Overview
Asset Manager gives you a structured inventory of everything you build and test. Rather than tracking assets in spreadsheets or external tools, you define them directly in VSEC so they can be referenced by test runs, risk cases, and monitoring rules automatically.
What is an Asset?
An asset is any product, system, or component you want to track. In practice, this usually means:
- A vehicle platform (e.g. “Compact A 2026”)
- A feature or software function (e.g. “Over-the-Air Update”)
- An ECU or hardware component (e.g. “Telematics Control Unit”)
Assets are typed, carry configurable properties, and can be linked together in parent-child hierarchies.
Asset Types
Every asset belongs to a type. Types determine which properties are available for an asset and how it is displayed in VSEC. Three types are provided out of the box:
| Type | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | Car | A top-level vehicle platform or product line |
| Feature | Gear | A functional capability or software subsystem |
| Component | Chip | A hardware ECU or physical module |
You can create additional custom types and organize them in a hierarchy (e.g. a “Gateway ECU” type under “Component”) in Configuration → Asset Types.
Asset Properties
Properties are the fields that hold information about an asset. VSEC ships with six default properties:
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Product Owner | Text | Responsible person; used by VSEC for default risk assignment |
| Keywords | Tags | Attribute tags used to match relevant threat intelligence and test cases |
| Interfaces | Multi-select | External attack surfaces (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, CAN, USB, etc.) |
| Product ID | Text | Links parent/child assets; populated during PDF import |
| Vehicle Line | Text | Platform identifier; populated during PDF import |
| Model Year | Text | Model year; populated during PDF import |
You can define additional properties with custom data types in Configuration → Asset Properties.
Asset Hierarchy
Assets can be organized into parent-child relationships. A typical hierarchy looks like:
Vehicle: Compact A 2026
├── Component: Telematics Control Unit
└── Component: Infotainment System
└── Feature: Over-the-Air UpdateHierarchies are managed through the Links tab on any asset detail page and visualized in the Tree View.
Integration with the Rest of VSEC
Asset Manager is not a standalone inventory tool — assets are used throughout VSEC:
- Risk Manager links security risks to assets and uses Product Owner for default assignment
- VSEC Test associates test runs with specific assets
- Keywords on assets drive relevance matching for threat intelligence
- Integrations (e.g. xZETA firmware) can be linked directly to components for SBOM scanning