Report: Poor asset management leads to IT insecurity

WHAT: "Understanding the Federal Government’s 'IT Insecurity' Crisis," from the International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers

WHY: It may come as no surprise that an organization of asset managers thinks the federal government's proposed $14 billion cybersecurity spend doesn't include enough emphasis on asset management. According to their report, more robust asset management will help offset the damaging effects of security breaches, curtail overspending on software, prevent data loss, and make sure existing IT assets are used to their full potential.

VERBATIM: "The reality is that the crisis in federal IT management is as much an opportunity as it is a risk, particularly when it comes to saving taxpayers money. The overall spending pattern of the federal government on IT suggests that enormous progress could be achieved through better and tighter ITAM practices. One major reason: Better control of inventory, software licensing, upgrades, and so on, will actually reduce the risk of more federal government IT failures. Conversely, spending greater and greater sums without proper ITAM controls in place is a prescription for more breaches, risks posed by unauthorized devices, increases in lost and stolen hard drives, and major vulnerabilities created by outdated and/or 'unpatched' software."

Read the full report.