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Every day, your people are doing what they do best, collaborating, sharing, and getting things done. But the tools that make work flow smoothly can also create risks you can’t always see. That’s the reality of Shadow IT: apps and services your teams use without formal approval, operating just under the surface.
In our latest Cyber Security in Focus webinar, we sat down with Aidan Power, Head of Product Management at dope.security, to explore how organisations can expose and manage these hidden risks, without slowing anyone down.
Shadow IT Isn’t a Niche Problem, It’s Everywhere.
By 2027, 75% of employees will acquire, modify or create technology outside IT’s visibility – up from 41% in 2022 according to Gartner. That’s not surprising when you consider how easy it is to use a personal Dropbox, Google Drive, or Slack account to share something quickly. What is surprising is how little visibility most security teams have over these activities.
That’s where dope.security comes in.
Their browser-native approach rethinks the traditional secure web gateway. Instead of routing traffic through faraway cloud proxies, they inspect it directly on the device, no detours, no delays. It’s faster, more private, and far more flexible for both IT teams and employees.
Real Visibility Means Knowing Who Is Doing What, and Where.
During the webinar, Aidan gave us a walkthrough of dope.security’s Shadow IT detection in action. It didn’t just show which apps were being used, it showed which accounts were active. That’s a game-changer.
Imagine seeing that someone’s uploaded a gig of data to their personal Gmail or transferred client documents via a consumer Slack workspace. With this level of insight, you can spot unusual behaviour, understand intent, and act, before a breach or compliance issue emerges.
Control That Works With Your People, Not Against Them.
One of the standout benefits of the dope.security platform is its customisability. You can set nuanced policies based on user roles, account types, or even specific actions like file uploads. For example:
- Allow employees to read from personal Gmail accounts but block uploads.
- Enable access to corporate OneDrive but block file transfers to personal storage.
- Flag or block use of ChatGPT unless accessed via an enterprise account.
It’s all designed to reduce risk without blocking productivity. As Aidan put it: “You can narrow the attack surface without shutting people down.”
File Sharing Is the New Front Line.
The other half of the equation is visibility into how files are shared, especially those that are public or externally accessible. The dope.security CASB module scans your environment (Google or Microsoft) and flags:
- Files shared with anyone who has the link
- Sensitive content like credit card data or personal health info
- Who outside the organisation has access
And it does this with AI-powered accuracy. No more false positives from pattern-matching. No more time wasted chasing ghosts. Just fast, clear insight, and the option to take action on the spot.
The Shock Factor and Why It Matters.
When asked what surprises people most, Aidan didn’t hesitate: “The amount of publicly shared data, and how sensitive some of it is.”
In one example, a scan revealed dozens of files with credit card data shared to the open web, completely unintentionally. And in another? An employee using over ten personal email accounts from their work laptop.
These aren’t malicious actors. They’re just people trying to get stuff done. But in today’s climate of compliance and reputational risk, ignorance isn’t an option.
It’s Not Just a Security Tool, It’s a Way to Work Smarter.
By shifting inspection to the device, dope.security reduces reliance on brittle, centralised infrastructure. It means less complexity for IT, smoother performance for end users, and clearer insight for security teams.
And from a business point of view? It reduces risk, simplifies operations, and gives your teams the freedom to work, with safety baked in.
Ready to See It for Yourself?
You can sign up for a free trial at dope.security and see exactly what’s happening in your own environment, no pressure, no commitments. It’s a low-lift, high-impact way to start regaining control.
Final Thought.
At Secon, we believe in making things clear and human. Cyber security shouldn’t get in your way, it should quietly enable you to do your best work. That’s why we partner with forward-thinking organisations like dope.security, and why we’re always on your side.
If you’d like to explore how to tackle Shadow IT and uncontrolled file sharing in your organisation, get in touch, we’re here to help.