Tech workarounds without IT approval can lead to disaster

When people encounter obstacles, they naturally try to find the simplest way around. For many workers that rely on technology, IT-related hurdles that are taken on without the help of IT personnel, could lead to more problems than just lost time, as company data can be put at risk.

For small and midsized businesses (SMBs), staying on top of technological innovations and security protocols is an ongoing struggle. IT departments – where there exist  – are already stretched thin and an employee deciding to download an unapproved software or change a network setting could send them to defcon one.

While it may seem harmless on the surface, changes that have not been properly cleared leave the network open to being breached by cybercrimals and vulnerable to viruses and malware. This opens sensitive business information up to attack and theft.

“A risk to an enterprise is that department staff will work around the central IT department in an uncontrolled way – road warriors go direct to Salesforce, programmers to github, and administrators to Google Apps,” writes Nick Hardiman for TechRepublic. “Sensitive data is unsecured, cloud sprawl pushes up prices, and duplicated service suppliers stick like barnacles to the hull of the enterprise.”

SMBs that already lack the ability to handle the challenges of the IT channel should look into partnering with an IT consulting firm. This can help bolster what an IT department can handle. Firms that are experienced with networking and security are essential to making sure data remains safe at all times.

From our offices in Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland, PRO OnCall is your single-source technology consulting service, offering managed IT support, unified communications solutions and on-call IT support.