To manage risk effectively, organizations must know what they own, who is responsible for it, and how critical it is—this is the basis of asset assignment, ownership, and classification. In this episode, we discuss the importance of tagging and tracking assets, designating accountable owners, and classifying systems and data based on sensitivity and function. Ownership enforces accountability: every asset—from a cloud resource to a mobile device—should have someone responsible for ensuring it is patched, monitored, and retired properly. Classification helps determine the appropriate level of protection, with labels like "internal," "confidential," or "regulated" triggering specific technical and policy requirements. Without these foundations, security efforts become reactive and disorganized, and critical systems can slip through the cracks. Assignment and classification bring structure and visibility to your environment, enabling targeted, risk-based decision-making across the organization.