What You Might Be Overlooking in IT Asset Management

While it seems like IT asset management should be relatively straightforward, there are a lot of places in which a system can break down, potentially exposing your company to things like data breaches and significant liability. Whether you’re developing a new system for IT asset management or refining existing policies, keep the following points in mind to help strengthen the data security of your company.

Inventory Control

When it comes to IT asset inventory, you need to have full control of what you own, but you also need to have a handle on where your equipment is located and who it’s assigned to. While this seems simple enough, maintaining full inventory control requires constant vigilance. It’s important to keep full tabs on your assets from the moment they arrive to the day they’re fully decommissioned.

Asset Database Maintenance

This is a key element to proper inventory control. While many companies employ asset management tools, they frequently fail to make full and proper use of their tools. The most common issues arise from a lack of established nomenclature, which can make it difficult to retrieve information as it becomes needed.

When you’re setting up your asset management tools, establish a standard nomenclature for your assets. Be sure to track essential identifying information in a standard format, including things like model numbers and serial numbers.

Hidden Data

As devices become more and more intelligent, they collect increasingly vast stores of data, much of which remains hidden from the user. This data often presents a tempting target for hackers, especially when it is available from decommissioned devices.

Finding hidden data isn’t easy. The data may be stored somewhere other than the hard drive. In some cases, the hard drive itself can be difficult to find. Getting rid of this data is so tricky that some ITAD professionals can’t effectively do the job, so make sure that if you hire an ITAD company, they’re up to the task.

Chain of Custody

Whether you decommission IT assets yourself or through a third party, the information stored on those devices remains your responsibility. That’s why it’s important to document the entire decommissioning process, from where the asset was stored to who had access to it and when, through an established chain of custody. This documentation needs to address what data was eliminated, as well as where the device was sent once it was decommissioned.

Indemnification

Maintaining proper indemnification is incredibly important when it comes to dealing with sensitive data. Your company should maintain appropriate cyber insurance, and you should be sure to fully investigate any company you hire, reading through their insurance policies to make sure the coverage is sufficient for your liability needs.

Response to Breaches

When a data breach does occur, it’s important to act fast to prevent further damage. If your IT asset management is lax, though, you may not have the information you need to act quickly enough. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to establish a rapid response plan.

If you’re looking for IT recycling or data destruction services in South Dakota or North Dakota, contact SEAM, and we’ll help you with all of your ITAD needs.