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In our last post, we covered Control One, Inventory & Control of Enterprise Assets. In this post, we are covering Control Two, The Importance of Inventory & Control of Software Assets. Besides clicking on a link in an email thereby inviting threat actors into your environment, what is another way to gain access to the data behind the firewalls? Unpatched software!

Given today’s cybersecurity climate, it is imperative for EMCs (and all organizations) to stay on top of updates, patches, and to perform regular vulnerability scans to test for known problems. When we turn on a computer or other network device, we expect it to power up and perform as it was designed. We want our lives without the worry of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe even millions, after finding out our entire network has been taken hostage and held for ransom! But that is what is happening every day, to organizations who fail to keep software up to date and put in place the proper stop gaps to protect their data. To find out the reasons why this is so important, especially to EMCs, we have outlined some of the highlights below.

First, EMCs rely on software systems to support their critical operations such as accounting, customer service, communications, overall management, and regular maintenance, not to mention Human Resources. The accuracy of their software assets ensures the organization that these systems are up-to-date and properly maintained, reducing the risk of lost productivity, compromised data, network security vulnerabilities, and revenue.

Second, whether staffed through in-house Information Technology (IT) personnel, or through a third-party Managed IT Service Provider (MSP), a comprehensive inventory of software assets enables EMCs to manage software licenses, ensuring that they have the required licenses and support agreements in place to avoid the risk of compliance issues.
Third, inventory and control of software assets assists EMCs with planning, budgeting, and forecasting as they can plan for important decisions to be made regarding upgrades, migrations, and end of life decisions. Having this knowledge, also allows for proper allocation of funding to regularly test the network for potential gaps, thereby reducing risk.
Fourth, in the case of a breach or cyber-attack, adhering to this control will help EMCs and a trusted cybersecurity partner identify the source of a breach and take appropriate measures quickly, to mitigate the damage and remediate the issues. Having a managed security services provider monitor the network 24/7 is a key strategy in protecting your data by detecting potential threats before they become an event and a proven supplement to this control.

Overall, inventory and control of software assets is critical in maintaining an efficient and secure operation at our EMCs. Regardless of your industry or size of your organization, maintaining software assets in accordance with these practices, will help reduce risk and your compliance with applicable regulations and industry standards.

We are always eager to help navigate the best practices for reducing risk, and enhancing your organization’s security posture. For additional information or to schedule a consultation, please email us at: sales@criticalpathsecurity.com.