Why You Can’t Secure What You Don’t Know You Have

It all starts with knowing your Asset Inventory...

Most (Many? Some?) organizations think they have an asset inventory - until they actually need it. Whether it’s for an annual risk assessment, a security framework audit, or a push toward Zero Trust, the moment you need to know what’s in your environment is the moment you realize how many blind spots exist. Asset inventory isn’t just a spreadsheet exercise. It’s the foundation of every cybersecurity decision you make - and it’s often the weakest link.

Personally, after spending a decade in the audit and compliance space, cybersecurity was almost always the top concern. And I struggled with it - how do you even know what you have out there? How do you identify it, track it, and keep that visibility current? “Easy” might be a stretch, but “continuous” - or at least consistent - is non-negotiable. That’s why we’ve built this blog series: to help teams get a handle on their cybersecurity posture, starting with the most fundamental question - what do I actually have?

Asset Inventory - It's a jungle out there

Visibility Is the First Step Toward Control

An example: A mid-sized SaaS company was preparing for its first security framework audit. The team assumed “someone” had a complete list of all assets owned or used by the company. But when the auditor asked for a full inventory of hardware, software, cloud services, and data stores - with ownership and lifecycle status - the gaps were glaring. Devices acquired during a recent acquisition weren’t tracked. Several SaaS tools were in use without IT’s knowledge. And a legacy database holding customer data hadn’t been touched in years.

This isn’t unusual - and if it sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s the norm. Asset inventory tends to be fragmented across departments, tools, and formats. And when it’s needed - for compliance, incident response, or budgeting - it’s rarely complete.

So, where do you start? How do you start? Well, let’s look at what is considered an asset first.

What Counts as an “Asset”?

Assets aren’t just laptops and servers. If it can be exploited, misconfigured, or forgotten — it’s an asset. That includes:

• Hardware: Workstations, mobile devices, network gear, IoT, OT systems, and anything with an IP address

• Software: Installed applications, operating systems, browser extensions, and license entitlements

• Cloud Services: SaaS subscriptions, IaaS instances, containers, and ephemeral workloads

• Data Stores: Databases, file shares, backups, and repositories — especially those holding sensitive or regulated data

• APIs & Integrations: Often overlooked, these are critical connectors that can introduce risk if unmanaged

We’ll review each of these areas in more detail in future posts.

Fragmentation, Blind Spots & Risk

Even in well-resourced environments, asset inventory is often fragmented and reactive. Shadow IT creeps in when employees spin up cloud services or install software without approval. Assets added during projects or acquisitions get lost in the shuffle. Different tools - from CMDB platforms like Virima or ServiceNow, to EDR and vulnerability scanners - all collect asset data, but they rarely talk to each other. And ownership? That’s often murky, if even established. No one’s quite sure who’s responsible for keeping the inventory current, and departments operate in silos. Again…does this sound familiar? (If so, feel free to share your stories…or nightmares.)

This lack of clarity leads to real consequences. Incident response slows down when responders don’t know what’s in scope. Compliance efforts stall when auditors ask for asset details that don’t exist. Redundant licenses and unused cloud services quietly drain budgets. And unmanaged or forgotten assets become prime targets for attackers.

Build a Living Inventory

Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing process, here’s how to move forward:

• Leverage Existing Tools: Use data from procurement databases, EDR, MDM, network scanners, and cloud consoles to jumpstart discovery

• Centralize the Source of Truth: Choose a location that’s accessible, secure, and version-controlled — whether it’s a CMDB, a cloud-based tracker, or even a well-managed spreadsheet. The key is consistency and clarity

• Assign Ownership: Designate a master owner and a backup — someone accountable for the overall integrity of the inventory. Then delegate responsibility by department or physical location

• Start with Hardware: It’s tangible, often easier to scope, and sets the stage for deeper layers (we’ll go into more detail on this in the next blog post!)

• Plan on Adding Context Over Time: Tie assets to business impact, lifecycle status, and responsible teams. Inventory isn’t just about listing — it’s about understanding

At worst case START. Start working on the first two bullets. Research and Identify what tools you have (or don’t have) – reach out to the “owners” to find out what data you’ll be able to get, in what format and how you can make that a recurring process. Then identify where you will store the data – whether it is a centralized storage location like sharepoint, or a software platform built for asset inventory. Then, build on it from there! (And come back to this blog series to help you as you go).

Visibility Drives Maturity

A strong asset inventory program can reap real, tangible rewards. One manufacturing company uncovered over $765,000 in savings by implementing a disciplined IT Asset Management (ITAM) program . Their challenge? Leased hardware was scattered across departments with no centralized tracking. Assets were routinely bought out at the end of lease terms simply because no one knew where they were or when they were due for return.

By centralizing asset intelligence, automating lease alerts, and streamlining workflows, the organization built a disciplined ITAM foundation. The program helped them reduce maintenance costs, improve decision-making, and lowered risk from lost or unreturned assets.

This wasn’t just a cost-cutting exercise - it was a strategic shift. By treating IT assets as dynamic, trackable entities with lifecycle accountability, the organization gained operational efficiency, audit readiness, and financial control.

Looking for Assistance?

If your not comfortable starting on your own, or don’t feel you have the resources to adequately build your program, let’s talk. We can help you build a phased, actionable inventory strategy that aligns with your security goals and operational realities. Reach out to start the conversation (click the button above!).

On the Next Blog in the series…

We’ll dive into the nuts and bolts of conducting your first hardware asset inventory - and why it matters more than you think. From device sprawl to procurement blind spots, we’ll show you how to build visibility where it counts most. Although building an inventory of all assets is the best approach, we’ll break the following blog posts down into specific segments in order to identify some of the concerns with each area, and to provide a more phased approach to increase the likelihood of success.

Disclaimer: This article was created with some AI assistance, but edited, reviewed and fact-checked by a real person.