Summary: With data breaches on the rise, IT asset managers (ITAMs) need to take steps to prevent their organizations from becoming a victim. This article will share five essential tips for IT asset managers looking to protect their assets and prevent breaches.
IT asset managers have a lot on their plates. Not only do they need to keep track of all the software and hardware assets within their organization, but they also need to ensure that these assets are adequately secured. In addition, the ever-increasing cyber attacks keep ITAMs always on their toes to secure data from compromising and devising appropriate techniques to protect it. Therefore, they must always be prepared with robust cybersecurity and data privacy action plans.
Who is an IT Asset Manager?
An IT asset manager is responsible for the procurement, maintenance, and disposal of all physical and software assets used by an organization. In addition, they work to ensure that these assets are properly utilized and remain secure. IT asset managers must have a strong understanding of technology and business operations. They must identify the best way to use technology to meet the organization’s needs. They also need to be able to manage budgets and negotiate contracts. IT asset managers must be able to communicate with both technical and non-technical staff effectively.
How can ITAMs Prevent Data Breaches?
There are a few essential tips that every IT asset manager (ITAM) should follow to prevent data breaches:
Tip 1: Ensure Software is Up to Date: The most important thing that IT asset managers can do to prevent data breaches is to keep their software up to date. Outdated software is one of the most common ways hackers gain systems access. By ensuring that all software is up to date, asset managers can help to prevent breaches. In addition, software updates often include security patches that can help protect your system from being exploited. Make sure you install updates as soon as they are released.
Tip 2: Encrypt Your Data: Data encryption makes it much more difficult for attackers to access information if they do manage to breach your system. ITAMs should ensure that all sensitive, proprietary, and confidential information is encrypted. This can help to protect sensitive information and prevent breaches.
Tip 3:Perform Data Sanitization: Permanently destroy ROT (Redundant, Obsolete, and Trivial) data as part of the organizational data destruction policy. This data remains idle, eating up the storage space and opening up avenues for hacking. Whether the data is redundant or dark, organization data sanitization policies must address them, and an IT asset manager needs to ensure this.
Tip 4: Strong Password Policy: Another essential tip for preventing data breaches is to create strong passwords and change them regularly. Hackers often gain access to systems by using weak or easily guessed passwords. By creating strong passwords and changing them regularly, IT asset managers can make it much more difficult for hackers to access their systems.
Tip 5: Plan to Mitigate Risk: IT asset managers should create a plan for what to do during a breach. This plan should include steps for how to contain the breach and mitigate the damage that is done.
Having a plan in place can help asset managers respond quickly and effectively in the event of a breach, which can help to minimize the damage.
How to Implement these Tips in your Organization?
There are several essential tips that IT asset managers can use to prevent data breaches in their organizations:
- One of the essential things that IT asset managers can do is keep an up-to-date inventory of all their organization’s assets. This inventory should include information on where each asset is located, who has access to it, and its purpose. This inventory will help IT asset managers quickly identify any assets that may be missing or have been improperly accessed.
- IT asset managers should also clearly understand who has access to each asset and what they can do with it. For example, they should limit access to assets only to those who need them for their job. Furthermore, they should monitor asset usage to ensure it aligns with its intended purpose.
- It is also vital for IT asset managers to create and implement policies and procedures for managing assets. These policies and procedures should be designed to prevent unauthorized access and ensure that assets are appropriately used.
By implementing these tips, IT asset managers can help to prevent breaches in their organizations.
Conclusion
IT asset managers play a critical role in preventing data breaches. Following the tips outlined in this article, IT asset managers can help their organizations avoid costly and damaging data breaches. By keeping track of all assets, ensuring that only authorized personnel has access to sensitive data, and regularly auditing system security, IT asset managers can help keep their organizations safe from harm.
