ISC2 Exam CISSP Topic 1 Question 96 Discussion

Information assets are any data or information that have value for the organization, such as financial records, customer data, intellectual property, or trade secrets. Information assets are essential for the organization to achieve its objectives and to maintain its competitive advantage. Information assets should be identified, classified, and protected according to their value, sensitivity, and criticality. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001 compliance does not specify which information assets must be included in asset inventory, but rather provides a framework and a set of requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an information security management system (ISMS). Building an information assets register is not necessarily a resource-intensive job, but rather a necessary and beneficial one, as it helps to document and manage the information assets of the organization, and to support the risk assessment and security planning processes. Information assets inventory is required for risk assessment, as it helps to determine the scope, impact, and likelihood of the risks that may affect the information assets, and to prioritize and implement the appropriate controls and measures to mitigate the risks.