What is Business-Led IT?

Technology, software, or SaaS acquired and used by employees that is outside the purview of the central IT or security departments. In some cases, the budget lies outside of IT and in the business line budget itself. Business-led IT is believed to help companies innovate faster, respond to market changes more quickly, and improve employee job satisfaction. Business-led IT is often associated with shadow IT or shadow SaaS and poses similar risks to companies because they often bypass a company’s security policies or compliance controls. Like shadow IT, business-led IT can result in cybersecurity gaps that result in breaches, unauthorized access to data, or compliance failures.