The SST Insider – October 2025

From the Helm

At SST, October has focused on strengthening foundations not only for technology but also for the organizations that depend on it every day.

One common theme among clients is visibility. Many businesses believe they understand their IT environment, only to realize during an audit, outage, or merger that they have assets they were unaware of. In cybersecurity, unknown assets can quickly turn into unmanaged risks. What we are emphasizing with clients right now is simple: you cannot secure what you do not know you have.

This month’s work has shown how powerful clear visibility is. When organizations know exactly what devices, applications, and cloud services are in their environment, they can make better decisions, respond more quickly to threats, and cut down on unnecessary expenses.

Strong cybersecurity is not just based on firewalls and tools; it is founded on clarity, process, and disciplined inventory management.

That is the mindset guiding our team and the conversations we are having on Unscripted with SST, helping organizations shift from reactive firefighting to proactive, mature operations.

– SST Leadership

AI Corner
6 Ways AI Strengthens Asset Visibility and Reduces Cyber Risk

• Automated Discovery of New Devices
• Intelligent Identification of Rogue Assets
• Predictive Risk Scoring
• Shadow IT Detection
• Real-Time Patch Awareness
• Lifecycle Optimization

Client Success Story: Eliminating Blind Spots with a Complete IT Asset Inventory

During a routine cybersecurity assessment, a Midwest professional services firm uncovered significant gaps in their IT asset inventory, including untracked devices from a recent merger, unmanaged SaaS applications, and a forgotten legacy database containing customer data. These blind spots introduced security vulnerabilities, slowed incident response, and created compliance challenges.

SST carried out a comprehensive asset inventory program aligned with CIS Critical Security Controls 1 and 2. By utilizing automated discovery tools, conducting departmental interviews, reviewing cloud accounts, and maintaining a centralized configuration database, the team built a dynamic inventory that accurately reflects every device, application, and service currently in use.

Key outcomes included:

• Complete visibility across on-premises, cloud, remote, and shadow IT environments
• Stronger patch compliance and reduced attack surface
• Faster incident response through accurate system scoping
• Full audit readiness with documented hardware and software records
• Cost savings by eliminating redundant licenses and cloud services

The result: a more transparent, secure, and well-managed technology environment that enhances cybersecurity and promotes smarter budgeting.

– Operations Manager

Proactive Insights

Why Asset Inventory Is Becoming a Critical Leadership Priority

For many years, asset inventory was viewed as a technical task done quietly in the background. Today, it is considered a strategic requirement.

Hybrid work, cloud adoption, and rapid growth lead to assets being created faster than ever. Without discipline, organizations quickly lose track of what they own, who uses it, and whether it is secure. That is when risk rises.

Here is why leadership is paying attention:

Visibility Promotes Security – Unknown devices and outdated software are common attack entry points. Maintaining a complete inventory ensures all assets are patched, monitored, and protected.

Audits Are Growing More Rigorous – Cyber insurance, SOC 2, NIST CSF, and industry regulators now require documented, accurate asset lists, not incomplete spreadsheets.

Budgets Depend on It – Redundant SaaS tools, unused licenses, and forgotten cloud instances drain thousands of dollars each year. Inventory reveals waste immediately.

Incident Response Speeds Up – When issues occur, quickly identifying affected systems can reduce recovery time from days to hours.

It Is the First Step in All Frameworks – CIS, NIST, ISO, and other major standards all begin with Asset Inventory as the foundation of cyber hygiene.

If your organization has not conducted a full inventory in the past year, now is the time. Visibility today prevents incidents tomorrow.

SST News and Events

Right of Boom Cyber Call – 10/7/25
Winona Chamber Ribbon Cutting – 10/7/25
Baraboo Chamber Lunch and Learn – 10/8/25
Dubuque Weekly B2B – 10/9/25
SST Hosted Virtual IR Simulation – 10/9/25
Right of Boom Cyber Call – 10/13/25
Peer Group Quarterly – 10/20/25
Dubuque Weekly B2B – 10/23/25
Dubuque Weekly B2B – 10/30/25
Unscripted with SST Episode 11 – 10/31/25
Incident Response Simulation – 10/31/25

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