IDE-01 Identify

Asset identification

Systems (infrastructure, operating systems, applications, identities, credentials and data) are continually and centrally identified and documented.

Enterprise IT actions

IT.IDE-01.1

Use an approved asset inventory mechanism that supports automated discovery to detect new and changed physical and non-physical assets.
- Every phaseVisibility and response
ASD’s indicators

Not effective
- No approved asset inventory mechanism is in place.
- Asset inventory records are maintained manually with no automated discovery capability.
Partially effective
- An approved asset inventory mechanism is deployed but does not cover all network segments or asset types.
- Automated discovery scans to detect new and changed physical and non-physical assets occur on a schedule but reconciliation with the approved inventory is manual or inconsistent.
Fully effective
- An approved asset inventory mechanism which supports automated discovery is deployed to cover all applicable assets and network segments.
- Discovery runs on a regular schedule defined by the organisation and new or changed physical or non-physical assets that are detected are reconciled with the approved inventory.
Related frameworks

ISM
ISM-1493, ISM-1643, ISM-1966
NIST CSF 2.0
ID.AM-01, ID.AM-02, ID.AM-05, ID.AM-08
NIST SP 800-171r3
03.04.10, 03.04.11
AESCSF v2
ASSET-1a, ASSET-1f, ASSET-1g, ASSET-2a
Essential Eight
Patch applications, Patch operating systems

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IT.IDE-01.2

Maintain current records of infrastructure, operating systems, applications, identities, credentials and data assets.
- Phase 1Boundary services, Identity services
- Phase 2Critical processes and services, Privileged environments
- Phase 3Business systems, User devices
ASD’s indicators

Not effective
- A maintained record of infrastructure, operating systems, applications, identities, credentials and data assets has not been established.
- There is no defined process for identifying, recording, reviewing and updating asset records.
Partially effective
- Asset records are maintained, but identified omissions, inaccuracies or newly discovered assets are not triaged and addressed within the timeframes or tolerances defined by the organisation.
- A process to update the asset inventory runs on a schedule but the results are not reconciled or updated within a period defined by the organisation.
Fully effective
- At each scheduled review or update, records of infrastructure, operating systems, applications, identities, credentials and data assets are complete and accurate within the tolerances defined by the organisation.
- A defined process identifies changes and newly discovered assets between scheduled reviews, and ensures that records are reviewed, reconciled and updated within timeframes commensurate with the associated cyber security risk.
Related frameworks

ISM
ISM-1493, ISM-1633, ISM-1643, ISM-1966
NIST CSF 2.0
ID.AM-01, ID.AM-02, ID.AM-03, ID.AM-07, ID.AM-08
NIST SP 800-171r3
03.04.10, 03.04.11
AESCSF v2
ASSET-1a, ASSET-1e, ASSET-2a

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Operational technology actions

Action 1

Use an approved asset inventory mechanism that supports automated discovery to detect new and changed assets, recording physical and logical location, role, criticality, dependencies, known vulnerabilities and existing compensating controls.
- Every phaseVisibility and response
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Action 2

Continuously identify and document infrastructure, operating systems, applications, identities, credentials and data as distinct assets.
- Phase 1Boundary services, Critical processes and services
- Phase 2Privileged environments, Identity services
- Phase 3Business systems
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Cloud actions

Action 1

Use an approved asset inventory mechanism that supports automated discovery to detect new and changed non-physical assets including short-lived containers and virtual machines.
- Every phaseVisibility and response
- ResponsibilityPaaS: Customer, SaaS: Supplied
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Action 2

Identify sanctioned and unsanctioned services, tenants and integrations and promptly bring them under organisational governance.
- Every phaseVisibility and response
- ResponsibilityPaaS: Customer, SaaS: Supplied
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Action 3

Maintain current records of identities, non-person identities, integrations, data and cloud regions, using automated discovery where available to detect new and changed assets.
- Phase 1Identity services, Boundary services
- Phase 2Critical processes and services, Privileged environments
- Phase 3Business systems, User devices
- ResponsibilityPaaS: Customer, SaaS: Customer
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Source: ASD Essentials for enterprise IT, version 2026.10.15; ASD Essentials for operational technology, version 2026.10.15; ASD Essentials for cloud, version 2026.10.15, Australian Signals Directorate. The Navigator is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Australian Signals Directorate.