Optimize Shadow IT
Managing Shadow IT with Eracent
Shadow IT happens when people use software, cloud apps, or devices without the IT department’s knowledge. While it may seem useful, it creates risks like security issues, data loss, extra costs, and unseen gaps in the organization’s technology.
How Eracent ITAM Can Identify & Manage Shadow IT
What Is Shadow IT & Why It’s a Problem
Shadow IT is when individuals or business units use software, services, cloud applications, or hardware without full knowledge or oversight of the central IT department. It often arises because users want speed, flexibility, or tools that they feel better meet their needs. While shadow IT may seem harmless (or even helpful) in getting work done, it introduces risks: security vulnerabilities, data loss, license non-compliance, redundant spend, integration challenges, and “unknown unknowns” in your technology portfolio.
How Eracent ITAM Enables Identification & Management of Shadow IT
Eracent’s ITAM solution helps identify and bring under control Shadow IT in several key ways:
Complete Discovery and Inventory
Eracent continuously scans devices, servers, cloud environments, and endpoints to identify all installed software, even those not previously known to IT. This “net” of visibility often catches things that users have adopted informally or services spun up without formal procurement.
Usage and Behavior Analytics
By tracking which software is actually used vs under-used, and by whom, Eracent can flag suspicious or low-usage apps. Some might be entirely unmanaged or have weak controls. This helps distinguish between business-driven legitimate use vs tool sprawl or unmanaged tools.
End-of-Support & Vulnerability Monitoring
Shadow IT tools are often neglected when it comes to patching or updating. Eracent’s tools identify software with known vulnerabilities or end-of-support, which may be operating “in the shadows.” This helps prioritize which of those unapproved tools pose security risk.
Normalization & Enrichment Data
Products and apps that users have installed might have ambiguous names, multiple versions, or unclear licensing status. Through its IT-Pedia product data and normalization, Eracent helps make sense of what is installed. That allows IT to map everything back to legal licenses, see gaps or unapproved use, and plan remediation.
Policy, Governance & Workflow Capabilities
Once shadow IT components are identified, Eracent ITAM can help enforce governance through policies for what is approved, what must be retired, processes for bringing new tools under oversight, and formal workflows for approvals. This turns shadow IT into managed IT.
Reporting & Audit Readiness
With full visibility and reporting, IT can show what shadow IT exists, what risks it poses, what the financial exposure is (licenses, support, etc.). This helps in making business cases for rationalization, consolidation, or decommissioning.
Business Impacts and Benefits
- Reduced security risk: fewer unknown apps or services that might harbor vulnerabilities, data leakage, or weak controls.
- Better compliance and lower audit exposure: more accurate licensing, less unlicensed software.
- Cost savings: avoiding spend on tools you don’t need, preventing redundant purchases.
- Improved IT control & alignment: central oversight, visibility, clearer ownership of assets.
- Enhanced trust and governance: when IT can show what is happening and have policies enforced, stakeholders have more confidence.
