The Software Risk Most Businesses Don’t See

Your Windows devices are updated. Microsoft 365 is running smoothly. Your antivirus is working, and your IT support provider is keeping everything in order.

So, your business software must be secure. Right?

Not necessarily.

Most businesses use far more software than they realise. Beyond familiar applications like Microsoft 365 and Google Chrome, employees also rely on PDF readers, accounting tools, browser extensions, file-sharing platforms and increasingly, AI-powered applications.

But are all these applications regularly checked for security weaknesses? And do you actually know what software your employees are using?

You may have heard terms like software vulnerabilities and Shadow IT used to describe these risks.

They might sound technical, but the ideas behind them are relatively simple.

In this article, we’ll explain what these terms mean, why they matter to your business and what you can do to reduce the risks, even if you already have IT support in place.

Your IT Systems Are Updated. But What About Everything Else?

When your IT provider tells you that your systems are up to date, it’s reassuring.

But there’s an important question worth asking: Which software is actually being updated?

Routine IT maintenance often includes operating system updates and commonly used applications such as Microsoft Office and web browsers.

These updates are essential, but they don’t necessarily cover every piece of software installed across your business.

Think about the applications employees use throughout the working day:

• PDF readers and document editing software

• Accounting and finance applications

• Video conferencing and communication tools

• Remote access and file-sharing applications

• Browser extensions and plugins

• Specialist industry software

These applications have their own security updates, which may need to be managed separately from Windows or other core systems.

For example, your computer could be running the latest version of Windows while an older PDF application remains installed with a known security vulnerability.

Everything might appear to work normally. However, the outdated application could still expose your business to unnecessary risk.

This doesn’t mean your IT support provider isn’t doing its job. Many providers already manage third-party software vulnerabilities as part of their services.

The important thing is understanding what your existing IT agreement covers.

Keeping your operating system updated is not the same as ensuring every application is regularly checked for security vulnerabilities.

What Is Shadow IT, and Why Should Your Business Care?

Shadow IT refers to software, devices or online services being used within a business without being properly recorded, approved or managed through its IT processes.

It often happens for completely understandable reasons.

An employee downloads a free application to convert a document.

Another installs a browser extension to make everyday tasks easier.

Someone else signs up for a cloud-based tool to share files with a client.

None of these actions is necessarily malicious. Employees are simply trying to get their work done.

But if the business doesn’t know which tools are being used, it becomes harder to assess and manage the risks they introduce.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) identifies Shadow IT as a security concern because organisations may lack visibility and control over technology handling their information.

And this is where two different risks can overlap.

Shadow IT is about technology being used without proper visibility or management. Software vulnerabilities are security weaknesses within applications or systems.

An application can contain an unpatched vulnerability even when your IT team knows about it.

Equally, an unapproved cloud application might be fully updated but still introduce risks through inappropriate data sharing or weak access controls.

Both require attention, but they are not exactly the same problem.

Why AI Tools Are Adding to the Challenge

The rapid adoption of AI-powered tools has made managing unapproved software and services more challenging.

Employees can now use AI applications to draft emails, summarise meetings, analyse documents and automate everyday tasks.

These tools can be genuinely useful. However, when employees adopt them without appropriate approval or oversight, new security and data protection concerns can arise.

For example, an employee might upload confidential business information to an AI service without understanding how that information is stored or processed.

Some AI tools may also request access to business accounts, documents or other connected services.

This is often referred to as Shadow AI, a form of Shadow IT.

The NCSC’s guidance on Shadow AI highlights the importance of understanding how employees use AI tools and managing the associated risks.

For businesses, the answer isn’t necessarily to restrict every new application.

It’s to understand what technology employees need, approve appropriate tools and make sure security controls keep pace with how people work.

Why Overlooked Software Vulnerabilities Are a Business Risk

A software vulnerability is a weakness in an application or system that an attacker may be able to exploit.

Software developers regularly identify vulnerabilities and release security updates to address them.

The difficulty arises when a business doesn’t know that an affected application is installed, or doesn’t have a process for applying the necessary fix.

Consider a hypothetical example.

A London-based fintech company has 30 employees and provides a digital platform for managing financial transactions and sensitive customer information. Its laptops are regularly updated, and the business has reliable day-to-day IT support.

During a software review, several devices are found to have an outdated third-party application installed.

The application still works, so nobody has reported a problem. However, the vendor has released a security update to address a known vulnerability that hasn’t been installed.

Depending on the vulnerability, this could create an opportunity for attackers to compromise affected devices and potentially gain access to systems or sensitive information.

For a fintech business, the consequences could be particularly significant. An exploited vulnerability could lead to exposure of confidential financial data, disruption to customer-facing services, operational downtime and potential regulatory implications.

Not every vulnerability will result in a cyber attack. The level of risk depends on the weakness, how the application is used, what information it can access and the security controls already in place.

Nevertheless, leaving known vulnerabilities unresolved creates unnecessary exposure.

For fintech SMEs, where customer trust, data security and reliable access to financial systems are essential, even a relatively small security incident can have consequences far beyond the initial technical issue.

The real challenge isn’t simply that software vulnerabilities exist. It’s that businesses may not know which vulnerabilities are present or whether anyone is responsible for fixing them.

What Does Cyber Essentials Say About Software Vulnerabilities?

Software vulnerability management is also an important part of Cyber Essentials.

Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme designed to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber attacks.

One of its five technical controls is Security Update Management.

The purpose of this control is to ensure that devices and software are protected against known security issues for which fixes are available.

A common misconception is that meeting the software update requirements simply involves keeping Windows and major applications updated.

In reality, the requirements are broader.

Under the Cyber Essentials Requirements for IT Infrastructure, organisations must ensure that all software within their defined assessment scope is kept up to date.

Software on in-scope devices must be licensed and supported, with automatic updates enabled wherever possible. Unsupported software must be removed or excluded from scope using the scheme’s specified approach.

Why IT Support Alone May Not Cover Every Software Vulnerability

Having an IT support provider is an important part of running a reliable business.

IT support helps employees work efficiently, keeps systems operational and ensures technical problems are addressed.

Depending on the service agreement, it may also include patch management, device monitoring and security protection.

However, there can be a difference between routine IT maintenance and comprehensive software vulnerability management.

IT support typically focuses on maintaining systems and supporting users.

Managed vulnerability management focuses specifically on identifying, assessing, prioritising and addressing known security weaknesses across the systems and applications it covers.

For example, a business might have operating system updates managed automatically but no established process for reviewing vulnerabilities in less commonly used third-party software.

This creates a potential gap, even when everyday IT support is working well.

Importantly, addressing that gap doesn’t necessarily mean changing your existing IT provider.

Managed security can complement your current IT support by providing additional visibility, monitoring and accountability for software risks.

The first step is simply understanding what protection you already have and where additional coverage may be needed.

How Can Businesses Identify and Fix Hidden Software Vulnerabilities?

Effective software vulnerability management is an ongoing process, not a one-off security check.

It starts with identifying what software is actually being used.

1. Discover the Software Across Your Business

Before you can manage software vulnerabilities, you need visibility into the applications installed on your business devices.

A software inventory can help identify outdated versions, unnecessary applications and software that may not have been included in routine patching.

Discovering unapproved cloud services may require additional methods, because not every application is installed directly on a device.

2. Identify Known Vulnerabilities

Once applications have been identified, vulnerability management tools can help check whether installed software versions are affected by known security weaknesses.

This gives the business a clearer understanding of potential exposure beyond operating system updates.

3. Prioritise and Remediate Risks

Not every vulnerability carries the same level of risk.

Some require urgent action, while others can be addressed through a planned update process.

Remediation may involve installing a patch, applying a vendor-recommended fix, updating an application or removing software that is no longer required.

Unsupported software may need to be replaced because security fixes are no longer available.

4. Keep Monitoring

Software security isn’t something that can be checked once and forgotten.

Applications change, employees adopt new tools and new vulnerabilities are discovered.

Ongoing monitoring helps businesses identify emerging issues, track outstanding vulnerabilities and confirm that remediation has been completed.

The goal is to move from occasionally checking software to having a consistent process for managing it.

Five Questions Every Business Should Ask About Software Security

You don’t need to be a cyber security expert to start understanding your business’s exposure.

Whether you have an internal IT team or an external support provider, these five questions are a useful starting point:

1. Do we know what software is installed across all our managed business devices?

2. Are third-party applications monitored for vulnerabilities, or are updates mainly focused on operating systems and core software?

3. Can we identify unauthorised applications and services, including browser extensions and AI tools?

4. How quickly are critical and high-risk software vulnerabilities identified and addressed?

5. Can we see which vulnerabilities have been resolved and which still require attention?

The answers can help you establish whether your current arrangements provide the level of software security your business needs.

How Sereno Helps Businesses Manage Software Vulnerabilities

At Sereno, we help London businesses take a more proactive approach to cyber security.

Our managed security services are designed to provide ongoing protection and clearer visibility into security risks, whether you already have IT support or need a more comprehensive approach to managing your business technology.

As part of our approach to software vulnerability management, we use technology such as RoboShadow to support application visibility, identify known software vulnerabilities and help manage remediation.

RoboShadow provides vulnerability assessment and third-party patch management capabilities, helping businesses move beyond updates to operating systems and commonly used applications.

This can help identify vulnerable software and support patching or removal of supported applications. Coverage and remediation methods depend on the devices and software being managed.

Combined with ongoing security management, this gives businesses a more structured way to identify and address software security gaps.

For organisations working towards certification, our Cyber Essentials support can also help with understanding the requirements and implementing appropriate security controls.

And if you already have an IT support provider you’re happy with, our managed security services can work alongside your existing arrangements.

Because improving cyber security shouldn’t have to mean replacing something that’s already working well.

Is Your Business Software as Secure as You Think?

If your business already has IT support but you’re unsure whether third-party software vulnerabilities are being actively monitored and addressed, it may be worth reviewing your current security coverage.

At Sereno, we help London SMEs identify security gaps, understand their exposure and strengthen protection through managed security services.

Speak to Sereno about your software security and find out how we can help protect the applications your business depends on.