From Turmoil to Triumph: Rethinking Cybersecurity Asset Management

The proliferation of connected devices in recent years has been nothing short of astounding. As the volume of devices increases, organizations are faced with the challenge of maintaining control and visibility over their assets. Unfortunately, many businesses do not possess the necessary technology and tools to manage cybersecurity asset management effectively.

Recent studies have shown that the number of connected devices has exceeded earlier predictions. According to a report by Statista, the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices worldwide is expected to reach 75.44 billion by 2025, up from 26.66 billion in 2019. In order to conduct their business, organizations now heavily rely on connected devices, with a wide range of assets linked to their vital data and infrastructure.

To start with, organizations must prioritize gaining complete visibility of their managed assets. In addition, they must have context about these assets (Where are they? What are they doing? Are they running business critical applications or services?) in order to know if they have the potential to impact critical business operations. Obtaining the necessary visibility and contextual intelligence is essential for them to fully comprehend their attack surface and make data-driven decisions.

The Importance of Asset Visibility: Why You Can’t Afford to Overlook It

Organizations need to discover, identify, and understand every asset in their network. They need to get a full asset inventory to gain complete visibility with contextual intelligence of each asset. Having a live map of assets enables them to better reduce their risk surface.

Getting a complete view of their attack surface allows organizations to assess potential risks and vulnerabilities. By discovering and assessing all devices on their network, they can identify devices that may have been overlooked or are not properly managed, and ensure that they are included in the asset inventory. With the right solution in place, organizations can enhance their security posture and reduce the risk of cyber threats. With real-time visibility and monitoring of all devices on the network, organizations can quickly identify potential risks and take action to mitigate them, helping to protect their assets from cyber attacks.

Failing to See the Bigger Picture: The Shortcomings of Asset Visibility Tools

As organizations have to handle more connected devices, maintaining their visibility becomes more complex and affects the organization’s ability to manage risk and security. Most organizations manage their IT and security stacks by relying on dozens of applications, which typically don’t complement each other. The data these tools collect has to be managed, correlated, and presented in a usable manner to deliver results. The result is often a manual, complicated, and time-consuming chore in order to maintain some visibility that is not completely accurate. Some of the most common failures include:

Limited Coverage

Many asset visibility solutions rely on traditional network scanning methods to identify devices, which can result in limited coverage. This can be particularly problematic for unmanaged devices or devices that are not connected to the network at all, as they may not be included in the inventory.

Incomplete Device Information

Some asset visibility solutions may not provide complete or accurate information about devices. This can be due to factors such as incomplete device profiles or outdated firmware, which can make it difficult to fully understand the device landscape and identify potential risks.

Lack of Automation

Manually identifying and tracking assets can be a time-consuming process, and asset visibility solutions that lack automation can be prone to errors and omissions. This can result in inaccurate or incomplete asset inventories, which can make it difficult to manage resources and mitigate risks.

Security Challenges

Asset visibility solutions may require access to sensitive network data, which can present security challenges if not properly secured. In addition, some solutions may lack integration with other security tools, making it difficult to coordinate responses to potential threats.

Cost

Some asset visibility solutions can be expensive to deploy and maintain, particularly for smaller businesses with limited budgets. This can make it difficult for these organizations to invest in effective asset visibility solutions.

To address these failures, it is important that organizations carefully evaluate potential asset visibility solutions and choose a solution that provides comprehensive coverage, accurate and complete device information, automation, security, and affordability.

Charting a Course for Cybersecurity Asset Management: A Path Forward

Businesses need a new approach that helps them gain comprehensive visibility of their assets at all times. As devices continue to increase in volume and are updated with new versions, connect to new applications, and access new resources, IT and security teams need a single source of truth that delivers an accurate asset inventory and complete asset visibility.

Armis helps organizations better understand their asset landscape and assess potential risks and vulnerabilities. By discovering and assessing all devices on a network, Armis can help organizations identify devices that may have been overlooked or are not properly managed, and ensure that they are included in the asset inventory.

Armis can also provide detailed information about each device, including its operating system, firmware, and software versions, as well as information about open ports, network connections, and installed applications. This information can be used to create a comprehensive inventory of all devices on the network, which can help organizations better manage their resources and make informed decisions about how to protect their assets.

By integrating Armis into their cybersecurity asset management strategy, organizations can enhance their security posture and reduce the risk of cyber threats. With real-time visibility and monitoring of all devices on the network, organizations can quickly identify potential risks and take action to mitigate them, helping to protect their assets from cyber attacks. Learn more about the Armis platform. Schedule a live demo today.