CSM top tip of the month: group your data assets to build a structured and lean Data Asset Register

In our Customer Success Manager (CSM) top tip series, Hicomply’s digital ISMS experts and customer satisfaction specialists Laura and Zoe share their key advice for businesses working on their information security certifications. From essential policies to best practice, we’re here for you.

This month, we want to talk about keeping your Data Asset Register clear and concise.

Getting your business ready for certification means going through a lot of data, which takes both time and effort. With the pressures of the daily workload always at the top of the to-do list, it’s all too easy for cybersecurity to fall by the wayside because there simply isn’t enough time to sort through all your assets.

This is where organisation is key. By grouping your data assets, you can build and maintain a lean, structured Data Asset Register which will facilitate smarter and more focused risk assessment.

Hicomply’s all-in-one certification platform make the road to accreditation easier than ever. You can group data assets by Primary Asset, meaning less fluff and more clarity when assessing your business’ security needs.

What is a Data Asset Register?

A Data Asset Register is, to put it simply, a list of all the assets within your business where sensitive information is gathered, stored, or transmitted. This could be hardware, software, devices, databases, and more.

Curating a register of assets lets you know what needs to be protected, helping you identify potential threats and put the necessary defences in place.

Most business, regardless of size or industry, will have quite a few assets to deal with, bearing in mind that everything from a physical disc or laptop to a smartphone or cloud platform must be accounted for.

By organising your assets, you can keep a clear log of what needs to be protected, without getting bogged down by endless reams of information.

Streamlined information asset management

An accurate, up-to-date, and well organised asset register is essential to any effective ISMS, and Hicomply’s asset management framework is designed with security and speed in mind.

Hicomply’s ISMS asset management allows you to enjoy:

• Full-scale asset protection: Assets can be created, managed, and linked all from one platform, meaning you can integrate with company-wide locations, relevant policies, responsible persons, risks, and procedures.
• Automated asset creation: Quickly load your assets into your workspace, with asset details, locations, and ownership clearly identified.
• Dynamic linking: Our ISMS asset register can be linked into other functionality, including risk management and procedure documentations. Any associated tasks can be linked to individual assets.
• Full asset data set: All major IS certifications require a minimum amount of asset information to be collected, and our platform allows for a wide range of asset data to be managed. This includes various elements, including ownership, associated tasks, records, and asset type.

With the flexibility and freedom to organise your assets by Primary Asset, you can get a clear picture of the data your business is storing, where it is held, and how to protect it.

Protect your assets with Hicomply

Here at Hicomply, we use a clear, concise platform that makes the road to compliance simple. With 70% of work done for you, we deliver a single portal through which to obtain, maintain, and manage all your information security certifications, keeping your business data safe.

Not currently using Hicomply? Ready to find out more about what the platform can do for you? Book a demo.