Page 20 - Security Today, September/October 2024

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“Therefore, it is vital to consider the prospective partner’s security management platform in the evaluation criteria for any specific security project. ”
Simplify Lifecycle Management
Managing the lifecycle of security assets is one of the most chal- lenging tasks in security operations. It is common for large orga- nizations to have an abundance of security assets, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of devices installed, spread across diverse locations and from numerous vendors over years of de- ployments. Even smaller organizations can encounter difficulties in monitoring the age and condition of their security equipment not to mention firmware and software update statuses.
This is a complex challenge, and a digital security manage- ment platform plays a crucial role in a focused lifecycle manage- ment program. The first step is to document each device in detail, including installation date, firmware version serial number and vendor support status. Once this information is captured by your internal team or with the support of your security integrator, the entire security asset portfolio can be proactively managed to im- prove security and optimize spending. This can be achieved by maximizing the life of equipment, cost-effectively planning for replacements and reducing risk exposure from unsupported or vulnerable devices.
An essential feature of this functionality in a security manage- ment platform is the range of data visualizations and reports that help focus attention on urgent matters, such as systems or devices nearing end of life or out of date firmware creating a cyber vul- nerability. This allows for the creation of a proactive asset man-
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