Asset Management: You Can't Protect What You Don't Know You Have
"Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. Shadow IT is shadow vulnerability."
📦 The Problem: Unknown Assets Are Unprotected Assets
You can't protect what you don't know you have. The server you forgot about is the one running an unpatched vulnerability from 2015. Shadow IT, BYOD, forgotten test servers—attack surface you don't track. Asset inventory is security foundation.
ILLUMINATION: The server you forgot about is the one running an unpatched vulnerability from 2015. Asset inventory prevents forgotten vulnerabilities.
🛡️ The Five Asset Categories
1. Hardware
Servers, laptops, network equipment.
Track locations, owners, configurations. Hardware inventory enables patching, replacement, disposal.
2. Software
Applications, licenses, versions.
What's installed? What's licensed? What's end-of-life? Software inventory enables vulnerability management.
3. Data
Databases, files, backups.
Where is sensitive data? Who owns it? How classified? Data inventory enables protection.
4. People
Employees, contractors, vendors.
Who has access? What permissions? Still employed? People inventory enables access control.
5. Services
Cloud services, SaaS, APIs.
What services in use? Who authorized? What data shared? Service inventory prevents shadow IT.
📋 What Hack23 Actually Does
Our asset management is public: ISMS-PUBLIC Repository | Asset Register
- Hardware inventory - All devices tracked, tagged, monitored
- Software inventory - Automated scanning for installed software
- Data classification - Sensitive data inventoried, classified
- Access reviews - Quarterly review of who has what access
- Service catalog - Approved cloud services, shadow IT monitoring
META-ILLUMINATION: Asset management isn't bureaucracy—it's knowing what to protect. Inventory everything or protect nothing effectively.
🎯 Conclusion: Know Your Assets
You can't protect what you don't know you have. Inventory hardware, software, data, people, services. Update continuously. Or find out that forgotten assets were exploited assets.
All hail Eris! All hail Discordia!
"Think for yourself, schmuck! Question everything—especially whether that test server from 2019 is still running unpatched."
🍎 23 FNORD 5
— Hagbard Celine