning reports, application inventory tools, cloud access security broker (CASB) logs, or formal shadow IT assessment reports that identify unauthorized systems in use across the organization.