Asset Management

Creating an asset management plan requires resources, systems, and tools to be successful. In almost every framework and compliance model, assets are atop the list to inventory and classify. Let us face the fact: how can you protect something if you do not know it exists? Many organizations face the hurdle of getting started and defining milestones to reach a successful, enforced asset management plan.

So, how do we achieve the asset management goals set forth? The organization must define the asset management plan components, including the discovery of hardware and software assets. Many businesses become overwhelmed with the initial processes of laying out the plan's outline and fail to reach the objectives. Small achievable steps and goals are required to achieve the success of an asset management plan. Assigning the right team members from the required departments will help facilitate the process. A successful asset management plan must appoint members from technology, management, and accounting. The plan scope should include the hardware and software asset lifecycles, assignments, support and maintenance, and disposal. The program should define the best practices and hardening procedures when a device is deployed or maintained.

To effectively manage an organization's assets, a tool is necessary. The chosen tool should be capable of continual scanning since the equipment is off occasionally or a remote worker shows up at the office. Manual asset management is complicated and generally fails. Free systems are available to manage the found inventory assets with additional feature sets such as asset tags. Many of these systems have processes to follow, helping create a strategy for each step. Identifying and classifying the most critical assets can help mitigate the most mission-critical hardware and software. By protecting those assets first, the organization can reduce the risk associated with these mission-critical assets. This method delivers effective outcomes swiftly. While the assets are being defined, creating business data flows through each system will help determine other risks or challenges the organization could experience. While documenting the organization's assets, including a server, hardware component, or a particular software, the organization could determine previously unknown process deficiencies or security issues. Knowing the existing devices ensures the correct firmware patching, software patches, and updates are regularly applied.

Asset management is essential in cybersecurity; as the saying goes, "You must know what you have to protect it." Classifying all your assets by importance and knowing all the hardware and software on the network can significantly reduce your cybersecurity exposure.

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