Automated asset criticality assessment

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a set of attributes of an asset of a computing environment, wherein the set of attributes identifies an access control deployed in connection with the asset;

determining, using at least one processor, a criticality rating for the asset in response to a countermeasure deployment involving the asset or an attempt to launch the asset or an application hosted by or interacting with the asset, wherein the criticality rating is based at least in part on a rule and the access control; and

causing a security activity to be performed based at least in part on the criticality rating.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on a file size of the asset or whether the asset maintains credit card data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an amount of traffic originating from, passing through, or received at the asset in a window of interest, and the amount of traffic is an average traffic or an overall amount of traffic.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an ownership, a creation, a management, or an interaction with a predetermined user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an operating system of the asset or a geographical location of the asset.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security activity is denying the attempt to launch the asset or the application hosted by or interacting with the asset.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating a risk measure for the asset from the criticality rating, wherein the set of attributes further identifies one or more users or a context of use of the asset by the one or more users, the criticality rating further is based at least in part on the one or more users or the context of use of the asset, and the security activity is caused to be performed based at least in part on the risk measure.

8. At least one non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed on a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

identifying a set of attributes of an asset of a computing environment, wherein the set of attributes identifies an access control deployed in connection with the asset;

determining a criticality rating for the asset in response to a countermeasure deployment involving the asset or an attempt to launch the asset or an application hosted by or interacting with the asset, wherein the criticality rating is based at least in part on a rule and the access control; and

causing a security activity to be performed based at least in part on the criticality rating.

9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on a file size of the asset or whether the asset maintains credit card data.

10. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an amount of traffic originating from, passing through, or received at the asset in a window of interest, and the amount of traffic is an average traffic or an overall amount of traffic.

11. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an ownership, a creation, a management, or an interaction with a predetermined user.

12. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an operating system of the asset or a geographical location of the asset.

13. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the security activity is denying the attempt to launch the asset or the application hosted by or interacting with the asset.

14. The medium of claim 8 , the method further comprising:

calculating a risk measure for the asset from the criticality rating, wherein the set of attributes further identifies one or more users or a context of use of the asset by the one or more users, the criticality rating further is based at least in part on the one or more users or the context of use of the asset, and the security activity is caused to be performed based at least in part on the risk measure.

15. A system, comprising:

at least one memory that stores instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the instructions to

identify a set of attributes of an asset of a computing environment, wherein the set of attributes identifies an access control deployed in connection with the asset;

determine a criticality rating for the asset in response to a countermeasure deployment involving the asset or an attempt to launch the asset or an application hosted by or interacting with the asset, wherein the criticality rating is based at least in part on a rule and the access control; and

cause a security activity to be performed based at least in part on the criticality rating.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on a file size of the asset or whether the asset maintains credit card data.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an amount of traffic originating from, passing through, or received at the asset in a window of interest, and the amount of traffic is an average traffic or an overall amount of traffic.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an ownership, a creation, a management, or an interaction with a predetermined user.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the rule assesses the criticality rating based at least in part on an operating system of the asset or a geographical location of the asset.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the security activity is denying the attempt to launch the asset or the application hosted by or interacting with the asset.