A Boardroom Look at Network Asset Management

Networks typically aren't included in corporate risk management plans, but they should be. Here's what network managers can do about it.

Picture of Mary E. Shacklett, President, Transworld Data

Mary E. Shacklett, President, Transworld Data

September 17, 2025

4 Min Read

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ANDRII YALANSKYI / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Asset management on the network is more critical than ever. Few network managers emphasize its strategic significance in corporate risk management, however -- and corporate boards don’t tend to think about it either.

This is short-sighted thinking, given the network’s critical role in availing and protecting corporate assets, such as systems and data, from risk.

Network asset management exists at three levels:

Ensures that all network IT assets are accounted for and tracked.
Ensures that in-network assets -- such as routers, access points and servers -- are in excellent working order and won't fail.
Manages the risk of asset loss, compromise and failure -- and incorporates these risk factors into the company’s risk management plan.

Of these three categories, the one most visible to the board, CEO and other company decision-makers is the corporate risk management plan, which often doesn't include networks.

Originally, companies developed risk management plans to protect them against known risks and threats. These could include sudden loss of business, a break in the supply chain, financial insolvency, legal challenges and natural disasters. As IT became central to company operations, companies added the prospect of a prolonged IT outage and disaster recovery to risk management plans.

Today, disaster recovery from IT outages is the main way IT is represented in corporate risk management plans. Corporate executives and boards outside of IT seldom get more granular than this. They are generally satisfied as long as they see a documented IT disaster recovery plan and are assured that the company has liability and cyber insurance policies in place.

Should Network Managers Adopt a Similar View?

Let’s look at why network managers shouldn’t take a similar stance.

The pressures of daily work present a compelling argument to avoid messing with the status quo. After all, if the board, CEO and CIO are satisfied with the documented IT disaster recovery plan and insurance policies, why do more?

Many network managers see corporate risk management this way, which is why most corporate boards and executives have at best a vague idea of the role the network plays in managing corporate risks and assets.

The flip side is when network managers make a concerted effort to raise awareness about the network’s role in maintaining IT services.

Why is this important?

In a Statista 2024 report , the firm found that the U.S. had 3,158 documented cases of data compromises that affected 1.35 billion individuals in 2024. Most of these data breaches occurred over a network.

In this environment, enterprise networks are the first line of defense against the cyber threats that cause the majority of data breaches. They also defend against ransomware attacks that can lock down company IT resources and render companies inoperable.

Because of these threats, network robustness and security should be top corporate concerns when it comes to managing risk.

The best way that network managers can advance network awareness as a core risk management issue is to talk about it -- to the board, to the CIO, to the CEO and to other C-level executives. This heightens awareness of the network as a critical corporate risk management issue, gets the network included in the corporate risk management plan and makes it easier to procure the resources needed to build and maintain a safe and secure network.

The Network as a Risk Management Issue

Risk management discussions have always focused on the risks to enterprise wellbeing and how to prevent or mitigate these risks. Network managers should approach any discussion of network risk management as part of the corporate risk management plan.

Since corporate risk management plans center around the physical, informational, products and goodwill enterprises have, the network discussion of risk should also focus on the enterprise risks the network protects: IT systems, data and network assets.

Most companies know that data is a valuable company asset, but many company executives still don’t regularly think about IT systems or network technology as company assets. When these executives think about assets, they're thinking about them as they see them on the corporate balance sheet. This is where the network asset risk discussion should begin.

It’s also important to approach the topic of network risk management in a way that enables network managers to build support for network risk management. Start the network risk discussion with the CIO, who is likely to see the issue clearly and get behind it. With active support from the CIO, it's easier to expand the discussion of networks as corporate risk management issues to others. At this point, the CIO and the network manager can meet with key decision-makers on risk management, such as the CFO and CEO. With the CIO, CFO and CEO on board, the network as a risk management issue can then be presented to other C-level executives and to the board itself.

When you elevate the network into a corporate risk management discussion and plan, you're more likely to obtain the resources you need to run a tight and comprehensive network -- and that should be paramount to everyone.