With 82% of UK firms relying on Microsoft 365, collaboration and communication have never been more seamless.
But where there’s cloud convenience, there’s also risk… cyber snakes waiting to strike when least expected.
One of the most common threats in the cloud age is Shadow IT – when employees use unapproved cloud applications or services without the knowledge of IT teams. This creates security blind spots and opens up new data vulnerabilities, giving those snakes new gaps in which they can slither into your network, while making compliance a constant game of catch-up.
Why Shadow IT is so dangerous
When employees install unsanctioned apps to circumvent existing policies, meet deadlines or collaborate externally, security protocols are pushed aside.
Shadow IT isn’t just a theoretical risk; it’s a proven vulnerability. According to Infosecurity Magazine, 85% of companies globally have experienced cyber incidents, with 11% of these directly attributed to Shadow IT. Recent IBM research compounds this even further: 82% of breaches involve data stored in the cloud.
Unsanctioned apps may lack strong encryption or store data in non-compliant ways, making them an open door for cybercriminals. Even with the best intentions, users bypassing policy create holes in your defences that traditional perimeter security systems such as firewalls simply can’t patch.
Enter CASB: Your cloud-app bodyguard
This is where Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) technology steps in. It’s like installing floodlights across the game board, illuminating every square and exposing the snakes, stopping them from hiding in the shadows.
CASB provides a critical layer of visibility and control over cloud application use, detecting unsanctioned tools and allowing IT teams to monitor and manage how cloud apps are accessed and used.
CASB helps you:
- Discover and assess unsanctioned apps in real-time
- Enforce encryption and data loss prevention policies
- Monitor behaviour to detect anomalies and flag misuse
- Integrate with identity providers for secure access control
- Ensure GDPR and ISO compliance across cloud environments
Why Digital Space?
At Digital Space, we build SASE solutions with fully integrated CASB capabilities, giving you the power to embrace the cloud securely and keep a vigilant eye on your network.
With us on your team, we’ll make it easy to uncover Shadow IT usage, enforce policies and stay compliant, all while maximising the productivity gains that cloud apps can provide.
No blind spots. No bottlenecks. Just safe, secure, and scalable cloud adoption so you can climb the ladders available and play the game of business growth to your full potential.
Let’s team-up!
Simply fill in the form below and we can talk game strategy and how Digital Space can help you avoid the cyber snakes on your board.
