What is an Asset Inventory?

An asset inventory is simply an up-to-date list of all the laptops, desktops, phones, servers, and software your business relies on.

Why it matters: you cannot protect, update, or recover something you do not know you have. Forgotten devices and unpatched software are favourite targets for attackers.

Practical example: when a serious flaw is announced in a particular app, a company with an inventory can immediately see which machines run it and patch them. A company without one has to guess.

Getting started: a shared spreadsheet listing device, owner, location, and key software is a perfectly good first version. Review it whenever someone joins or leaves.