The CISA guidance titled “Foundations for OT Cybersecurity: Asset Inventory Guidance for Owners and Operators” provides operational technology (OT) owners and operators across critical infrastructure sectors with practical, step-by-step recommendations to create, maintain, and utilize comprehensive OT asset inventories and taxonomies. This framework helps organizations define the inventory scope, identify and classify all relevant OT assets—including control systems, sensors, communication devices, hardware, and software—and organize them into structured taxonomies based on function and criticality. The guidance emphasizes the critical role of these inventories in building a modern defensible cybersecurity architecture by improving visibility into the OT environment, enabling effective risk and vulnerability management, and enhancing incident response capabilities. It includes lifecycle management of assets from acquisition to decommissioning and promotes continuous improvement through regular updates, stakeholder engagement, and staff training. Additionally, sector-specific examples, especially for oil and gas, electricity, and water/wastewater industries, illustrate categorization best practices. The document further advises leveraging authoritative vulnerability databases and integrating inventory data into broader cybersecurity and operational resilience strategies to safeguard vital infrastructure and ensure service continuity. This holistic approach is aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity posture of organizations responsible for critical services nationwide.
Home / Function (NIST CSF 2.0) / ID - Identify / AA - Assets
CISA Foundations for OT Cybersecurity: Asset Inventory Guidance for Owners and Operators
This document focuses on:Assets