The extent and risks of unauthorized Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications: McAfee survey is alarming and educative.
This midday, Connectikpeople has captured the results of a market research survey designed to uncover the extent and
risks of unauthorized Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. The study,
conducted by Stratecast, a division of Frost & Sullivan, found that more
than 80 percent of survey respondents admit to using non-approved SaaS
applications in their jobs. Furthermore, IT employees use a higher number of
non-approved SaaS applications than other company employees.
Frost & Sullivan estimates that the overall SaaS market in North
America alone will grow at a rate of 16 percent CAGR, reaching a market value
of $23.5 billion USD by
2017.
As keys findings, Connectikpeople has captured:
- More than 80 percent of survey respondents admit to using non-approved SaaS applications in their jobs.
- Nearly 35 percent of all SaaS applications used within the enterprise are non-approved, contributing to Shadow IT.
- Microsoft Office 365 is the top unapproved SaaS application (9 percent of respondents), followed closely by Zoho (8 percent), LinkedIn (7 percent) and Facebook (7 percent).
- On average, 15 percent of users have experienced a security, access, or liability event while using SaaS.
- IT professionals use Shadow IT more than business users (81 percent of Line of Business users, and 83 percent of IT users).
- 39 percent of IT respondents use unauthorized SaaS because, “it allows me to bypass IT processes”, while 18 percent agreed that IT restrictions “make it difficult to do my job.”
Based on these realities, it is imperative for companies to develop
policies that strike the right balance between flexibility and control. The survey
also reveals that, IT and business leaders need to work together to create and
support policies that enable employees to use the apps they need to be
productive, with controls in place to protect data and minimize corporate risk.
About McAfee
McAfee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC),
empowers businesses, the public sector, and home users to safely experience the
benefits of the Internet. The company delivers proactive and proven security
solutions and services for systems, networks, and mobile devices around the
world. With its Security Connected strategy, innovative approach to
hardware-enhanced security, and unique Global Threat Intelligence network,
McAfee is relentlessly focused on keeping its customers safe. http://www.mcafee.com
