Asset Security
- Security of physical and intellectual assets
- Physical safeguards
- Perpetual records are maintained
- Periodic counts / physical inventories
- Compare counts to perpetual records
- Investigate/correct differences
Liquid assets, assets with alternative uses, dangerous assets, vital documents, critical systems, and confidential information must be safeguarded against unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition. Typically, access controls are the best way to safeguard these assets. Examples of access controls are as follows: locked door, keypad systems, card key system, badge system, biometric system, locked filing cabinet, guard, terminal lock, computer password, menu protection, automatic call-back for remote access, smart card, and data encryption.
Departments which have capital assets or significant inventories should establish perpetual inventory control over these items by recording purchases and issuances. Periodically, the items should be physically counted by a person who is independent of the purchased authorization and asset custody functions and the counts should be compared to balances per the perpetual records. Missing items should be investigated, resolved, and analyzed for possible control deficiencies; perpetual records should be adjusted to physical counts if missing items are not located.
Last Updated: November 17, 2008 (kp).
