Guest OpEd by Brandon Shopp, Group Vice President, Products, SolarWinds

For many federal employees, the workplace has shifted from a traditional office setting to being at home—in a kitchen, bedroom, basement, or any spare desk in the house.

With a physical workplace transformation of this nature, cybersecurity concerns come to the forefront.

While most agencies have been diligent in addressing these concerns, how has your agency planned to secure its physical inventory?

As agencies continue to pivot their operations, assets no longer necessarily reside in a dedicated office space.

Despite not having eyes on these physical assets, the IT team and service desk are still required to have a level of visibility and access to agency-owned property to securely support employees.

To maximize visibility and secure your organizational ecosystem, it’s critical for IT teams to define an asset management strategy.

There are several best-practice concepts capable of helping with successful asset management and mitigating asset risk, including the following:

1. Define your asset management strategy and select the right asset discovery approach for your agency

2. Leverage robust IT asset management (ITAM) data to implement and refine preventative maintenance tasks capable of reducing spend, minimizing downtime, and closing security vulnerabilities. In fact, federal IT teams can utilize IT service management (ITSM) to better manage their assets and secure their environment

3. Tap into automation and automate recurring risk assessments so IT can implement more preventative maintenance measures, mitigating disruptions or degraded services for employees

Let’s take a closer look.

Defining Your Asset Discovery Approach

Every agency has unique mission requirements. Consider each of the different asset discovery approaches you can take relative to what will best fit your agency.

For example, consider the following:

• Agent-based discovery typically involves a lightweight client able to be deployed to IT hardware with an operating system. This method can help IT automatically collect data points around installed software, hardware ownership, service history, and more

• Agentless discovery extends asset tracking capabilities, empowering IT to scan the agency’s network to compile a full registry of their IP-connected devices

Defining how you track your inventory and configuration items addresses key questions, which can impact employee productivity and agency initiatives:

• How are IT-issued assets used?

• What software is installed on these devices?

• Who has agency-owned assets in their possession?

• What services have been performed on these assets?

• Have there been previously recorded incidents or known problems with this asset?

• Where is the equipment located?

• Is this device linked to other configuration items or assets?

• When was the asset last updated? Does it meet current security requirements?

• What is the health of the asset? Does it need to be replaced or retired?

Understanding the answers to these questions will go a long way toward building a solid ITAM strategy and dramatically mitigating risk.

(Watch an introduction to SolarWinds® Service Desk to learn what today’s IT service management (ITSM) strategy demands from a solution. SolarWinds Service Desk provides a cloud-based, multi-tenant platform for integrated IT asset management and service desk. Courtesy of SolarWinds and YouTube.)

Leveraging ITAM for Preventative Maintenance

Connecting asset management data into your ITSM platform enables IT to proactively plan and perform ongoing maintenance, creating a way to view previous services, historical incidents, or trending problems associated with those devices.

Taking this one step further, integrating ITAM into your ITSM platform and service management strategy can help eliminate service silos, boost employee productivity, and influence organizational processes.

It can even help agencies implement and refine preventative maintenance strategies.

Finally, connecting ITAM with ITSM can provide insight into the applications installed throughout the organization, which can enhance software compliance practices.

This visibility enables IT to run reports on versioning and utilization, which can fuel more proactive operations.

Extracting this information can show whether unauthorized software is installed—potentially compromising the security of agency hardware—or if there’s an overage of unlicensed software being used, which could result in increased expenses or worse: a security risk.

(Managing IT assets can be a challenge if you don’t have a powerful tool to accurately track your IP-connected devices. Whether it’s ensuring all your employees are using the latest operating system software version or quickly attaching a related item to a ticket, with SolarWinds Service Desk, you can keep track of your inventory and budget and ultimately mitigate risk when staying on top of your assets. This short video shows you how to install and use the Solarwinds Discovery Agent and Discovery Scanner. Courtesy of SolarWinds and YouTube.)

Using Automation to Mitigate Risk

With access to a device’s incident history paired with additional information, such as an expiring warranty or the absence of antivirus software, teams can more effectively identify and manage potential security threats.

Automating how these risks are detected and escalated empowers IT to implement more preventative maintenance measures, mitigating disruptions or degraded services for employees.

Remember, cultivating your ITAM strategy takes time. Standardizing how you track your organization’s assets and integrating asset data within the service desk can drive value to your overarching service management objectives.

Automation can save you time and money, and it can keep agency data even more secure.

By adopting and implementing these preventative strategies, agencies can feel more confident in employees working from anywhere.

About the Author

Brandon Shopp is Vice President, Product Strategy and Security at SolarWinds.

Brandon is a High-bandwidth Product Management professional, experienced with a wide variety of software products, business models, M&A, and go-to-market strategies.

His specialties include product management, enterprise management software, networking, systems management, mergers and acquisitions, M&A, application management, networking monitoring, systems monitoring. 

SolarWinds Worldwide Returns to Compete in Sixth Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program

American Security Today’s ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards program is today in its Sixth Year and continues to recognize the Outstanding Innovations of top firms and agencies in the Homeland Security and Public Safety fields.

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.

American Security Today is pleased to announce TSA Administrator  David Pekoske, will join the organization as a featured speaker at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Presentation Luncheon, on November 18, 2021 at ISC East in New York City.

“On the heels of an unprecedented global pandemic, continued unrest in our cities and potentially catastrophic cyberattacks on our nations critical infrastructure, the focus of the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon will be on the latest, state-of-the-art innovations that are driving investments in new public security and safety technologies and systems,” said AST Editorial and Managing Director Tammy Waitt.

“As a recognized expert in crisis management, strategic planning, innovation and aviation, surface transportation and maritime security, David Pekoske’s message highlighting his top priorities and challenges for the TSA based on his years of wide-ranging experience will be critical to our attendees internalizing the critical nature of these escalating challenges, and realizing innovative new approaches to meet them.”

The 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is Proudly Sponsored by AMAROK, Fortior Solutions  and SIMS Software, along with Returning Premier Sponsors ATI Systems, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, and Reed Exhibitions.

Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.

Comprehensive List of Categories Include:

Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?

With the unprecedented occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of the safety and security industries has realized the need to increase innovations to address the daily growing challenges.

As such AST aims to make sure these firms and professionals are reflected in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, so we’d like to encourage you to submit appropriate categories recommendations and include COVID-19 Frontline Professionals in your Nominations to see that these Professionals, Facilities, and Vendors receive the Recognition they Deserve!

Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

Register for the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Luncheon Today

At ISC East 2021 you with the opportunity to interact with a broad array of security industry professionals.

ISC East works closely with other businesses in the security and public safety space to help bring together the Northeast’s largest security trade show each year.

In collaboration with premier sponsor SIA (Security Industry Association) and in partnership with ASIS NYC, ISC East is proud to work with and be supported by various associations, trade publications, charities, and more.

Therefore, the ISC audience of security dealers, installers, integrators, consultants, corporate, government and law enforcement/first responder practitioners will be joined by the ASIS NYC audience of major corporate managerial-through-director-level national and global security executives.

The combination of one-on-one conversations with the industry’s top innovators,  integrators and security executives, special events, high-quality education and training, and strong support from industry associations, will allow attendees to learn and evaluate solutions from leading security exhibitors and brands. 

Your ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon registration includes complimentary attendee access to ISC East – Thank take advantage of this exclusive luncheon opportunity to take a break from the show – Invite your team, guests, clients and show visitors to a lovely and affordable plated meal event in the heart of New York City, for  a fabulous networking opportunity!

Go to https://americansecuritytoday.com/product/awards-luncheon/ to secure your seat or reserve a table.

***Limited space available so Register Today. There will be no on-site registrations.

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers eyes throughout the story with cutting edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.

AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

To learn more about the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, Check Out the New 2020 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2020 ‘A Year in Review’.

The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of the ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firms products and services, includes video interviews and more.

It is your Go-To source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2020 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.

From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION has what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.

It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

• For a complete list of 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners, click here.

AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:

• Provides named sources
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• Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos

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