Asset management in cybersecurity is a systematic security process that involves identifying, classifying, tracking, and protecting all valuable organizational resources throughout their lifecycle. These assets encompass hardware, software, data, network infrastructure, cloud services, intellectual property, and critical personnel. By maintaining an accurate and up-to-date inventory of all assets, organizations gain essential visibility into what needs protection, enabling them to understand each asset's value, location, and criticality to business operations.

Effective asset management serves as the foundation for robust risk management and threat intelligence. It allows security teams to pinpoint vulnerabilities, assess the potential impact of security incidents, and strategically prioritize security controls and resources. This continuous process spans from asset acquisition and deployment through maintenance and secure disposal, ensuring proper configuration, monitoring, and protection against evolving cyber threats. Ultimately, diligent asset management supports security policy enforcement, facilitates regulatory compliance, enables efficient incident response, and significantly reduces an organization's attack surface.