{"id":68148,"date":"2023-06-12T11:52:35","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T03:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/?p=68148"},"modified":"2023-06-12T11:54:23","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T03:54:23","slug":"the-risks-of-using-spreadsheets-for-cyber-asset-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/zh\/2023\/06\/the-risks-of-using-spreadsheets-for-cyber-asset-management\/","title":{"rendered":"The risks of using spreadsheets for cyber asset management"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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An accurate and comprehensive asset inventory is vital for an effective cybersecurity program. Relying on basic spreadsheets for asset management could introduce severe risks to your entire organization.<\/p>

Read on as we explore the downsides of using spreadsheets for cyber asset management and highlight the clear advantages of using a dedicated cyber asset management<\/strong> tool to empower your security program, rather than hinder it.<\/p>

<\/p>

Spreadsheets are simply inefficient for cyber asset management <\/i><\/h2>

A recent study found that a staggering 73% of cybersecurity and IT professionals use spreadsheets to manage security hygiene<\/a><\/strong> and posture.<\/p>

There are two primary reasons why one might use spreadsheets for asset management:<\/p>

  1. An asset inventory tool has never been used in your organization.\u00a0<\/li>
  2. You need to work around your current asset inventory tools.<\/li><\/ol>

    While spreadsheets can adapt to numerous use cases since they handle all sorts of data, this dexterity also makes them less than ideal for IT asset management. Furthermore, while Excel and Google Sheets can be an easy first step to track asset data for an IT environment, they fail entirely as an efficient cyber asset management solution.<\/p>

    7 disadvantages to spreadsheets asset management <\/i><\/h3>
    1. Manual data collection<\/strong>
      Spreadsheets require time-consuming manual updates. Without automation, they often become outdated. Reliance on tracking changes and identifying responsible parties manually introduces errors, hindering the detection and resolution of security incidents. This limitation makes it harder to monitor the integrity of the asset inventory and respond swiftly to cyber threats.<\/li>
    2. Inconsistent attributes<\/strong>
      Different departments and individuals have discrepancies in what attributes they prioritize for data collection. Security teams may focus on listening ports, while IT may prioritize warranty expiration. This can lead to confusion and inconsistent data collection over time.<\/li>
    3. Outdated information<\/strong>
      Asset records in spreadsheets can vary widely in age, ranging from a week to a year, depending on when someone bothered to update them. This significantly hampers effective incident response and security program management.<\/li>
    4. Lack of detail<\/strong>
      Due to the aforementioned points, spreadsheets often lack sufficient detail. Humans dislike repetitive manual work, and the limitations of spreadsheets prevent them from containing comprehensive information.<\/li>
    5. Incomplete inventory \/ managed-only devices<\/strong>The Achilles’ heel of any asset inventory program is unmanaged devices. Spreadsheets cannot be updated with assets that are unknown.

      According to a Deloitte research report<\/a>, 32% of organizations believe that “Shadow IT” assets pose the greatest challenge for ITAM<\/strong>. Rogue devices installed by employees, third-party vendors, or through shadow IT lack standard security controls like EDR agents, making them easy targets for adversaries.<\/p>

      The same report states that 18% of organizations are considering non-active or repurposed IT assets<\/strong>. With manual data entry, unmanaged devices can go unnoticed or neglected for extended periods, leading to uncertainty within teams regarding their significance or reluctance to invest effort in investigating them.<\/p>

      Here are just some of the key problems unmanaged assets pose:<\/p>