Asset Inventory

An asset inventory is a comprehensive catalog of an organization’s technology assets including hardware (servers, laptops, mobile devices, et.), software (applications, SaaS platforms), cloud services, and IoT devices. A well-managed and well-monitored asset inventory provides a centralized repository to track these resources, ensure that they are being used effectively and efficiently to support business operations, and adequately protected by security teams.

Historically, these inventories have been maintained by IT teams to efficiently manage resources, focusing on assigned users, maintenance schedules, documentation, licensing, costs, and lifecycle stages. The dynamic nature of modern organizations has led to complicated IT environments that present challenges for organizations. The rapid proliferation of devices, the emergence of shadow IT, and the integration of third-party vendor assets complicate the maintenance of an accurate and comprehensive asset inventory. Relying on manual and point-in-time audits of assets can lead to outdated and incomplete inventories, leaving security gaps.  

As security teams are tasked with securing an organization and minimizing risk, they have more stringent requirements than IT teams when it comes to an organization’s inventory. IT may consider this inventory more from the perspective of an administrative tool, while security teams consider it a critical component of an organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

Security teams now need a security inventory which refers to a comprehensive list of all the physical and digital assets within an organization’s environment that need to be protected, including hardware, software, network devices, users, and data. By maintaining a comprehensive and up-to-date security inventory, organizations can enhance their security operations, ensure compliance with industry frameworks, and effectively reduce risk. An accurate security inventory provides comprehensive asset telemetry to enable security teams to identify potential vulnerabilities and implement appropriate security measures to mitigate exposures.

Additional Resources

• Comparison Guide: The Criticality of Security Inventory: Moving Beyond IT Asset Management
• Cyber Hygiene and Asset Management: Perception vs. Reality

Related Terms

• Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM)
• Security Inventory