Shadow IT is the use of technology within an organisation without approval or formal oversight. This includes all kinds of software and hardware, but is increasingly dominated by online, Software as a Service (SaaS) tools. I’ve recently released a free guide called ‘Managing Shadow IT in unions’ via the TUC’s Digital Lab. Examples of Shadow IT could include the use of a private Google account to handle a union’s branch email account, setting up a WhatsApp group to communicate with members in a workplace, or storing sensitive member data on a union staffer’s personal laptop. Union staff and

Cyber security is a major and ever evolving risk for organisations. While the nature of the threats has evolved over time, the risks have arguably never been greater for trade unions. Download the free Cyber security for unions report . As data storage has moved online, this has seen an increase in the range and types of digital threats. This has resulted in a new phase in the ‘arms race’ between cyber security and malicious actors, with innovation in both the types of threats and the responding security technologies and protocols. For unions, who maintain a large collection of highly

Cyber security remains a critical and ever-evolving challenge. With the escalation of threats such as ransomware and sophisticated phishing attacks, fraudulent emails aimed at deceiving individuals into disclosing sensitive information, the stakes have never been higher. This issue is particularly pertinent for unions, who hold the personal details of thousands of members on their systems. Trade union membership itself is deemed as special category sensitive data under Data Protection legislation, and so even more care is needed around this. A government backed review into the most common

Policies around technology usage and data protection have been common in the workplace for a long time now. They are considered essential in a corporate environment to help ensure security of systems and data, as well as to promote suitable behaviours amongst employees. While policies such as IT usage, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Data Protection have been common for years now, the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and especially generative AI, is resulting in the adoption of a new technology policy. The corporate AI policy. With the rapid growth of the technology, some organisations

Historically, electronic files have been stored on drives, in a hierarchical folder structure. This may be on a local desktop or laptop for individuals, but organisations have tended to use network drives. With the rise of cloud storage, the traditional drive approach is being replaced with online document management systems. Many organisations are making this switch, and the pandemic and new hybrid working model has accelerated this change. It’s much easier to work remotely and collaborate on a modern, cloud-based document management platform. SharePoint, Microsoft’s flagship document

Shadow IT is the use of technology, such as cloud-based software, without the approval or oversight from the organisation’s IT department. Some examples of shadow IT include: Storing business data on a private Google account Using a personal account on an online survey platform to collect work-related data Saving sensitive work personal data on an unmonitored personal laptop Using a private Dropbox account to manage a spreadsheet of work contacts With the rise of online services in particular, more and more people have been able to use free or cheap tools to help with their work. These new

The next wave of change in technology will involve more data crunching taking place closer to home, with the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and innovations such as AI and self-driving cars. This move to process data closer to where it’s created or used is called Edge computing, and it’s going to become much more common. Over the last few years, we have seen cloud computing become the norm. A dwindling number of organisations run their email from an internal server, and most of us have become used to storing our data on cloud platforms such as OneDrive or Dropbox. Similarly, organisations are

If there is a ‘no deal’ Brexit, what are the implications when working with IT and Digital? One of the first issues could be the effect on the workforce. If you or any of your team are EU nationals, the UK Government has committed to protecting rights, but EU nationals will need to register to do this. It could be that the workforce is affected as people choose to leave the UK, and EU applications for UK technology jobs dwindle. The full impact will remain to be seen. World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules mean that the sales and purchase of software and hardware in general shouldn’t face major

Data Protection laws are undergoing a major upgrade when the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) supersedes the Data Protection Act on the 25th May 2018. These wide-ranging changes are impacting on a number of areas, and one of these is the website privacy statement. Websites have been displaying privacy statements for years, especially since infamous EU Cookie law came into force in 2012. They often take the form of a long page of detailed text. This privacy policy is then linked to on registration forms, website footers or the annoying cookie notification pop-ups some sites decided to

When the UK’s Data Protection Act came into force in 1998, the term ‘Data Protection’ entered our vocabulary as a representation of the legal rights individuals have over their personal data. Far fewer people understood the ins and outs, but the concept of data protection entered mass consciousness, just as the internet age was starting to roll. In May 2018, the legislation is being overhauled to meet the requirements of a much changed world, as the stricter General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force. This represents a significant tightening of the rules, combined with much