In almost any context, an asset is a positive thing, and it often has worth. Money is an asset, for example. When you list assets and liabilities, assets are all things that have value.
In broad terms, an asset can be people, property, or information. For web security purposes, we’re referring to your website here. But it can also include your online reputation or a database of customer information. Financial records are also assets.
Anything that needs to be protected is an asset.
Risk, threat and vulnerability
What is Risk? An organization’s risk profile fluctuates depending on internal and external environmental factors. It incorporates not just the potential or probability of a negative event, but the impact that event may have on your infrastructure. And though risk can never be 100% eliminated—cybersecurity is a persistently moving target, after all—it can be managed to a level that satisfies your organization’s tolerance for risk. No matter how you deal with it, the end goal remains the same—to keep your overall risk low, manageable and known.
