Quick Start Guide¶
Get SentriKat running and protecting your organization in under 10 minutes.
Step 1: Get a License¶
Before deploying, you need a SentriKat license:
- Go to sentrikat.com and click Request Demo
- Fill in your details - our team will review and create your license
- You'll receive an email with your license key and portal access
- Go to portal.sentrikat.com/checkout
- Choose your subscription (1-3 years), agent capacity, and optional add-ons
- Complete payment via Stripe
- Your PRO license is created automatically
Once you have a license, log into portal.sentrikat.com using OTP (email code) to manage it.
Step 2: Download SentriKat¶
- Go to portal.sentrikat.com
- Log in with your email (you'll receive a one-time code)
- Navigate to Downloads
- Download the latest version
Step 3: Deploy SentriKat¶
# Extract the downloaded bundle and load the bundled Docker image
tar -xzf sentrikat-*.tar.gz
cd sentrikat-*
docker load -i sentrikat-image-*.tar.gz
# Copy and configure environment
cp .env.example .env
nano .env # Set SECRET_KEY, ENCRYPTION_KEY, DB_PASSWORD, etc. — see .env.example
# Start with Docker Compose
docker compose up -d
Migrations run automatically at boot. Wait 30 seconds, then open http://localhost:5000
Step 4: Complete the Setup Wizard¶
On first launch, SentriKat will guide you through:
- Create Admin Account - Set your admin username and password
- Organization Setup - Name your organization
- Catalog Seed & Initial Sync - The product catalog is seeded and the first CISA KEV sync runs automatically
Security
Use a strong password for your admin account!
Step 5: Activate Your License¶
The fastest way — no copy-pasting license files.
- In SentriKat, go to Administration > License
- Find your Activation Code (
SK-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX) in the Customer Portal or your purchase confirmation email - Enter the code in the Online Activation section and click Activate
- Done! SentriKat contacts the portal and receives a signed license automatically
That's it!
No files to copy, no environment variables to set. Your license is hardware-locked to this installation automatically.
For servers without internet access to portal.sentrikat.com:
- In SentriKat, go to Administration > License and copy your Installation ID (
SK-INST-xxxxxxxx) - On any browser, go to portal.sentrikat.com/downloads
- Paste your Installation ID and click Activate
- Copy the signed license key and paste it in SentriKat, or add to your
.env: - Restart:
docker compose restart
For full details on licensing, see Licensing & Activation.
Step 6: Add Your First Products¶
Option A: Manual Entry¶
- Go to Admin → Products
- Click Add Product
- Enter:
- Vendor:
Microsoft - Product:
Windows Server - Version:
2019 - Click Save
Option B: CSV Import¶
- Create a CSV file:
- Go to Admin → Import
- Upload the CSV
- Review and confirm
Option C: Deploy an Agent¶
Where does YOUR_API_KEY come from?
Generate an agent API key in SentriKat under Integrations → Agent Keys, then use it in the commands below.
# Download from the SentriKat UI (Integrations → Agent Keys → Download agent),
# or logged in: http://localhost:5000/api/agents/script/windows
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "http://localhost:5000/api/agents/script/windows" -OutFile "sentrikat-agent.ps1"
# Install
.\sentrikat-agent.ps1 -Install -ServerUrl "http://localhost:5000" -ApiKey "YOUR_API_KEY"
Step 7: Verify KEV Sync¶
The first CISA KEV sync runs automatically when you finish the setup wizard, and stays in sync daily after that. To trigger a manual sync at any time:
- Go to Admin → Settings
- Click Sync Now under CISA KEV
- Wait for sync to complete (~30 seconds)
Or via API:
Step 8: Review Matches¶
After sync, check your dashboard:
- Go to Dashboard
- View the Priority Matrix showing vulnerabilities by severity
- Click on any CVE to see details
Step 9: Configure Alerts (Pro)¶
If you have a Pro license:
- Go to Settings → Alerts
- Configure email settings:
- SMTP Server
- From Address
- Recipients
- Enable Critical CVE Alerts
What's Next?¶
-
Set Up Organizations
Create separate organizations for different teams or clients.
-
Deploy More Agents
Automate inventory collection across your infrastructure.
-
Configure Webhooks
Send alerts to Slack, Teams, or Discord.
-
Explore the API
Integrate SentriKat with your existing tools.
Common Tasks¶
Acknowledge a Vulnerability¶
When you've patched or accepted a vulnerability:
- Find the vulnerability in the list
- Click the Acknowledge button
- (Optional) Add a note
Export Data¶
- Go to Dashboard
- Apply any filters
- Click Export → CSV or PDF
Share a View¶
- Configure your dashboard filters
- Click Share
- Copy the share link
- Send to stakeholders (no login required)