Reviewing Your ITAM Process for 2022

Has 2021 changed any of your human resources or operational processes? If so, now is the time to review your IT Asset Management procedures. Let’s dive into a few of the most common 2021 changes and see how this can impact your IT Security.

1. Your workforce moved to a hybrid working model.

Hybrid work models may be even more complex to manage than completely remote environments. You and your employees must be aware and follow processes for both. One common mistake is assuming that employees are as diligent at home as on your campus. Even the most engaged employees can be much more relaxed in their home environment. Use this time of year to have employees list where they work, what they work on, and what programs they use on each device.

2. Your workforce moved to a remote working environment.

You now have concerns that may seem out of your control, as mentioned above. The onboarding and exit process are areas of extreme vulnerability for businesses trying to track their ITAM using excel spreadsheets. Make 2022 the year that you face the fact that employees could be using personal devices for work alongside their work devices. Ignoring this can cause serious problems. The good news? Software publishers are beginning to address this in their license agreements, and ITAM teams are becoming more diligent in their training. The stronger the onboarding process, the better.

All companies should also be prepared for rogue exits. Rogue exits are employees who quit without cooperating with your exit interview and policies. This is much easier to control when you are face to face with a terminated or resigning employee, but it’s much more challenging to show up on their doorstep. Communicate your policies often and carefully, and follow-through always. It only takes one lax situation for others to think you don’t care.

3. You were affected by the great resignation of 2021.

The great resignation of 2021 impacted HR departments worldwide. With less staff, there is less control. Often HR teams are busy simply handling essential hiring and firing steps. It’s more important than ever to identify a direct, or at least dotted line, reporting structure to your IT Department. Rogue employees are tough enough to handle on campus. As you enter a new year, this vulnerability caused by staffing issues must be addressed. Reassigning responsibilities may be necessary.

4. Your employees admitted they used their personal equipment for work.

Congratulations! You have an honest workforce, and that is critical in ITAM. At this point, it’s essential to continue an open and fair working dialogue. Schedule times for employees to work with your IT team to review the devices mentioned above and, assuming they are no longer using them for work, discuss any wiping of data or other processes that need to take place. This becomes a much more extensive training and spotlight on where data is stored. All employees should understand that If work-related sensitive information is being held on personal devices, the lack of network protection or unprotected WiFi connection could expose your company to significant risks.

If any of the above did not impact your workplace, we recommend an internal ITAM review. Consider how your equipment is assigned to employees and how it is retired. You should always start with some basic questions, regardless of how basic they seem.

1. What do you have? Be sure to include any virtual machines, routers, servers, and all hardware. If you are still doing this manually, it’s essential to automate your discovery process.
2. Who has it?
3. What’s on it?
4. How often do you check? This is especially important as we move forward with hybrid and remote work environments.
5. What happens when an employee leaves?
6. What happens when a device is retired? In remote environments, employees must understand how they retire their devices. Ensuring that devices don’t end up with their children or neighbor is critical. The right ITAM/ITAD partner should now be well experienced at handling remote IT Asset Destruction processes.

If you or your IT Department needs assistance in IT Asset Management or IT Asset Destruction, we’d like to be a resource. Contact us for a free consultation.