---
title: "What is an Asset?"
url: "https://dm0bkdes5q7a2ls.productfruits.help/en/article/what-is-an-asset"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-05-12T16:47:49.631Z"
---

# What is an Asset?

This article describes what an asset is in Spirion Sensitive Data Platform, as well as its purpose and function.

An Asset or Data Asset is a location, local, or remote (such as cloud-based), that contains Targets (a Target is any data location inside an Asset that Spirion Sensitive Data Platform can scan).

-   For example, an SQL server (Asset) with multiple SQL Databases hosted on it (Targets)

A location can be both an **Asset** and a **Target**.

-   For example, a workstation (Asset and single Target)

## Overview

The **Data Assets and Targets** screen is where you can view and manage Assets (and Targets).

Assets are generally categorized by the type of repository they represent. Here are the most common examples:

### Endpoints (User Devices)

These are the most common assets in a typical deployment.

-   **Windows Laptops/Desktops:** Employee workstations where local files, browser caches, and Outlook PSTs reside.
-   **macOS Devices:** Apple laptops and desktops used within the organization.
-   **Virtual Desktops (VDI):** Non-persistent or persistent virtual instances (e.g., Citrix or VMware Horizon).

### Cloud & SaaS Repositories

These are "non-local" assets where data is stored in third-party cloud ecosystems.

Locations, physical or cloud, that contain Targets.

-   **Microsoft 365:** Including **OneDrive for Business**, **SharePoint Online**, and **Microsoft Teams**.
-   **Google Workspace:** Including **Google Drive** and Gmail.
-   **Box / Dropbox:** Corporate cloud storage accounts that you maintain.
-   **Amazon S3:** Cloud "buckets" used for application storage or backups.

### File Storage (Unstructured Data)

These assets represent centralized locations where documents accumulate over time.

-   **Windows File Servers:** Traditional on-premises servers hosting department shares (e.g., the `S:` or `H:` drives).
-   **Network Attached Storage (NAS):** Devices like NetApp or Dell EMC Isilon, often scanned via SMB/CIFS or NFS.
-   **Linux/Unix Servers:** Servers hosting web content, application data, or configuration files.

### Databases (Structured Data)

These assets require specific connectors (ODBC/OLEDB) to scan tables and columns.

-   **Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL)**
-   -   A SQL Server hosted on-premise at your business
-   **Oracle Database**
-   **MySQL / PostgreSQL**
-   **Snowflake:** Cloud-based data warehousing.

### Email Systems

Assets where communication-based sensitive data (and attachments) reside.

-   **Exchange Online (M365):** Cloud-hosted mailboxes.
-   **Exchange On-Premises:** Local mail servers.
-   **Gmail:** Corporate Google Mail accounts.

### Collaboration & Application Tools

-   **Slack:** Scanning messages and file uploads within channels.
-   **Salesforce:** Scanning objects and attachments within the CRM.
-   **Jira / Confluence:** Scanning tickets and documentation pages.

## **Targets**

-   -   Any data locations within an Asset that Spirion Sensitive Data Platform can scan.
    -   They can be in a “physical” box that can be scanned or in a cloud Asset that contains data.
    -   Examples:
    -   -   Targets in Local Assets: SQL Databases on a local SQL server
        -   Targets in Cloud Assets:
        -   -   Databases on Amazon S3, Azure Blob, Bitbucket, Google Drive
            -   File Directories in SharePoint
        -   Targets in Email:
        -   -   Exchange On-Prem email which is housed on a local server
            -   Exchange Online email which is housed in the cloud
-   **Asset/Target Examples**:
-   -   An SQL server (Asset) with multiple SQL Databases hosted on it (Targets)
    -   A SharePoint Online instance (Asset) with multiple sites (Targets)
    -   A Workstation (Asset and single Target), or a Azure Data lake (Asset that can’t be scanned)

## Asset Management

Assets can be created, viewed, searched for, and managed on the **Data Assets and Targets** screen, under **Data Asset Inventory** in the left navigation:

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/6eb9bee2-d07a-4d85-9f4e-085b6cca2bb3)

### Assets

The **ASSETS** tab displays in a table with these column headings:

-   **Asset Name**
-   **Asset Type**
-   **Admin Department**
-   **Asset Owner**
-   **Hosting Location**
-   **Status**
-   **SDV3 Risk**
-   **More options** 3 vertical dots

![Example of various Assets such as Databases File Servers Email and Cloud Repositories](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/ca63352c-a811-4181-a323-946bcaad997a)

The Asset information in the table is automatically populated by the Scan history.

-   For examples and more information, see [Working with Data Assets and Targets](https://docs.spirion.com/Content/Sensitive%20Data%20Platform/Platform/Data%20Asset%20Inventory/WorkingWithAssetsAndTargets.htm).

## Architectural Distinction

When managing these assets in the console, it is important to remember the **Trust Boundary**:

-   **For Endpoints and File Shares:** The "Asset" is usually the machine where the **Search Agent** is installed or the share it can reach over the local network.
-   **For Cloud/SaaS (M365, S3, etc.):** The "Asset" is defined in the console as a **Target**, and you assign a "worker" agent to reach out and scan it via API or tokens.

## How Assets are Organized

In the Spirion Sensitive Data Platform console, you often see these assets organized into **Target Groups** or **Tags** (for example, "Finance Servers," "Executive Laptops," or "Production Databases"). This enables you to apply different **Scan Policies** to different groups of assets based on their risk profile.

## Summary

Assets in Spirion range from individual **user laptops** and **on-prem file shares** to **cloud storage (M365/S3)** and **structured databases**. They are the "where" in the "What, Where, and How" of sensitive data discovery.