Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on August 13, 2021
4 min readLast updated: February 17, 2026
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By Libby Bagley, Community Manager at License Dashboard
When most business leaders began planning for lockdown and a shift to remote working, the potential challenges they were preparing for centred around the operational difficulties of being able to collaborate from a distance. There may have been changes to processes and policies, staff training on new tools, as well as plans on overcoming financial obstacles as a result of the pandemic.
However, there was less consideration for the impact of remote working on cybersecurity. For all the benefits of allowing staff to work from home, both in terms of productivity and work/life balance, it inevitably leaves a business more open to security threats.
The average office setup is very different to the home environment of most employees, with relaxed admin rights of the latter allowing staff to easily and quickly download free trials of products that might pose a danger. Having teams working remotely also means you won’t all be on the same centralised system for updating anti-virus software.
On top of this, as the move to the cloud increases – especially when we consider the reliance on tools like Microsoft 365 – the very nature of having employees accessing files and software from multiple locations, networks and devices, is a risk to corporate information such as financial stats or customer data.
The role of software asset management in cybersecurity
The part that software asset management (SAM) plays in mitigating cybersecurity risks, is all about visibility. The purpose of SAM is to provide a full overview of every aspect of an organisation’s software use, from deployment, all the way to end of life. It allows IT teams to see all licenses and understand who’s using them, when, and in what way. And, of course, a clear view of software use is vital in understanding what you need to protect against.
Software asset management is probably best known for helping businesses save money on unnecessary licenses, or for staying compliant and audit-friendly. Whilst it does do all of these things, the right SAM tools can also make sure all products are being kept up to date, and that any necessary patches have been successfully installed, therefore reducing security risks.
The challenges caused by software misuse
Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen a number of common recurring issues that can be easily avoided:
Making everyone aware of the dangers
Having the right tools and technology in place is essential in the fight against cybercrime, however, there also needs to be a change in the way people behave, particularly when it comes to software use. Many simply aren’t aware of the connection between software use and cybersecurity, so educating people on the wider impact of their actions is crucial.
Ensuring that all areas of an organisation are familiar with the fundamental concepts of software asset management is a key step towards keeping a business safe.
While the initial priority regarding remote working might have been towards keeping productivity levels high, the emphasis now needs to shift towards security, and that means gaining better visibility of your company’s software use.
About Author:
Libby Bagley is Community Manager at License Dashboard, a company specialising in software asset management and licensing expertise for large and fast-growing organisations.
The role of software asset management in cybersecurity is primarily about visibility. SAM provides a comprehensive overview of all software assets, helping organizations mitigate cybersecurity risks.
Making everyone aware of the dangers associated with software misuse is essential. A change in behavior, particularly regarding software usage, is necessary to enhance security.
Remote working has introduced challenges such as relaxed admin rights, which allow employees to download unverified software. This increases the risk of cybersecurity threats.
Organizations can improve their cybersecurity posture by ensuring all areas are familiar with software asset management concepts and shifting their focus from productivity to security.
Beyond saving money on unnecessary licenses, SAM helps organizations stay compliant and audit-friendly while also enhancing visibility and security in software usage.
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