Guide on Identifying Mission-based Cyber Assets

It is crucial to identify mission-based cyber assets to ensure their security and continuity. This article outlines how organizations can identify their mission-based cyber assets.

Introduction

As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, identifying mission-based cyber assets becomes increasingly important. Mission-based cyber assets are the information systems, applications, and data essential to an organization's mission, operations, and business continuity. Identifying these assets can help organizations focus their resources on securing and protecting them.

Step 1: Define Your Mission

The first step in identifying mission-based cyber assets is to define your organization's mission. This involves identifying the core functions and processes essential to achieving your organization's goals. This may include identifying the critical systems, processes, and data needed for the mission.

Step 2: Identify Your Information Systems

The next step is identifying your organization's information systems. This includes identifying all hardware, software, and data your organization uses. It is important to inventory all systems, including those that may not be directly related to your mission.

Step 3: Determine Criticality

Once you have identified your information systems, the next step is to determine their criticality. This involves assessing the impact of disruption or loss of the system on your organization's mission. This can be done through a risk assessment process considering the likelihood and impact of various threats.

Step 4: Identify Dependencies

After determining criticality, the next step is identifying the dependencies between your information systems. This involves identifying how each system is connected and how they work together to support your organization's mission. Understanding these dependencies can help identify areas of vulnerability and potential impact if one system fails.

Step 5: Prioritize and Protect

The final step is prioritizing and protecting your mission-based cyber assets. Based on the criticality and dependencies of your information systems, you can prioritize which assets require the most protection. This can include implementing security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls to protect these assets.

It Goes Without Saying

Identifying mission-based cyber assets is critical to protecting your organization's mission, operations, and business continuity. Following the steps, this article outlines how organizations can identify their critical assets and implement appropriate security controls to protect them.

Ask Yourself

What are mission-based cyber assets?

Mission-based cyber assets are the information systems, applications, and data essential to an organization's mission, operations, and business continuity.

Why is it important to identify mission-based cyber assets?

Identifying mission-based cyber assets can help organizations focus their resources on securing and protecting these critical assets.

What is the first step in identifying mission-based cyber assets?

The first step is to define your organization's mission and identify the core functions and processes essential to achieving your organization's goals.

How can organizations determine the criticality of their information systems?

Organizations can determine the criticality of their information systems by assessing the impact that a disruption or loss of the system would have on their organization's mission.

What is the final step in identifying mission-based cyber assets?

The final step is to prioritize and protect your mission-based cyber assets by implementing appropriate security controls to protect these critical assets.