Teleworking under the shadow of Shadow IT

Almost all workers are seduced by the idea of hybrid work. Being able to work a few days from home so that, if they need to, they can go to the office for important meetings or carry out team activities. And although it is this new reality that many companies are heading towards, the truth is that when we analyze the figures of what is actually happening, hybrid work still has a “push” left to settle.

Take, for example, the study that Condeco has just published, in which one of its most worrying conclusions is the one that states that only 12% of those surveyed He considers that he has “convinced” the managers of his company to invest in technology that allows him to continue this way of working.

This conclusion of course contrasts with another of the main headlines that we usually read in this type of study, that is, that most employees want to have the flexibility and the necessary tools to be able to work both in the office and at home. In the case of the research published by this software company, the 70% of the participants They believe that being able to enjoy this flexibility shows that their company “takes into account the emotional and mental well-being of its employees.”

The most interesting thing, however, is that the companies themselves are aware of the advantages arising from this new way of working. If we go back to the report with which we started this article, we read that the 78% of managers finds that his business has become more streamlined thanks to this new approach. However, the fact that more than half of the workers questioned ensure that their company does not provide them with the appropriate tools for this new way of working is very striking.

Shadow IT’s shadow is elongated

Especially because when workers do not have professional equipment to telecommute, lack technology that facilitates their mobility and do not have applications “sanctioned” by the company to work remotely safely, the possibilities that end up using their own devices and personal “resources” and that these become a security threat for the company, grows exponentially.

And that is when he Shadow IT it enters through the door… experts say that security goes out the window. As many of you know and although there are some nuances that can be taken into account, in general Shadow IT refers to all kinds of technological elements (software, devices, services, etc.) used in a company, but that are not managed or controlled by the IT department.

In many cases, those responsible for the infrastructure may not even be aware of its existence, which is why the term Invisible IT is also used. When telework (or hybrid work) becomes widespread in a situation like the current one, the greatest risk that companies run is to end up with a chaotic IT infrastructure, totally insecure and to a certain extent, ungovernable.

The answer to this can of course be investing in purchasing new computers and mobile devices for employees, then enforcing the necessary security policies and properly integrating them into the company’s device management (MDM) platform. (Do you remember when a few days ago we talked about the importance of the NAC?)

But in reality, this is not always necessary. On many occasions, workers can continue to be allowed to use the personal tools with which they feel most comfortable when working, if the company puts in place the appropriate layers of security so that they can do so without risk, for example with VDI environments that turn any technological device into a remote desktop.

But if we want to reduce complexity, we can also do it thanks to platforms that, like VMware’s “Work from Anywhere”, ensure a productive and secure environment for employees to work remotely.

Work from Anywhere

Where VPN solutions do not always arrive and where even VDI platforms fall short, what we have been seeing in recent months is an offer of new platforms that, largely based on the cloud, aim to replicate on computers of “remote workers”, the experience of doing it in the office, that is: ensure a quality connection with the company’s data center, that connection is secure, and that critical applications run smoothly.

In this space, “Work from Anywhere”, a VMware SD-Wan solution, ensures a productive and secure environment for employees to work remotely. It is not the only one, of course, but precisely because of that approach to hybrid work that we talked about before, it is one that is worth considering.