Imagine a medieval castle with surrounding walls and a moat that serve as the first line of defense against potential invaders. Within the castle walls, the king’s treasures are protected. The most valuable are housed deep within the inner sanctum, locked in a chest, with knights on guard at all times. While each treasure in the castle requires protection, the king’s crown demands the highest level of security.

This analogy illustrates the importance of understanding that not all assets require the same level of protection, which is crucial when implementing a cybersecurity strategy. With the rise of technology in business-critical activities, protecting digital assets must be a top priority. The problem is most companies don’t understand how to implement a cybersecurity strategy because they don’t fully grasp what they are protecting. Which assets need the most protection, and which are less business-critical and therefore require fewer controls?

A business must prioritize its assets to decide which are most important. Keep in mind that sometimes level of importance is not blatantly obvious. To the castle cook, the king’s family heirloom may be just another bauble, but to the king it is among his most valuable possessions. The same sentiment applies to your company’s data. Business-critical applications and programs that employees use daily, highly sensitive proprietary knowledge, and sensitive personal information are all important assets. But what resources are comparable to the king’s family heirlooms?

A business can identify its most critical assets by auditing its technology, assessing the risks, compiling data, and comparing frequency of use.  This may also uncover unnecessary expenses such as duplicates of protection services, unused programs and outdated applications. Knowing what can be eliminated and what’s important enables businesses to cut costs and focus on securing what is most critical.

Performing a risk assessment to determine specific levels of security needed for each asset allows you to strengthen protections around those that matter most. A business must keep in mind the delicate balance between protection and usability. A king’s crown is rendered useless locked in a secured box in the dungeon. The same goes for your company’s assets – your employees must be able to access and use data for it to be of value. Once a cybersecurity strategy is in place, the implementation of a monitoring and protection plan ensures the continued health of your assets.

Do you know your company’s most important assets? We are experts in cybersecurity and can discern what’s most important for your business and craft a protection plan accordingly. From auditing your data and assessing the unique risks associated with your assets, to monitoring and implementing a cybersecurity strategy, Collective Insights is here to be your partner.