Asset Identification Flashcards
What must organisations consider when sharing information?
- Laws
- Regulatory frameworks
- Codes of practice
What are the consequences of failing to comply with laws and regulations when sharing information?
- Disciplinary action
- Financial penalties
- Legal actions (against individuals and/or organisation)
What do new digital forms of communication and storage of assets lead to?
New threats
What responsibility do directors and managers have regarding information sharing?
They must be cautious and vigilant to avoid non-compliance.
How can information contribute to an organisation in the e-business age?
- Competitive advantage
- Adding to organisational value
- Helping meet the organisation’s mission and/or objectives
What threats arise with new forms of communication and commerce?
- Exposure of vital information assets
- Increased risk from external access to internal networks
- Vulnerability through cloud services
What is a risk associated with using cloud services for information sharing?
They can inadvertently provide global access to an organisation’s most valued information.
What is the first step in information security?
Identifying which information assets need protecting.
What is an Information Asset Register (IAR)?
A document of record listing the information assets within an organisation that need protecting.
Why is the IAR considered a foundation document for information security?
- It supports risk assessments.
- Errors or omissions can affect the quality of risk assessments.
What other purposes does an IAR serve?
- Supporting business cases for outsourcing.
- Justifying moves to cloud-based services.
- Justifying costs for improving information security.
How does the size of an IAR vary by organisation?
A small business may only have a handful of assets, while large organisations may have many thousands.
What is a challenge in creating an IAR for large organisations?
Managing the complexity of hundreds or thousands of information assets.
What is metadata?
Data about data that describes it but is not part of it, although it can be stored with it.
What is an example of metadata outside of information security?
Metadata in digital photos includes location, aperture, and focal length (EXIF metadata)
Why is metadata in organisational data inconsistent?
There is no universal standard for metadata in organisational data; each organisation has its own format.
What does the Asset Identifier of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
A unique identifier, which may include location, associated systems, or a unique alphanumeric reference.
IA1, or O365-HR
What does the Name of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The name of the asset in plain terms.
Sales Data, or Email
What does the Type of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The type of structure of the asset.
Database, Sales software system, Email system
What does the Purpose of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
Describes how the data is used in practical terms. Sometimes ommitted if purpose is clear.
Databse of all sales purchases, Email mailboxes for all users and shared mailboxes
What does the Notes of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
Any additional information that is relevant.
Will be depreciated in 20XX, In migration to Microsoft 365
What does the Media of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The type of media the asset is stored on.
Hard disk, hard copy, cloud datacentre
What does the Supporting Systems of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The container of the media the asset is stored in.
SRV-Finance, Archive container, Internet
What does the Owner of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The person accountable for the asset, by job title for redundancy.
Sales Director, IT Manager
What does the Authorised Users of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The people who are permitted access to the asset, by job title for redundancy.
Sales Team, All staff
What does the Location of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The physical location of the asset.
Server room, Microsoft cloud, HR office
What does the Building/Site of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
There the location of the asset can be found, in a broader sense.
Head Office, Building A, EU datacentre
What does the Dependencies of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
Typically dependencies for support of the asset, such as third party providers and support companies.
Sales Software Ltd., Database supplier support
What does the Security Requirements of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The CIA Triad of Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability, typically each ranked by the requirements of the asset.
C 5, I 5, A 3, or C Low, I High, A High
What does the Value of an information asset represent in the IAR?
Give an example.
The associated importance of the asset and its value to the company. Does not have to be monetary.
Low, High, £10,000
Historically, how were organisations and their assets protected?
By securing the building they were contained in from physical threats like fire and theft.
What determines organisational boundaries today?
Who the organisation shares information with and with who they keep it secret.
What are Grant’s two key observations about assets?
- Assets should be sharable within the organisation.
- Assets should be scarce outside the organisation.
What is the basis of competitive advantage in for-profit organisations according to Grant?
The combination of shareability and scarcity of assets.
How do shareability and scarcity affect not-for-profit organisations?
Shareability supports the mission, scarcity is often required by law or codes.
What are the two regions associated with an information asset?
- Shareability region - Locations, systems, and people with access to the asset.
- Scarcity region - All other locations, systems and people.
What are the key conditions within an information asset’s shareability region?
Availability to ensure use and integrity to ensure correct decisions are made using the asset.
What must happen to an information asset outside its shareability region?
It must remain confidential to prevent deriving value from it.
What are the information security requirements of an asset?
The CIA Triad - Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.
What happens when an information asset moves across its boundary into the scarcity region?
It’s value must be removed to maintain security.