Asset Management

The Asset Management module in the fuentis Suite is the central platform for the systematic recording, management, and documentation of all information-relevant assets in your company. From IT systems and software licenses to sensitive databases and business processes – here you maintain full visibility over your corporate resources, which you protect through your efforts in ISMS, BCMS, and DSMC.

Note: Asset Management is not required for using the ISMS. The BCMS module builds directly on assets. There are no target object groups in this module. You start here with the most important business processes.

Why is structured Asset Management critical?

In ISO 27001 and BSI IT-Grundschutz, a complete asset inventory forms the foundation for:

• Risk analyses and their evaluation
• Compliance evidence for audits
• Business Continuity Management (BCM)
• Incident response and emergency management
• Informed security decisions based on up-to-date data

Note: In Asset Management, data can often be imported from IT service management products and other databases. Feel free to contact us for consulting.

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The Four Pillars of Asset Management

The module structures your corporate assets into four main areas: 1. Scopes, 2. Assets, 3. Business Processes, 4. Organizational Structure.

1. Scopes – Defining Domains

Purpose: Organize assets into logical management units (domains = scopes)

• Every asset belongs to at least one scope
• Scopes enable mapping of organizational structures, projects, or locations
• Integration with ISMS/BCMS modules for seamless compliance

Permissions model:

• ASSM_ACCESS_SCOPES – Global access rights
• Granular rights: Permissions can be set down to individual assets

Practical tip: Scopes are structured similarly to those in the ISMS module. Permissions can be mirrored here. Typically, you should start with the ISMS, since assets tend to change more frequently.
Example: A sales MacBook Pro 14” M3 2024 is replaced – the asset group (target object group) “Sales notebooks” remains.

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2. Assets – The Core of Asset Management

Scope: Documentation of all information-relevant assets

• IT systems (servers, clients, network components)
• Software and licenses
• Databases and information systems
• Physical assets (buildings, rooms, security technology)

Structure:

• Hierarchical organization into asset groups and types
• Standard base attributes across all asset types
• Type-specific attributes depending on category
• Visual asset tree for intuitive navigation

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3. Business Processes – Mapping Your Process Landscape

Focus: Documentation of critical business processes and information flows

• Recording process dependencies
• Identifying critical information
• Linking to supporting assets

Permission: ASSM_ACCESS_BUSINESS_PROCESSES

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4. Organizational Structure – Clarifying Responsibilities

Content: Mapping organizational units

• Departments and teams
• Roles and responsibilities
• Contact information for emergency management

Permission: ASSM_ACCESS_ORGANIZATION

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Asset Management in Detail

Asset Recording and Maintenance

Creation process (wizard-based):

1. Type selection: Determines available attributes and relations
2. Entity assignment: Only entities with create permission are displayed
3. Scope assignment: At least one scope is mandatory
4. Base data input: Name and title (must be unique)
5. Detail attributes: Type-specific technical and organizational data

Batch operations:

• “Create another” checkbox for serial creation
• Multi-select for deletion

• Detailed view of assets
• Attribute editing per asset

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Relationship Management – Linking Assets

Assets are linked through two mechanisms:

1. Scope assignments (tab “Scopes”):

• Multi-scope capability: One asset can belong to multiple domains
• At least one scope must always remain assigned
• Required: Edit permission for scope + read for asset

2. Asset links (tab “Links”):

General relation types:

• Hierarchical: “is parent to” / “is child of”
• Universally applicable across all asset types
• Multiple link types possible

Specific relation types:

• Spatial: “Contains” / “Is in” (for buildings/rooms)
• Technical: Dependencies between IT components
• Organizational: Responsibilities and ownership

Visualization:

• Table view: Clear list display
• Graph view: Interactive hierarchy visualization
  • Asset boxes with direct info
  • Directed arrows show relation type and direction
  • Focus function: Recenter on selected asset
  • Go-to function: Jump directly to detail view

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Best Practices for Implementation

Structuring and Organization

Building an asset hierarchy:

• Start with critical assets (crown jewels)
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Apply clear asset categories
• Establish ownership early

Scope design:

• Align with organizational structure or locations
• Separate scopes for projects or temporary structures
• Use overlaps purposefully for matrix organizations

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Integration with ISMS/BCMS

Leverage synergies:

• Assets as the basis for risk analysis
• Link with protection needs assessments
• Input for Business Impact Analyses (BIA)
• Foundation for contingency planning

Use the Task Manager:

• Schedule regular asset reviews
• Automate inventory cycles
• Update responsibilities on a schedule

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Permissions Management

Role-based approach:

Global roles (module access):
- ASSM_ACCESS_SCOPES
- ASSM_ACCESS_ASSETS
- ASSM_ACCESS_ORGANIZATION
- ASSM_ACCESS_BUSINESS_PROCESSES

Granular rights (per asset type and entity):
- [AssetType] - Read
- [AssetType] - Create
- [AssetType] - Edit
- [AssetType] - Delete

Ensuring Data Quality

Validation and maintenance:

• Enforce unique identifiers (name/title)
• Define required fields sensibly
• Perform regular consistency checks
• Identify orphaned links

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Support from the fuentis Suite

The fuentis Suite offers extensive support for efficient Asset Management:

Automation

• Wizard-guided processes for error-free data entry
• Batch operations for mass changes
• Import interfaces for existing data

Note: We provide several interfaces to other CMDB and inventory tools. Contact us – we’ve always found a solution.

Visualization

• Interactive graph views for dependency analysis
• Hierarchy browser for structured navigation
• Dashboard integration for management reporting

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Further Resources

Introductory video on Asset Management

The video is hosted on YouTube. Playing it sends data to Google.

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Key Takeaways at a Glance

✓ Holistic approach: Asset Management forms the basis for ISMS, BCMS, and risk management – a well-maintained asset inventory is key to effective information security

✓ Four-pillar principle: Structured management across scopes, assets, business processes, and organization ensures full transparency of corporate assets

✓ Relationships matter: Linking assets to each other and to scopes builds understanding of dependencies and simplifies impact analysis

✓ Compliance by design: The fuentis Suite supports ISO 27001 and BSI IT-Grundschutz-compliant asset management through predefined structures and workflows