August 2025
In the intricate world of network governance, robust asset management is the cornerstone of effective cybersecurity. As advanced adversaries increasingly target blind spots in enterprise infrastructure, meticulous oversight of digital assets is no longer optional - it is essential for fortifying defences and streamlining governance.
Understanding Asset Management in Network Governance
Asset management refers to the systematic process of developing, operating, maintaining, and upgrading network assets cost-effectively. It involves cataloging and monitoring every asset - hardware, software, and data - to ensure that they are both secure and functioning optimally.
In the context of network governance, asset management provides the foundation for resource allocation, risk management, and regulatory compliance. A well-maintained inventory enables organisations to quickly identify vulnerabilities, patch outdated systems, and ensure security controls are consistently applied across the digital estate.
Why Asset Management Matters More Today
Recent campaigns, such as the UNC3886 nation-state cyber operations, underscore the importance of asset visibility. This highly sophisticated group exploited blind spots in virtualised infrastructure, firewalls, and hypervisors - areas where traditional endpoint detection cannot operate.
Their tactics highlight a painful truth: even organisations with mature endpoint security can remain blind to adversaries operating at the infrastructure level. Without comprehensive asset management, defenders struggle to know what exists in their environment, let alone protect it.
The Role of Asset Management in Enhancing Cybersecurity
Effective asset management enhances cybersecurity by providing complete visibility into the network landscape. Knowing what assets exist, how they are configured, and how they interconnect allows defenders to:
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Identify and close security gaps before adversaries exploit them.
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Detect unauthorised or unmanaged devices that attackers might leverage.
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Align assets with compliance and governance requirements.
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Correlate activity across endpoints, identity, and network layers for faster detection.
As seen in the UNC3886 campaigns, attackers exploit unmanaged assets and EDR-blind zones to establish persistence, move laterally, and exfiltrate data. Asset management, combined with behavior-based monitoring, is key to countering such advanced threats.
Key Components of Effective Asset Management Strategies
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Asset Inventory – Maintain a living, accurate inventory of all hardware, software, and cloud instances.
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Asset Classification – Prioritise based on criticality to business operations and potential impact if compromised.
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Lifecycle Management – Patch, upgrade, and retire assets in a controlled manner to minimise vulnerabilities.
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Continuous Monitoring – Track real-time changes and anomalies in asset behavior, especially in virtualised and cloud environments.
Overcoming Challenges with Modern Tools
The sheer complexity of hybrid environments - spanning on-premises, cloud, and virtualised infrastructure - makes asset management challenging. Attackers like UNC3886 exploit these challenges by “living in the infrastructure,” deploying rootkits and custom malware to evade detection.
To address this, organizations must adopt AI-driven platforms that provide pervasive visibility across network, identity, and cloud surfaces, correlating attacker behaviors into a unified threat narrative.
Future Trends: AI-Driven Asset Management
The future of asset management lies in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These technologies enable:
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Automated discovery of unmanaged assets.
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Real-time anomaly detection across hybrid environments.
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Proactive identification of attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
The shift from signature-based detection to behaviour-driven visibility will define the next era of cybersecurity resilience. By combining meticulous asset governance with AI-powered detection and response, organisations can outpace advanced threats and reduce attacker dwell time from months to minutes.
