Why It Matters

Without proper visibility into installed applications across client systems, organizations face significant challenges:

Security risks from unapproved or outdated software

Compliance gaps from missing software controls

Operational inefficiencies in inventory management

With Shadow IT, CYRISMA bridges this gap by giving you a clear, risk-graded view of installed applications across all endpoints.

Key Benefits

✅ Categorized Application Inventory
Easily view what software is installed on which devices. All software is automatically categorized to simplify asset tracking.

✅ Customer-Specific Insights
All data is scoped per instance, allowing MSPs and clients to view software trends within their unique environment.

✅ Risk Grading
Each installed application is assigned a risk level (Low, Medium, High) based on type, behavior, and known vulnerabilities—so you can prioritize remediation and compliance enforcement.

How It Works

Once enabled, CYRISMA scans across endpoints within a customer instance. The system collects metadata on installed software and plugins, which is then:

Categorized into logical groupings (e.g., Business Applications, Drivers, Development Tools).

Scored using CYRISMA’s internal risk engine.

Displayed in a visual dashboard that highlights high-risk software and affected systems.

Where to Find It

You can access the Shadow IT dashboard under the Compliance tab → Shadow IT.

From here, you can:

See the total number of scanned targets and categories

Top 5 Software Categories by Installation Count

Featured Software and Plug-In Categories include:

• All-in-One Collaboration Suites
• Browser-based Collaboration (Lightweight tools)
• Business Applications
• Consumer-Oriented Cloud Storage (Also used in SMBs)
• Database Tools
• Development Tools
• Email & Secure Messaging
• End-to-End Encrypted / Privacy-Focused Storage
• Enterprise Cloud Storage Platforms
• Gaming
• Hardware & Drivers
• Live Chat, Sales, & Customer Engagement
• Media & Design
• Messaging & Team Chat
• Other (Netflix, Twitter, Torrenting Apps)
• Productivity Tools
• Remote Access & Remote Support Tools
• Security Software
• Self-Hosted / Private Cloud Solutions
• Specialized Cloud Backup & Archival
• System Utilities
• Video Conferencing & Virtual Meetings
• Virtualization
• VoIP & Unified Communications

On the top right hand side of the page you can change the default risk profile set up:

Overview of Target Risk Profiles

• In this section you can click on a target to view the number of different software in your categories discovered and a separate column for your high risk categories

• When viewing the software or plug in category on a specific machine you can see the software name, version and software category

Explore Top 5 risky applications and systems

• Drill into a specific target to view its software inventory and risk grades

Example View:

Example Use Cases

MSPs identifying risky business applications across client systems

Security teams reviewing plugin usage for potential exploitation

Compliance officers validating approved software use across departments

FAQs

Q: Does Shadow IT scan browser plugins or only installed software?
A: Shadow IT scans both installed software and browser plugins, depending on agent permissions and configuration.

Q: How is the risk level of an application determined?
A: Risk levels are calculated based on vendor reputation, update frequency, exploit history, and other telemetry sources integrated into CYRISMA’s risk engine.

Q: Can I export reports based on this data?
A: Yes, software inventory and risk profiles can be exported into formatted reports for audits or compliance documentation.