7 reasons why you should invest in a cybersecurity asset management tool
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7 reasons why you should invest in a cybersecurity asset management tool

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If you are an IT asset manager looking to protect your organization from the ever-growing threats posed by advanced cyberattacks, you must consider implementing a robust cybersecurity asset management (CSAM) system.

Implementing a cybersecurity asset management (CSAM) program can help you do both. A successful CSAM program includes the following elements:

  • Inventory management of all IT assets in your environment (hardware, software, virtualized resources)
  • Mapping out each asset’s location, owner, usage levels/usage patterns, and other relevant information (e.g., asset age/lifecycle stage)
  • Creating a baseline inventory so that you can monitor changes over time and identify missing items or unauthorized additions (e.g., rogue machines created by users with admin rights)
  • Establishing visual representations of your environment for easier analysis

These elements give organizations visibility and control over all their assets that store valuable data or are connected to networks. In addition, CSAM can help identify weaknesses before they become exploited by malicious actors, minimizing security risks and improving operational efficiency. 

This article will discuss how a CSAM program is an absolute must to improve your organization’s security posture and show you seven ways it can benefit you.

Benefits of cybersecurity asset management tools for IT teams

1. Ability to track dispersed assets within your IT infrastructure

A CSAM program can help organizations track dispersed assets within their IT infrastructure, ultimately helping to mitigate risk. This program helps organizations gain visibility by keeping an inventory of an organization’s hardware and software, providing timely alerts regarding changes in users and networks, and giving actionable insights into areas of high risk. 

It also helps identify vulnerabilities, enabling the organization to deploy patches and security updates before hackers exploit them. This type of program is essential to the success of any organization utilizing cloud technologies as it enables them to quickly pinpoint issues with their cloud environment before they escalate into serious problems. 

For instance, a CSAM tool like Virima can help you detect unknown devices in your network, irrespective of your infrastructure. With in-depth scanning capabilities and over 100 probes, it can detect assets, catalog them and create an accurate asset inventory for you.

Virima’s comprehensive asset inventory

With a CSAM program, companies can have peace of mind knowing that they are actively protecting themselves from cyber threats while continuously monitoring their data in the cloud.

2. Aggregate and monitor asset data within one dashboard

CSAM tools allow you to access a comprehensive view of your digital assets and aggregate and monitor asset data within one dashboard. They are designed to provide real-time visibility, allowing for quick and informed decisions about asset management. 

In addition, it allows companies to collect, store and analyze data from multiple locations and sources used to identify suspicious activities and objects. With this information, organizations can take proactive measures to detect threats before they become critical. These measures include access control checks, intrusion detection monitoring, patch management updates, and other security tools. 

By leveraging these tools, organizations gain the ability to quickly identify vulnerable assets as well as investigate potential intrusions or breaches. You can also detect any changes that may occur during the lifecycle of an asset, such as new users being added or permissions being changed. It helps to reduce risk by ensuring that assets are securely configured and used according to defined policies. 

Additionally, CSAM programs enable organizations to conduct regular vulnerability assessments, so they know exactly where their potential vulnerabilities exist and take appropriate steps to address them.

3. Assess asset data based on the specific environment and applicable security standards

CSAM is critical to assessing asset data based on specific environments and applicable security standards. This capability is beneficial as different assets need to be evaluated based on specific parameters dictated by the environment they are in and the relevant industry regulations. It enables organizations to gain visibility into their IT environment, including assets on-premise, in the cloud, or connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). 

It can provide insights into asset inventory, configuration, patch and vulnerability management, and compliance within an organization’s IT environment. With these insights, organizations can effectively assess their overall risk levels and identify areas that may present heightened vulnerabilities. 

Additionally, CSAM tools can tailor security controls to meet specific security standards for various components within the environment. It gives organizations greater flexibility to adapt their security posture to changing threats while ensuring compliance with regulations and other industry requirements.

For instance, if you must ensure that your infrastructure complies with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations, you can mark specific assets and evaluate them regularly. Since the assets are available in one location, the process is easier and shorter than manually finding each asset.

4. Identify and dispose of IT assets that are at the end of their lifecycle

You need to invest in a CSAM tool as it provides a comprehensive inventory of your IT assets and ensures that any end-of-life assets are correctly disposed of according to regulations. It helps you accurately track the lifecycle of all IT assets, from acquisition to disposal. It allows administrators to keep up with the latest software updates and security patches and identify vulnerable systems needing replacing. 

Organizations can monitor trends in asset usage, including the age and performance of current assets, enabling them to anticipate future needs. Additionally, these tools provide notifications when certain thresholds are reached so that appropriate action can be taken for end-of-life asset disposal. It allows information technology (IT) teams to proactively plan for the removal of outdated or unused assets securely.

Plus, it can help organizations adhere to data regulations by ensuring that all end-of-life data is securely destroyed or sanitized before disposal. This eliminates the potential for leakage or misuse of sensitive data while also providing an audit trail in case of a regulatory inquiry. For instance, Virima helps you with end-to-end asset management by assigning configurable status designations and tracking its allocation and support ownership.

A list of configuration item details that can be found for each catalogued asset

With these features, these tools enable organizations to maintain compliance with data regulations and reduce long-term security costs associated with mishandling sensitive data.

5. Prioritize your incident management efforts based on risk and return on investment (ROI)

When an incident occurs, it does not mean there is only one issue to solve. Multiple systems might be affected, and sometimes, numerous threats might appear simultaneously. However, to ensure that IT teams do not waste precious time on low-priority tasks, it is essential to identify critical tasks first. It’s a significant consideration, especially when it comes to cybersecurity incident response. 

CSAM tools help you focus on high-priority assets that need protection while allowing lower-priority ones to be managed by other means. By prioritizing your efforts in this way, you can maximize the effectiveness of your security program without wasting time or money protecting assets that don’t matter as much. It allows you to focus on high-priority assets that need protection while allowing lower-priority ones to be managed by other means or not at all.

For example, if two or more systems are impacted during a security breach, a CSAM tool coupled with a service map can guide you through where the breach happened. In this case, you can prioritize that system, which automatically rectifies the issue.

6. Gain complete visibility of your attack surface at all times and respond proactively

You must also stay ahead of the malicious actors through proactive attack surface management. CSAM software can help you do that as it catalogs your cyber assets and monitors vulnerabilities in real-time. You get a current image of your security posture at all times. 

These programs are designed to detect unpatched vulnerabilities, scan for malicious activity, and alert administrators quickly when suspicious activity is detected. With these capabilities, CSAM can help organizations identify threats rapidly and respond before they cause any damage.

Additionally, it provides an automated way to audit networks and systems regularly so that you can identify any security gaps efficiently. So, instead of doing penetration testing once or twice a year, it can become a more regular exercise—keeping your systems free from malicious actors.

7. CSAM tools offer integrations with existing vulnerability databases and IT management tools

Cybersecurity asset management solutions also offer integrations with existing vulnerability databases and IT management tools to ensure users access the most up-to-date cyber threat intelligence. By leveraging a bidirectional communication system, these solutions can update these third-party systems in real-time, meaning that organizations can ensure they are always ahead of the curve when it comes to security measures.

Additionally, it allows users to automate certain processes, such as patching computers or creating tickets with the click of a button. This automation helps save valuable time and resources that would have been spent manually updating systems and can help organizations respond more quickly and effectively to potential threats.

For instance, Virima integrates with service desk tools like ServiceNow and Ivanti. In addition, it also gathers data from vulnerability databases like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to gather the most up-to-date cyber threat information. As a result, the tool automatically creates a ticket when it identifies a known threat and alerts the respective team.

Virima integrations

List of integrations offered by Virima 

Protect your IT assets with Virima

Organizations should invest in cybersecurity asset management tools and technologies to ensure the security of their digital assets. These tools can help organizations accurately track their digital assets, detect malicious activities on their networks, and provide timely response and risk mitigation services. 

Asset management tools like Virima allow organizations to proactively monitor the security health of their systems by regularly scanning for threats and vulnerabilities. Investing in these tools provides organizations with much-needed protection against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. As a result, you will have peace of mind knowing that all of your critical data is safe and secure.

Book a demo with Virima to understand how our product suite can help you monitor your networks for cyber threats.

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