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Key takeaways
A digital asset register is one list of everything your business owns online: domains, websites, email, cloud storage, software subscriptions, social accounts, phone numbers, code and data. For each, record the legal owner, the master admin, who has access, renewal dates and cost. Keeping the register can be outsourced; owning the assets on it cannot.
- List domains, accounts, data, code and subscriptions in one place.
- Record legal owner, master admin, access and renewal for each.
- Every asset should be owned by the company, not a person.
- Update it monthly; review it fully every year.
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Chat on WhatsApp →Why does a small business need one?
Because digital assets are scattered across people, agencies and personal accounts, and you only find out when something expires or someone leaves. A register shows what you own, what you pay for and where control has drifted outside the business. It also adds value when you sell the business, because buyers check these assets.
What goes in the register?
One row per asset, with the same columns each time.
- Asset name and type.
- Legal owner (should be the company).
- Master admin and backup admin.
- Who else has access, including providers.
- Renewal date, cost and payment method.
Which assets are most often lost?
Domain names registered by a former employee or web designer, social media pages created on someone's personal profile, email lists in an agency's account, and code held only in a developer's repository. Each can stop the business if the person becomes unavailable.
What can be outsourced?
Building and maintaining the register, tracking renewals, chasing access changes when people join or leave and flagging assets held outside the company's name. The directors decide what to fix and approve transfers of ownership.
What does this look like in practice?
A pattern we see: a business's domain expires because renewal notices went to a former employee's email. A register with renewal dates and a company-owned contact address prevents it.
Digital asset register checklist
- List every digital asset in one sheet.
- Record owner, admin, access and renewal.
- Move personally held assets to the company.
- Use a company email for renewal notices.
- Update monthly and review yearly.
Next step
Start with three rows: your domain, your email system and your accounting software. Fill in who owns each and when it renews.
Message us on WhatsApp, or book a 30-minute consultation.
Chat on WhatsApp →Sources and further reading
- Small organisations guide to cyber security · National Cyber Security Centre
- Shadow IT · National Cyber Security Centre
Frequently asked questions
What is a digital asset register?
It is a single list of a business's digital assets, such as domains, websites, email, cloud storage, software subscriptions, social media accounts, phone numbers, code and data, showing who legally owns each, who administers it, who has access and when it renews.
Who should own a business's domain name?
The company itself, registered in its legal name with a company email address as the contact. If a web designer or former employee registered it in their own name, ask for it to be transferred to the business through the registrar's process.
How often should a digital asset register be updated?
Update it whenever an asset is added, someone joins or leaves, or a provider changes, and review it fully at least once a year. A monthly check of renewal dates prevents accidental expiry of domains and subscriptions.
Written by
Global Bridge Labs (GBL) is a UK–Sri Lanka partner for social media, websites and BPO. Everything here comes from client delivery, not theory.
