According to a recent survey by CompTIA, technical debt and “cowboy IT” practices are posing significant challenges for 74% and 78% of organisations respectively. The study highlights that when best practice steps are omitted during IT solution creation, it leads to technical debt.
In contrast, cowboy IT refers to ad hoc technology deployment without IT team involvement. Both these issues can result in severe consequences including ransomware attacks and regulatory fines. The research also points out the role of generative AI in exacerbating these issues, while underscoring the importance of improving technological best processes to mitigate them.
- Technical debt and “cowboy IT” practices are costly challenges for organizations, impacting their ability to use technology strategically and apply effective cybersecurity controls.
- 74% of organizations face technical debt challenges, with 42% considering it a significant obstacle. Additionally, 78% are negatively impacted by cowboy IT and other ad hoc approaches to technology development.
- Improving technology best practices to reduce technical debt and cowboy IT is a high or moderate priority for 68% of organizations, with goals including better customer experience, improved cybersecurity posture, and compliance with external regulations.
Technical Debt and Cowboy IT: Stumbling Blocks to Effective Tech Strategy?
When it comes to the strategic use of technology and the implementation of effective cybersecurity measures, two factors appear to be causing significant issues for organisations. According to a recent survey by CompTIA, these are the accumulation of ‘technical debt’ and the uncontrolled use of ‘cowboy IT’ practices.
Understanding the Problem
Technical debt accrues when important best practice steps are bypassed during the creation of an IT solution. This issue is reported to be a challenge for a staggering 74% of organisations, 42% of which consider it a significant hurdle. The situation is even more concerning when it comes to cowboy IT practices, also known as shadow IT, which are negatively impacting 78% of organisations. These are ad hoc approaches to technology development and deployment carried out without the involvement of IT teams.
“If you don’t reduce technical debt, you end up with serious problems, and if cowboy IT is allowed to run roughshod, it leads to a toxic tech and business environment,” said Dr. James Stanger, chief technology evangelist, CompTIA.
The Consequences of Neglect
Two examples cited by Dr. Stanger highlight the potential fallout. Companies accruing technical debt through the use of unmonitored and unpatched software may fall victim to ransomware. Meanwhile, uncontrolled cowboy IT practices could lead to multiple issues, including fines and penalties for non-compliance with privacy regulations, ransomware attacks, and data loss.
The Role of AI
The survey also revealed a majority of IT professionals (63%) believe that generative artificial intelligence (AI) exacerbates the accumulation of technical debt and occurrences of cowboy IT. This is compared to 32% who reported that generative AI has improved their situation.
Positives on the Horizon?
Despite the seemingly gloomy picture, there is a silver lining. A majority of organisations (68%) reported that improving their technology best processes to reduce technical debt and cowboy IT is a high or moderate priority. These improvements include better connection between business and tech implementation, enhanced customer experience, improved cybersecurity posture, and better compliance with external regulations.
Final Thoughts
The findings from CompTIA’s survey paint a clear picture. The unchecked accumulation of technical debt and the prevalence of cowboy IT practices pose considerable risks to businesses. Avoidance of best practice steps and ad hoc technology deployment without IT involvement may seem like time and resource savers in the short term.
However, the long-term implications, such as potential ransomware attacks and non-compliance penalties, are far more costly. It’s encouraging to see that many organisations recognise the need to address these issues. The road to effective tech strategy and cybersecurity could be a smoother one if these challenges are tackled head-on.
FAQ
Q: What is technical debt?
A: Technical debt is the term used to describe the consequences of skipping essential best practices steps during the creation of an IT solution.
Q: How many organizations are affected by technical debt?
A: According to CompTIA’s survey, technical debt is a challenge for 74% of organizations, with 42% considering it a significant obstacle.
Q: What is Cowboy IT?
A: Cowboy IT refers to ad hoc approaches to technology development and deployment that are implemented without the involvement of IT teams.
Q: How does technical debt impact organizations?
A: Technical debt reduces the ability to use technology strategically and apply cybersecurity controls effectively, leading to serious problems and implications that hinder companies from making strategic use of their technology.
Q: What are the consequences of cowboy IT practices?
A: Cowboy IT can result in multiple issues, including fines and penalties for failing to comply with privacy regulations, ransomware attacks, and data loss.
Q: What are the causes of technical debt and cowboy IT?
A: Causes include underestimating the complexity of technology solutions and the resource and time requirements needed for their implementation.
Q: How does generative AI impact technical debt and cowboy IT?
A: According to the survey, 63% of IT professionals believe that generative AI exacerbates the accumulation of technical debt and occurrences of cowboy IT, while 32% think it has improved the situation.
Q: What are the priorities for organizations to reduce technical debt and cowboy IT?
A: The priorities include improving the connection between business and tech implementation, enhancing customer experience, improving cybersecurity posture, and ensuring compliance with external regulations.
Q: How can organizations tackle conscious technical debt?
A: The most productive way is to iterate on every level of the organization, actively manage development teams or service providers to address any incurred debt, and allocate time and resources to resolve the issues.
