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PrOTect It All · October 5 · 56 min

AI Is the New Shadow IT: Why Blocking It Never Worked with Jack Smith

Work with Aaron: https://protectitallpod.com/work/ The book: https://protectitallpod.com/book/ This episode: https://protectitallpod.com/ep126/ The OT Security Starter Kit: https://protectitallpod.com/starter-kit/ Shadow IT used to be a server in a closet. Today it is Linda from sales uploading confidential quotes to whatever AI tool she found first, and your corporate data leaving with it. Jack Smith has spent more than 25 years in enterprise IT, across infrastructure, networks, datacenters, cloud and incident management, and he hosts the IT Horror Stories podcast. His argument is that AI is not a new problem, it is the latest version of an old one, and that the reflex to block it at the firewall has never worked and will not work now. Aaron and Jack get into where AI genuinely helps, where it quietly does not, and the question of what happens when a system that gives a different answer every time is asked to make a decision that has to be the same every time. What you will take away Why blocking AI tools fails the same way blocking USB sticks and webmail failed The difference between a tool that optimises your work and a tool you hand your work to Why analytics and diagnosis are the strong case for AI, and treatment is not The training gap: staff get GDPR training and security training, and no AI training at all A one question test anyone can apply before pasting company data anywhere In this episode 1:19 Twenty five years, from floppy disks to AI 10:45 Shadow IT used to be a box in a closet 12:31 Why blocking it never works 19:53 You cannot throw people in the deep end 21:48 When a wrong answer can kill someone 25:40 The answer everybody hates: training 27:54 Never give AI your production environment 41:20 Ask who owns your AI policy 44:38 Who actually gets rich 47:08 The Times Square test About the guest Jack Smith has spent more than 25 years working in enterprise IT across infrastructure, networks, datacenters, cloud and incident management. He hosts IT Horror Stories, a weekly podcast about real-world IT incidents, what went wrong, how they were fixed, and what we can learn from them. IT Horror Stories podcast: https://ithorrorstories.eu/ "AI Is The New Shadow IT": https://ithorrorstories.eu/#rant07 Jack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franky/ Learn more about PrOTect IT All: Work with Aaron: https://protectitallpod.com/work/ The book: https://protectitallpod.com/book/ This episode: https://protectitallpod.com/ep126/ The OT Security Starter Kit: https://protectitallpod.com/starter-kit/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PrOTectITAll Email: info@protectitall.co X: https://twitter.com/protectitall Facebook: https://facebook.com/protectitallpodcast To be a guest or suggest a guest or episode, email info@protectitall.co. Please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/protect-it-all/id1727211124 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Vvi0euj3rE8xObK0yvYi4

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Work with Aaron: https://protectitallpod.com/work/
The book: https://protectitallpod.com/book/
This episode: https://protectitallpod.com/ep126/
The OT Security Starter Kit: https://protectitallpod.com/starter-kit/

Shadow IT used to be a server in a closet. Today it is Linda from sales uploading confidential quotes to whatever AI tool she found first, and your corporate data leaving with it.

Jack Smith has spent more than 25 years in enterprise IT, across infrastructure, networks, datacenters, cloud and incident management, and he hosts the IT Horror Stories podcast. His argument is that AI is not a new problem, it is the latest version of an old one, and that the reflex to block it at the firewall has never worked and will not work now.

Aaron and Jack get into where AI genuinely helps, where it quietly does not, and the question of what happens when a system that gives a different answer every time is asked to make a decision that has to be the same every time.

What you will take away

  • Why blocking AI tools fails the same way blocking USB sticks and webmail failed
  • The difference between a tool that optimises your work and a tool you hand your work to
  • Why analytics and diagnosis are the strong case for AI, and treatment is not
  • The training gap: staff get GDPR training and security training, and no AI training at all
  • A one question test anyone can apply before pasting company data anywhere

In this episode

  • 1:19 Twenty five years, from floppy disks to AI
  • 10:45 Shadow IT used to be a box in a closet
  • 12:31 Why blocking it never works
  • 19:53 You cannot throw people in the deep end
  • 21:48 When a wrong answer can kill someone
  • 25:40 The answer everybody hates: training
  • 27:54 Never give AI your production environment
  • 41:20 Ask who owns your AI policy
  • 44:38 Who actually gets rich
  • 47:08 The Times Square test

About the guest

Jack Smith has spent more than 25 years working in enterprise IT across infrastructure, networks, datacenters, cloud and incident management. He hosts IT Horror Stories, a weekly podcast about real-world IT incidents, what went wrong, how they were fixed, and what we can learn from them.

Learn more about PrOTect IT All:

Work with Aaron: https://protectitallpod.com/work/
The book: https://protectitallpod.com/book/
This episode: https://protectitallpod.com/ep126/
The OT Security Starter Kit: https://protectitallpod.com/starter-kit/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PrOTectITAll
Email: info@protectitall.co
X: https://twitter.com/protectitall
Facebook: https://facebook.com/protectitallpodcast

To be a guest or suggest a guest or episode, email info@protectitall.co.

Please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/protect-it-all/id1727211124
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Vvi0euj3rE8xObK0yvYi4

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