Shadow IT. Many IT pros shudder at the term. For those who may not be familiar, shadow IT refers to the devices, systems, and applications on your network that are not under your direct control—creating network blind spots and increased security risks. And these days, shadow IT is everywhere. From personal laptops to mobile devices and browser extensions, the hunt for networking outsiders is a constant battle. Even on-premise hardware — unmanaged or hidden switches, private access points, and unauthorized wireless devices like IoT lightbulbs! — all present a problem.
But what if battling to bring shadow IT to heel is the wrong approach? That’s what Auvik Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Alex Hoff suggested at the 2020 Cherwell Clear Virtual Conference.
Your goal should be to secure the experience, rather than control the environment.
In a new world where our concept of “networks” has fundamentally expanded beyond what’s just in the building, Alex has two practical tips to consider:
- Troubleshooting the last mile. Subnets, speed tests, bandwidth, and WiFi all have to be considerations for endpoints at remote locations. Tip: try out our Subnet Calculator!
- Monitoring and Managing VPNs. Not just licensing, but hardware limitations will all have an effect on your VPNs performance. Do you have split tunneling set up?
Bring your shadow IT into the light with Auvik. Auvik’s vendor-agnostic, real-time mapping and device inventory features will instantly show you every device on your network, and what it’s connected to. TrafficInsights will help you pinpoint traffic flows, and help decide what needs to be on the VPN and what doesn’t. Ready to see what Auvik can do for your network? Take a risk-free, 14-day trial now.
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